Drew Wilson
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis announced Tuesday that he has hired Caleb Spencer to manage his 2022 re-election campaign.
“Caleb Spencer has been an incredible asset as a member of the team for my 2018 campaign and then as the External Affairs Director at DFS. I’m excited to have him back on the campaign trail with me, this time as my Campaign Manager where I know he’ll continue to work hard and make sure we get a big win in November,” Patronis said.
Spencer has worked with Patronis since the 2018 cycle, serving as Patronis’ travel aide and political director during his first successful bid for CFO.
He most recently worked as the external affairs director for the Florida Department of Financial Services, which is overseen by Patronis. In that role, Spencer oversaw a team of regional managers, specializing in stakeholder development, constituent services and event coordination.
Notably, Spencer helped orchestrate the “Year of the US&R” events around the state. The events were part of a push by Patronis to honor Florida’s urban search and rescue teams for their efforts following the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside. The events also saw Patronis advocate for increased equipment and training funding for US&R teams.
Spencer is a graduate of the University of Central Florida where he earned a degree in political science. He is a native of Apopka and currently lives in Tallahassee.
Patronis was appointed CFO in 2017 and elected to a full term in 2018, earning 52% of the vote against Democratic former Sen. Jeremy Ring. This year, three Democrats are vying for the position, most notably Democratic former Rep. Adam Hattersley, who launched his campaign on March 1.
With about seven months to go before Election Day, the incumbent holds a sizable fundraising advantage. As of Feb. 28, Patronis had about $500,000 on hand in his campaign account and another $3.4 million on hand in his political committee, Treasure Florida.
