Parnell Townley endorses Ryan Chamberlin for HD 24

Former Marion County Commissioner Parnell Townley is endorsing conservative author Ryan Chamberlin in the Republican Primary for House District 24.

“Ryan will be a great ally to conservatives and Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Florida House,” said Townley. “Now more than ever, we need committed, strong conservatives like him who will fight the establishment and protect our community and Florida from the destructive, woke policies of Joe Biden.”

In addition to serving as a County Commissioner, including a stint as Chair, Townley is also a businessman who worked as the Vice President of Townley Engineering & Manufacturing Co.

“It is an honor to have Parnell Townley’s endorsement,” Chamberlin said. “He served Marion County faithfully for many years and knows what it means to be a true public servant and fiscal conservative.”

Chamberlin, who lives in the Marion County town of Belleview, is one of five Republicans and six total candidates in the field to replace former GOP Rep. Joe Harding, who resigned his seat last month following an indictment alleging wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements.

Notably, Chamberlin ran for Congress in the 2020 cycle, earning about 6% of the vote in the 10-person Republican Primary for Florida’s 3rd Congressional District.

The HD 24 Special Election will feature a similarly packed Primary. In addition to Chamberlin, Ocala Republicans Justin Albright, Jose Juarez, Stephen Pyles and former Rep. Charlie Stone have qualified for the ballot. Stone represented much of the same area from 2012 to 2020, before the most recent round of redistricting changed lines last year.

No Democrat is running for the seat, which has a pronounced Republican advantage. However, write-in candidate Robert “Foxy” Fox qualified for the race, which will block non-GOP voters from casting a ballot in the March 7 Primary.

The winner of the Primary Election will face Fox — a blank line on the ballot — in the May 16 General Election.