AIF announces dozens of state Senate, House endorsements

The Associated Industries of Florida released a bulk endorsement covering nearly every state Senate and House contest on the ballot this year.

“AIF is proud to put its support behind candidates who share our principles of prosperity and free enterprise and will fight for Florida’s business community in the Legislature to lower costs for Floridians,” said AIF President & CEO Brewster Bevis.

“We’re excited to share this list of endorsements, which builds on our earlier endorsements of some of our most powerful advocates in key races, including Tom Leek in SD 7, Stan McClain in SD 9 and Keith Truenow in SD 13. With absentee ballots for Florida’s primary election hitting mailboxes soon, AIF’s endorsements let voters looking to support individuals who are committed to helping our state’s businesses thrive know who they can feel confident supporting.”

The new wave of Senate endorsements mostly features sitting lawmakers, though a handful of non-incumbents are the list, including former Senate President Don Gaetz in Senate District 1 and Rep. Randy Fine in Senate District 19.

The bulk of the House list is likewise incumbent lawmakers with a handful of new names mixed in for the open seats, such as Republicans Sam Greco in House District 19 and JJ Grow in House District 23.

AIF’s Center for Political Strategy, which launched last year with the goal of ensuring pro-business candidates — both Republican and Democrat — are elected to the Florida Legislature, played an integral role in this year’s endorsement process.

Through the Center, candidates for state Senate and House races were interviewed regarding their motivations for seeking office, priorities if elected, and stances on issues important to Florida businesses, helping to determine those who would be the most effective and reliable advocates for the business community if elected.

“With the business community seeing an increasing number of concerning bills being filed each legislative session, AIF’s Center for Political Strategy is putting a greater emphasis on recruiting and actively supporting legislative candidates who will strongly advocate for Florida’s job creators, regardless of their political affiliation,” added Bevis. “These endorsements are a direct reflection of that work that is already well underway.”