Brewster Bevis: After trial lawyers blew millions in the SD 7 race, it’s time to unify behind Tom Leek

In what likely became the most expensive legislative Primary race in Florida history — and one of the most expensive across the country this cycle — billboard lawyers spent more than $10 million trying to buy a Senate seat.

But the good people of Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns and Volusia counties saw through the façade, and sided with Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, Attorney General Ashley Moody, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, House Speaker Paul Renner, Senate President-designate Ben Albritton, their local Congressmen, all four of the district’s Sheriffs, Florida’s business community, and many other hard-working Floridians, to support Tom Leek.

Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) was proud to endorse Leek early in his campaign for Senate District 7, back in June 2023. We — like the voters — know him to be fair and effective.

During his time in the House, Leek oversaw the development of fiscally responsible state budgets that met the needs of our state and invested in its future, helped usher through transformational tort reforms that have curbed legal system abuse and are working to stabilize Florida’s insurance market, and fought for conservative policies that helped strengthen our economy to lower costs for consumers and provide all Floridians with opportunities to succeed.

Despite what the deceitful attack ads may have claimed, it was nothing more than Leek’s instrumental role in the passage of those historic tort reforms that earned him the ire of the plaintiff’s bar. After all, the legislation that passed effectively took money directly out of the pockets of unscrupulous billboard lawyers who were abusing our state’s legal system and driving up costs for every Floridian for their own personal gain.

So, in turn, these lawyers took out their wallets and threw everything they could at Leek, whether it was true or not — and for the record, it was not.

Now, what do they have to show for it aside from a metric ton of cash burned? Nothing. And that’s thanks to the voters of SD 7, who know who Leek really is, his conservative values, and his commitment to serving his community and his state to help create a brighter future.

His message, focused on cutting government red tape, ending senseless regulations, lowering costs for Floridians, and keeping Florida the freest state in the nation, resonated with them and should send a clear message to the trial bar.

In the face of the financial largess of the plaintiff’s bar, the business community coalesced around Leek. We know that his pro-employer and pro-employee policies have assisted in building a stronger Florida by fostering a robust business community in our great state. Thankfully, the voters in SD 7 believe in that and have pushed back against an all-out assault against Leek.

With the Primary behind us, we’re glad to see level heads prevailed and welcome the end of these shameless attacks on Leek. And now, as we head toward the General Election, we urge voters in SD 7 to continue to stand behind Leek and send him back to the Legislature, where he is sure to continue fighting for their best interests and working to foster economic prosperity in our state.

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Brewster Bevis is President and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida.