Jesse Scheckner
Two months after endorsing more than 100 candidates for the Legislature, Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) is adding 11 more to the list, including three candidates seeking open South Florida seats.
The group is now backing Democrat Barbara Sharief in Senate District 35 and Republicans Omar Blanco and Meg Weinberg for House Districts 115 and 94, respectively.
“These endorsements build on the slate of strong candidates we have already announced our support for this election cycle — candidates who will fight for the best interests of Florida’s job creators and to lower costs for hardworking Floridians,” AIF President and CEO Brewster Bevis said in a statement.
“We know that, if elected, these individuals will work day in and day out to keep our state free and thriving, so voters can feel confident supporting them at the polls this November.”
Sharief, a former Broward County Commissioner, bested two Primary opponents last month to earn a place on the General Election ballot.
In deep blue Broward, she’s considered a heavy favorite to defeat Republican Vincent Parlatore for the right to succeed term-limited Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book in SD 35.
Blanco, a firefighter, also topped two Primary foes, including one with heaving financial backing from several state lawmakers, to advance to a November matchup against Democratic nonprofit executive Norma Perez Schwartz for the HD 115 seat.
He’s favored to win in the red-tinged Miami-Dade County district, where voters in 2022 elected Republican operative Alina García, who is leaving to run for Supervisor of Elections.
Weinberger, who chairs a Palm Beach County chapter of Moms for Liberty and runs an animal sanctuary, soundly defeated three Primary opponents last month after receiving a flood of endorsements from prominent Republicans such as Donald Trump, Matt Gaetz, Gus Bilirakis and Randy Fine.
Those nods and others earned her the nickname “MAGA Meg.”
Notably, AIF previously endorsed Weinberger’s Primary opponent, Anthony Aguirre, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis also backed in HD 94. Then Weinberger trounced Aguirre by 20-percentage-points.
She now faces the district’s lone Democratic candidate, former Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Rachelle Litt, for the right to succeed term-limited GOP Rep. Rick Roth in representing a Republican-leaning, inland portion of Palm Beach County.
AIF last year launched its Center for Political Strategy to strengthen the organization’s efforts to get pro-business candidates from both sides of the political aisle elected and re-elected to the Legislature. To do so, the Center interviews candidates about their motivation for seeking office, priorities if elected and stances on business-relevant issues.
“Whether a candidate has an R or a D behind their name makes no difference,” Bevis said. “It’s their commitment to supporting our shared principles of free enterprise and economic prosperity that earns them the support of the business community.”
Other candidates AIF endorsed Thursday include Democratic Rep. Kristen Arrington in Senate District 25 and Republicans Kim Kendall in House District 18, Nan Cobb in House District 26, Richard Gentry in House District 27, Monique Miller in House District 33, Jon Albert in House District 48, Bill Conerly in House District 72 and Yvette Benarroch in House District 81.
South Florida candidates AIF endorsed July 1 include:
— Republican Sen. Erin Grall in District 29.
— Republican Sen. Gayle Harrell in District 31.
— Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo in District 37.
— Republican Sen. Bryan Ávila in District 39.
— Republican Rep. Mike Caruso in District 87.
— Republican Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman in District 91.
— Democratic Rep. Daryl Campbell in District 99.
— Republican Rep. Chip LaMarca in District 100.
— Republican Rep. Fabián Basabe in District 106.
— Democrat Christine Olivo, who placed fourth in a six-way House District 107 contest for the right to succeed Democratic Rep. Christopher Benjamin, who is stepping down after two terms to run for a county judgeship. Educator Wallace Aristide won the seat outright, as no candidates of other political affiliations ran.
— Republican Rep. Tom Fabricio in District 110.
— Republican Rep. David Borrero in District 111.
— Republican Rep. Alex Rizo in District 112.
— Republican Rep. Vicki Lopez in District 113.
— Republican Rep. Demi Busatta Cabrera in District 114.
— Republican Rep. Daniel Perez in District 116.
— Democratic Rep. Kevin Chambliss in District 117.
— Republican Rep. Mike Redondo in District 118.
— Republican Rep. Juan Porras in District 119.
— Republican Rep. Jim Mooney in District 120.
The General Election is on Nov. 5.
