Jacob Ogles
Republican leadership in the Senate has picked a favorite in the race to succeed former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.
The Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (FRSCC) announced that Senate President Ben Albritton, Senate Majority Leader Jim Boyd and Senate Health Appropriations Chair Jay Trumbull are endorsing Rep. Lauren Melo, a Naples Republican, for the Senate District 28 post.
“The challenges and opportunities ahead will require the next generation of Senate leaders to be proven fighters for the hard working people of Florida,” reads a joint statement from Albritton, Boyd and Trumbull.
“From building her own businesses, to raising three children and battling breast cancer while sending her son overseas to Afghanistan on his first combat deployment in the Army, Lauren Melo represents the best of Florida’s hunger for freedom and prosperity.”
Melo remains the only active candidate seeking the open seat. Passidomo cannot seek another term because of term limits and already endorsed Melo as her favored successor.
The FRSCC’s endorsement has always loomed large in GOP Primaries for seats in the upper chamber of the Legislature.
Albritton, a Wauchula Republican, led Republicans through a successful election cycle in 2024, when the caucus held onto every seat in its supermajority. The next two Republicans in line to lead the chamber joined him in the joint endorsement.
Boyd, a Bradenton Republican, will succeed Albritton as Senate President in 2026, presuming Republicans keep control of the chamber. Trumbull, a Panama City Republican, is expected to lead the chamber in 2028.
The joint statement said Melo has built a legislative background since her election to the House in 2020 to prepare her for the Senate.
“She has fought to protect our second amendment rights, honor our veterans, cut bureaucratic red tape, and grow our economy,” the statement reads.
“Last year, Lauren led the charge to forever enshrine the rights to fish and hunt in Florida’s Constitution and has been a steady voice in the responsible conservation of our precious natural resources. We are proud to endorse Lauren Melo for Senate District 28 because she is a proven conservative warrior who will always put Floridians first.”
Melo was expected to face former Rep. Bob Rommel in a Republican Primary, but it’s now unlikely he will run after taking a position as Executive Director of the America First Policy Institute’s Florida chapter.
