Janelle Irwin Taylor
Sometimes power is a matter of perspective.
Last year, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson landed in the honorable mention category for Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians, two years after he was ranked the MOST powerful politician.
His move from the top to merely a nod had nothing to do with Simpson’s actual influence and everything to do with venue. He went from Senate President to Agriculture Commissioner, a far less flashy title that earns far fewer headlines.
Though his work now might be quiet, make no mistake about Simpson’s standing in the halls of Tampa Bay power players. That’s why, instead of ranking Simpson at all this year, we’ve created an entirely new category just for him: legend.
It’s because that’s what he is. He’s been a Senate Majority Leader, a Senate President and now head of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
“He’s been a great leader in all of his roles, but perhaps his best role is a true friend,” Senate Majority Leader Jim Boyd said. “You never have to circle back when he gives you his word. He’s fair, honest, and serves because he loves our state.”
Speaking with other lawmakers and those in The Process, that sentiment was unanimous.
“They say if you want a friend in politics, get a dog. There’s an exception: Wilton Simpson,” House Budget Committee Chair Lawrence McClure agreed. “It’s hard to imagine Florida politics without him in it. He works hard, keeps his word, and will give you the shirt off his back. A lot of good people in this process owe Wilton a debt of gratitude; ironically, he keeps paying it forward.”
That’s rare in today’s political climate, where divisions between party ideologies breeds contempt. Even Republicans aren’t immune within their own ranks — the House and Senate, both under GOP supermajorities, needed several extra weeks this year to reach a budget deal as the sides found themselves at odds over how best to provide financial relief to residents.
In that vein, Simpson stands out. Sure, he’s a Republican through and through. He was on board with the Legislature’s successful effort to follow President Donald Trump’s lead in renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. As Senate President, he helped lead efforts to pass a 15-week abortion ban, among other conservative priorities.
But he’s also not afraid to push back if a conservative bill is at odds with his professional or moral convictions. In 2020, for example, he backed a measure (SB 664) that required the use of E-Verify to ensure new hires were legally authorized to work in the U.S., but this only applied to state agencies and contractors.
He faced pretty big criticism from immigration hard-liners over what they saw as a weak bill, though it has since been strengthened. Simpson also pushed back last year on a controversial proposal to build pickleball courts and golf courses in state parks.
And Simpson this year found himself facing off with Gov. Ron DeSantis after the Legislature, in a perceived act of defiance against the Governor, offered an alternative immigration crackdown bill that put Simpson, not DeSantis, in charge of enforcement.
DeSantis slammed the measure and blamed Simpson for using his former position as Senate President to bully lawmakers into supporting the language.
Yet despite their quarrel, Simpson still managed to usher through his priority Farm Bill, which includes bans on fluoride in municipal water supplies, elimination of a loophole that allows for the sale of psychedelic mushrooms, and protections for farmers against what Simpson and other conservatives described as discrimination-based lending.
However, it also included less controversial measures, such as banning drones over farmland and providing grants to fiscally constrained counties to install electric vehicle charging stations.
“I’ve had the honor of working with some of the best leaders in Florida. In my opinion, Wilton Simpson will long be viewed as one of the greats,” said Kathy Mears, who served as Chief of Staff in the Senate President’s Office and now serves as Simpson’s Chief of Staff in the Department of Agriculture.
“He chooses work over fanfare. He fights for the voiceless. He hates bureaucracy and loves results. It’s an honor to be on his team.”
“Results” could be Simpson’s middle name. Look no further than the planned Moffitt Speros Outpatient Center in Land O’ Lakes, which is expected to open in January with nearly 120,000 square feet of clinical space in an area that lacked easy access to cancer care. Simpson spearheaded funding efforts for the facility, landing $120 million in state funding for the project in 2022.
Elected as Agriculture Commissioner in 2022 with nearly 60% of the vote, Simpson successfully flipped the only statewide elected office held by a Democrat into the Republicans’ column. Since then, he’s scored plenty of wins.
In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton — which devastated not just residential communities, but also agricultural lands — Simpson launched a loan program offering up to $500,000 for state farmers, ranchers and aquaculture producers to make necessary repairs and replace equipment. The agriculture community rejoiced.
In the first half of his first term, Simpson successfully overhauled the Ag Department’s Best Management Practices, the first time they had been updated in about two decades. Stakeholders in the agriculture industry — the state’s second-largest — praised the massive undertaking for ensuring farmers, ranchers and growers have the latest and most effective tools to ensure a safe, affordable and abundant food supply.
Simpson was also a key shepherd for the 2024 Amendment 2 ballot initiative, enshrining the right to fish and hunt into the state constitution. His work on the bill earned Simpson the International Order of T. Roosevelt’s 2025 Conservationist of the Year award, named for former President Theodore Roosevelt, who led efforts to found the national park system.
Simpson has also prioritized conservation efforts, adding funding for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program after taking office at the Department of Agriculture, and helping to secure $250 million for the program in the recently passed 2025-26 budget.
“I consider Wilton Simpson to be a man of extraordinary character and, just as important, a good friend,” Senate Budget Chair Ed Hooper said. “Serving with him for four years in the Senate gave me an opportunity to really get to know him and how he cares about the State of Florida. What he has accomplished in his first term as Commissioner of Agriculture is unprecedented.”
