The Race for Agriculture Commissioner

HURRICANE IAN. ALMOST 4 YEARS LATER, IT IS MAKING A COMEBACK. I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. AS FLORIDA'S AUGUST 18TH PRIMARY ELECTION QUICKLY APPROACHES THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR AND THE U.S. SENATE SEAT ARE GARNERING QUITE A BIT OF ATTENTION. THE RACE FOR FLORIDA COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE HAS BEEN A MORE QUIET CONTEST DESPITE THE POSITION BEING ONE OF FLORIDA'S MOST POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL, IT'S A POSITION THAT DATES BACK TO 18. 88 AND OF THE 13 PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELD THE SPOT ONLY 3 WERE REPUBLICANS. THE FIRST OF THOSE 3 WAS NOT ELECTED UNTIL 2002. THAT WAS CHARLES BRONSON APPOINTED TO THE SEAT BY GOVERNOR JEB BUSH. THEN WINNING CONSECUTIVE TERMS. AND SINCE THEN, ONLY ONE DEMOCRAT HAS HELD THE SEAT. NIKKI FRIED. SHE WAS DEFEATED IN THE 2022 ELECTION BY CURRENT AG COMMISSIONER WILTON SIMPSON. JOINING US NOW FOR A CLOSER LOOK IS WGCU HOST AND REPORTER JOHN DAVIS AND JOHN, THE TITLE OF FLORIDA STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER. A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE THAT THIS POSITION HAS A LOT MORE TO DO WITHIN JUST FARMING. CAN U TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT THE POSITION TALES? YEAH, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL AND INFLUENTIAL POSITION IN FLORIDA. FOR ONE THING, IT'S JUST ONE OF 3 INDEPENDENTLY ELECTED OFFICERS ON THE STATE. >> CABINET AND OF COURSE, OVERSEEING AGRICULTURE. THAT IS A HUGE PART OF IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY IS VITAL FOR FLORIDA. WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, A 270 BILLION DOLLAR ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR AGRICULTURE ALONE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT CROP AND LIVESTOCK INDUSTRIES PLANT PAST ANIMAL DISEASE PREVENTION A CITRUS INDUSTRY, AGRICULTURE, MARKETING AND PROMOTING, YOU KNOW, FRESH FROM FLORIDA, ALL THOSE KIND OF CAMPAIGNS, AQUA CULTURE AND FORESTRY, EVEN IN DISASTER RESPONSE. THEY GO OUT AND HELP OUT FARMERS AFTER EVENTS LIKE HURRICANES. IT'S A LOT MORE THAN THAT, THOUGH. THE ACTUAL TITLE IS FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES. THAT'S WHAT HE'S THE COMMISSIONER OFF. SO THEY ALSO INVESTIGATE THINGS LIKE CONSUMER FRAUD, CHARITY FRAUD. YOU KNOW, A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS DOING A STORY ON A SHAM CHARITY, IT WAS THEIR DEPARTMENT WHO I WENT THROUGH TO GET THE DATA THAT IT DID. IDENTITY THEFT COMPLAINTS. THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT. IT'S GOING BEST TO GET THOSE KIND OF THINGS. ALSO, FOOD SAFETY SERVICES LIKE INSPECTING GROCERY STORES PRODUCE PACKING HOUSES. AND OF COURSE, THIS HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS A LOT LATELY WITH THE ONGOING CYCLO-SPORA OUTBREAK. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH. THEY ALSO OVERSEE THE FLORIDA FOREST SERVICE TO THEIR HANDLING THINGS LIKE FOREST MANAGEMENT AND PRESCRIBED BURNS. THEY MANAGE OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING FOR JOBS IN FLORIDA THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STATE LICENSE TO DO. SO. I MEAN, IT'S REALLY FAIR TO SAY THERE IS NOW A FLORIDA RESIDENT WHOSE LIFE IS NOT IMPACTED BY THIS DEPARTMENT AND THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT. >> AND HOW IS THE RACE SHAPING UP? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR OUR FLORIDA STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER? >> WELL, THIS IS NOT SHAPING UP TO BE A COMPETITIVE RACE. WE HAVE THE INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN WILTON SIMPSON WHO IS SEEKING REELECTION. HE FACES ONE REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER NAMED MATT TAYLOR. THEN THERE ARE 2 DEMOCRAT IN THE AUGUST 18TH PRIMARY ELECTION, DON PRITCHARD AND JOEY MENDOZA OUTCOMES. AND THEN THERE'S ONE WRITE-IN CANDIDATE KYLE CASEY, GIVE SOME. SIMPSON HAS THE ENDORSEMENT OF TRUMP GOVERNOR DE SANTIS. AND THAT'S JUST NOTABLE BECAUSE GOVERNOR DESANTIS IS IS NOT MAKING ENDORSEMENTS AND SAY THE GUBERNATORIAL RACE. HE IS NOT CAMPAIGNING FOR THE PROPERTY TAX AMENDMENT. SIMPSON ALSO HAS THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE FLORIDA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND 61 OF THE STATE'S 67 COUNTY SHERIFFS. >> AND HOW IS THE RACE SHAPING UP WHEN IT COMES TO CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING? >> IT'S GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE RACE, NOT BEING THAT COMPETITIVE WILTON SIMPSON HAS RAISED EXPONENTIALLY MORE MONEY THAN EVERY CANDIDATE IN THIS RACE COMBINED. HE'S GOT NEARLY $905,000 IN HIS OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN. HE ACTUALLY ENTERED THIS RACE WITH SOMETHING LIKE 33 MILLION DOLLARS. AND THIS WAS AN POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES THAT SUPPORT SIMPSON. SO IT'S SEPARATE FROM HIS OFFICIAL RACE. THIS CAME OUT IN SOME RECENT REPORTING. REALLY GOOD REPORTING FROM THE FLORIDA TRIP. SEE WHEN YOU'RE DONATING TO A FISH WILL CAMPAIGN. THEY'RE OUR LIMIT LIKE THE LIMIT IS $3,000 PER DONOR PER YEAR FOR A CAMPAIGNER PER ELECTION. I SHOULD SAY. BUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY GOING TO THESE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES, THERE IS NO LIMIT ON HOW MUCH AN INDIVIDUAL OR COMPANY YOU CAN DONATE TO THOSE PACKS. AND UNLIKE IN OTHER STATES, UNDER FLORIDA LAW, THERE ARE REALLY NO PROHIBITIONS ON A CANDIDATE AND THOSE POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES COORDINATING THEIR EFFORTS SO CONVERSE LEE, HIS PRIMARY CHALLENGER HAS RAISED A LITTLE MORE THAN $258,000. THE WRITE-IN CANDIDATE I MENTIONED BEFORE GIBSON, HE'S RAISED JUST OVER $2300 AND THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IN THIS RACE IS JUST BIZARRE. YOU HAVE A JOEY MENDOZA, ATKINS WHO WAS CAMPAIGN IS OFFICIALLY RAISED JUST $180 UNTIL RELATIVELY RECENTLY. DID HAVE A CAMPAIGN WEBSITE. BUT IT INDICATED HE WAS RUNNING FOR SENATE, NOT EVERY CULTURE COMMISSIONER. MEANWHILE, DONALD PRITCHARD'S CAMPAIGN, HE'S RAISED NEARLY $24,500. BUT UNTIL A DAY OR 2 AGO, HE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A CAMPAIGN WEBSITE IS NO SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE. I AND THIS IS JUST BIZARRE TO ME THAT THERE'S SO LITTLE MONEY GOING INTO ONE SO LITTLE CAMPAIGNING ACTIVITY COMING FROM THESE CANDIDATES AND NOT EVEN AN ONLINE CAMPAIGN PRESENCE BECAUSE 10'S OF THOUSANDS OF BALLOTS FROM REGISTERED DEMOCRATS IN FLORIDA HAVE ALREADY BEEN RETURNED. AND IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON THESE CANDIDATES, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE UNTIL VERY RECENTLY SO I THINK SIMPSON HAS THE CLEAREST PATH TO VICTORY HERE HE'S GETTING, BUT WHERE HE'S GETTING SUPPORT, ESPECIALLY FROM THESE PACKS, I THINK IS IMPORTANT, TOO, BECAUSE HE'S GETTING SUPPORT FROM SUGAR GROWERS AND BACK WHEN SIMPSON WAS FLORIDA SENATE PRESIDENT HE HELPED PASS A LAW TO SHIELD SUGAR GROWERS FROM LAWSUITS OVER THE AIR POLLUTION. UNLIKE THE ASH THAT FALLS ON THE NEARBY COMMUNITIES. WHENEVER THEY BURN THEIR FIELDS. SIMILARLY, HE'S BEEN GETTING SUPPORT FROM THE SEMINOLE TRIBE AND WHEN HE WAS IN THE LEGISLATURE, HE HELPED TO BROKER THE SEMINOLE TRIBE'S EXCLUSIVE GAMING COMPACT WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA. HE'S EVEN GETTING MONEY FROM THE FIREWORKS DISTRIBUTOR. THAT'S NOTABLE, I THINK BECAUSE THINK ABOUT THE LAST, YOU KNOW, JULY 4TH THAT WE JUST HOWEVER, WE'RE STILL UNDER SEVERE DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN A LARGE PART OF THE STATE FIREWORKS COULD CAUSE FIRES CAN BE PROBLEMATIC. THAT WOULD BE THE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER WHO WOULD STEP UP AND SAY WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT THIS YEAR, BUT IF THIS PERSON IS GETTING A LOT OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT ON HOW THEY VIEW THE ROLE AND HOW THEY VIEW THE PHYSICIAN AND HOW THEY MAY BE ADVOCATE FOR COMPANIES AND PRIVATE INTERESTS OVER THE WELL-BEING OF FLORIDA. RESIDENTS. SO I THINK THIS IS A RACE. EVERYBODY SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION IS SAVE THE SENATE RACE OR THE GUBERNATORIAL RACE. IT'S CERTAINLY TOUCHES EACH ONE OF US. >> AS YOU MENTIONED, EVERYBODY AT THE GAS YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, JOHN DAVIS, THANKS. >> HERE'S MORE ON THE POSITION OF THE STATE'S COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM. THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AG AND CONSUMER SERVICES SAYS THE ORIGINAL CREATION OF THE OFFICE DATING BACK TO 18. 68 WAS CALLED THE OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF IMMIGRATION. THE IDEA BEHIND THAT OFFICE ATTRACTING SETTLERS TO FLORIDA. YOU CAN FIND MORE