Republican Byron Donalds’ campaign has released the names of 156 local elected officials backing him for Governor. One of them is Chris Arbutine Sr., the Mayor of Belleair Bluffs, where Democrat David Jolly lives.
The list includes Mayors, Commissioners, Council members, School Board members, Superintendents, State Attorneys, Public Defenders, Clerks of Court, Tax Collectors and Property Appraisers. It runs from Pensacola to Key Colony Beach.
Two dozen of the names come from Pinellas County, the county Jolly represented in Congress. Largo Mayor Woody Brown signed on with five of the city’s six Commissioners. Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector is on the list with two Council members. So are the Mayors of Seminole, Oldsmar, St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island, State Attorney Bruce Bartlett, Public Defender Sara Mollo, Clerk Ken Burke, Tax Collector Adam Ross, Property Appraiser Mike Twitty and School Board Member Stephanie Meyer.
Miami-Dade accounts for 34 names, including Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo, Sweetwater Mayor Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Property Appraiser Tomás Regalado, Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez and Miami Commissioners Rolando Escalona and Ralph Rosado.
Eight of Jacksonville’s 19 City Council members signed on, including Council President Nick Howland and Vice President Joe Carlucci, in a city run by Democratic Mayor Donna Deegan. State Attorney Melissa Nelson, Clerk Jody Phillips and Tax Collector Jim Overton are the other Duval names.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside Congressman Donalds, and I know firsthand his commitment to fiscal responsibility, accountability, and creating opportunity for Florida families,” Howland said. “His unwavering support for our veterans and his vision for growing Florida’s space economy are exactly what our state needs.”
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves, Cape Coral Mayor John Gunter, Palm Bay Mayor Rob Medina, Weston Mayor Margaret “Peggy” Brown and Monroe County Mayor Michelle Lincoln are also on the list.
Gainesville City Commissioner Cynthia Chestnut, a former state Representative and former Chair of the Alachua County Democratic Party, is on it. She endorsed Donalds in September and said at the time that she remains a Democrat. The campaign rolled out Eatonville Vice Mayor Angela Thomas’ endorsement earlier this week. She is on the list as well.
“These local officials are the people Floridians call when something needs fixing. They know what works and what doesn’t,” Donalds said. “I’m honored to have their support and as Governor, I’ll work alongside them to keep Florida safe, affordable, and free.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins endorsed Jolly over the Summer, and Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse co-chairs a Republicans for Jolly group launched in September.
Early voting is underway and the General Election is 11 days off. The most recent St. Pete Polls survey for Florida Politics had the race tied at 45%.
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Ed. note: This story was drafted with assistance from AI. Editorial judgment, sourcing, and final review were performed by Peter Schorsch and the Florida Politics editorial team.
Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises Media and is the publisher of FloridaPolitics.com, INFLUENCE Magazine, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. Previous to his publishing efforts, Peter was a political consultant to dozens of congressional and state campaigns, as well as several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella. Follow Peter on Twitter @PeterSchorschFL.
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