With a key endorsement from Gov. Ron DeSantis, Republican Jay Collins is once more switching races.
Collins will run as a substitute for Florida’s 14th Senate District seat, presently held by incumbent state Sen. Janet Cruz.
DeSantis waded into the Tampa-area Senate race in a tweet asserting his endorsement of Collins, a Green Beret veteran. It’s the most recent instance of the highly effective governor getting concerned in state legislative races this election.
Collins initially had been slated to run for Florida’s 14th Congressional District towards Democratic U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, the place he out-fundraised Castor for 3 fiscal quarters in a row. In May, Collins introduced he would as a substitute run for Florida’s fifteenth Congressional District, an open seat that has attracted a crowded Republican major.
At the time, Collins stated he needed to transfer into the fifteenth District to problem opponents who had been “career politicians.”
“Time and time again, I’ve answered the call to serve this country,” Collins stated in a tweet after DeSantis’ endorsement announcement. “I look forward to continuing that mission alongside our great governor.”
The Senate district has grow to be barely extra blue after redistricting and covers northwest Hillsborough down to South Tampa.
Cruz, a Democrat, was elected to the state Senate in 2018 and beforehand served within the state House.
Shawn Harrison, a former state consultant, can be operating for the state Senate seat as a Republican. Harrison introduced his marketing campaign with the assist of Senate President Wilton Simpson and incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo — placing DeSantis’ endorsement at odds, once more, with Legislative management and Tallahassee custom.
Harrison couldn’t instantly be reached for remark. Cruz didn’t instantly return a name for remark.
In March, DeSantis weighed in on the race for Senate District 11, which promised to be a tricky major between two Republican House representatives — Reps. Blaise Ingoglia and Ralph Massullo.
After DeSantis endorsed Ingoglia, Massullo dropped again to the House race, inflicting a scramble amongst a few of the candidates who had filed to run for the seat he appeared to be departing.