Latest news with #JimmyPatronis
Yahoo
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida GOP, DeSantis may follow Texas's lead
Florida Republicans are increasingly pushing to redraw the state's congressional lines following a similar move by the Texas GOP. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Wednesday he is 'very seriously' looking at asking the state Legislature to redraw the state's congressional map, arguing the 2020 census is flawed. Rep. Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) came out in favor of redistricting in a post on social platform X, writing that 'Texas can do it, the Free State of Florida can do it 10X better.' Florida Republicans say they were already headed in this direction following a state Supreme Court decision that upheld a congressional map supported by DeSantis and state Republicans. But the plan is gaining even more traction in the wake of Texas Republicans' unveiling of a new congressional map. 'It's picking up steam,' Florida GOP Chair Evan Power told The Hill. 'We were probably heading there with the court decision, but Texas made it top news.' Florida has seen an uptick in population growth following the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The state has also become solidly Republican over the past decade, with Republicans growing their representation in Congress and once-Democratic strongholds like Miami-Dade and Osceola counties flipping from blue to red. A number of Democratic-held congressional seats could be impacted if redistricting were to take place, including those held in south Florida by Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Jared Moskowitz and Lois Frankel. Rep. Kathy Castor (D) in the Tampa area and Rep. Darren Soto (D) outside of Orlando have also been floated as possible targets. Florida Republicans already hold a 20 to 8 advantage over Democrats in the congressional delegation. Republicans were boosted last month when the state's Supreme Court ruled to uphold a congressional map that blocked a challenge to the elimination of a majority-Black congressional district in the north of the state that previously was represented by former Rep. Al Lawson (D). The area that comprised the former congressional district is now divided among three Republican lawmakers. But DeSantis is not stopping there. The governor has argued that Florida got a 'raw deal' in the 2020 census when the state only gained one congressional seat. The governor said last month he had relayed his concerns to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after he was sworn in earlier this year and that the Trump administration could be pursuing redoing the census. Additionally, the governor said he believes Florida's Fair District amendments, which a majority of voters approved of in 2010, could conflict with the U.S. Constitution. The amendments say that districts cannot be drawn in a way that hinders minorities voting for their choice of elected representatives. 'There's a lot of people who believe that the Fair District Amendments is unconstitutional, because what it does is, it mandates having race predominate,' DeSantis said this week. 'Whereas, neutrality should really be the constitutional standard.' Patronis also said in his X post that he believes the Fair District Amendments are unconstitutional 'because it violates freedom of speech AND elections are a states rights issue.' 'Time to add more conservatives to Congress, so we can better deliver on President Trump's agenda, finally win the war against woke, cut government waste, and create an economy that moves our country into a new age of prosperity,' Patronis said. Republicans argue that DeSantis and the state's Republicans could be setting an example for other red states to follow. 'DeSantis here sees an opportunity to be a trailblazer for the Republican Party in this sense in that he could be setting up a pilot program that Texas and some of the other states can actually follow,' a Florida Republican strategist said. 'Let's not disillusion ourselves, if he pulls this off, he will be a fan favorite of one person who sits at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,' the strategist added, referring to Trump. So far, Republicans in the Florida state Legislature have remained publicly quiet about the prospect of pursuing redistricting. This year's state legislative session was extended from 60 days to 105 days and saw tensions emerge between DeSantis and members of his own party. State Rep. Alex Andrade, a vocal Republican critic of DeSantis, said he has not spoken to his colleagues about redistricting. The state lawmaker noted he would support the effort only if the census was redone. 'I get the partisan argument,' Andrade told The Hill. 'I understand we could make hay right now and benefit Republicans but at some point do I care more about my party or the Constitution?' 'If the census were redone, I'd jump all over it,' he said. Florida Democrats warn that a move by DeSantis and the state's Republicans would set a negative precedent. 'It would mean that the governor and the state legislative branch would completely capitulate under Donald Trump,' state House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D) said. 'It's not supposed to be that the president gets to act like a king and say 'do this on my behalf.'' In a Facebook video posted by Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Soto accused Republicans of wanting to cheat in the election. 'They want to pick their voters rather than voters picking their representatives,' he said. 'You'll see us do whatever we can in the courts to make sure that the Fair Districts Amendments are enforced.' Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Madison Andrus dismissed the effort from Florida Republicans as 'a bold-faced attempt to save their flailing midterm performance by rigging the game.' The effort comes as the nationwide redistricting war heats up and both parties seek to gain seats ahead of next year's midterm elections. In addition to Republicans in Texas and potentially Florida taking a look at redistricting, Democrats in states like California and New Jersey are also exploring their options. 'There's an opportunity and if it better reflects the makeup of a state whether that's Texas or Florida, or to Gavin Newsom's point even California, then you should do it,' a national Republican strategist said. 'These redistricting efforts, if they comply with the law and meet all of the various federal thresholds to get mapped through, if you do that and do it quickly, you're going to increase the likelihood that the president and Republicans in Washington and going to be able to keep pushing things forward,' the strategist continued. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
17-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
DeSantis taps Florida's 'most conservative senator' for state CFO
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia to serve as the Sunshine State's chief financial officer. The governor described Ingoglia as "the most conservative senator in the state of Florida," while delivering remarks on Wednesday. Ingoglia pledged to work on property tax relief. "I am going to work hand and glove, side by side, with this governor to make sure that we get rid of property taxes on homestead exemption and offer real property tax relief to" Floridians, he declared. Former state CFO Jimmy Patronis ran successfully for U.S. Congress, winning the seat in Florida's 1st Congressional District that had previously been occupied by Rep. Matt Gaetz. "I'm honored to be appointed by @GovRonDeSantis as Florida's next Chief Financial Officer. Over the next year and a half, my number one priority is meaningful property tax relief. I won't rest until we find a solution for Florida taxpayers," Ingoglia wrote on on X. "I will be an unrelenting, proactive fiscal watchdog for our state and protect your tax dollars against waste, fraud and abuse. If insurance companies don't live up to their contractual obligations Floridians will know because I will call them out," he continued. "We will shine a light on bad actors, stop fraud, and bring down rates. Floridians deserves accountability. I'm here to deliver it. We will NOT let Florida become New York or Californa. Florida is the most amazing place to live. Let's keep her free, strong, and thriving."
Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
DeSantis appoints Senate ally Ingoglia as Florida CFO
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has chosen a conservative legislative ally as Florida chief financial officer, a statewide elected position vacated when Jimmy Patronis ran successfully for Congress in a special election this year. The new CFO is state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a 54-year-old homebuilder and occasional professional poker player from the Tampa Bay area. Ingoglia will serve the remainder of Patronis' term and could run for reelection in 2026, where he would likely face GOP state Sen. Joe Gruters, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. DeSantis said at a news conference Wednesday that Ingoglia has been a stalwart supporter of the GOP agenda in the state Senate and would focus as CFO on issues such as property tax relief, insurance affordability and audits of local governments to uncover wasteful spending. 'I am going to be a proactive fiscal watchdog for Florida,' Ingoglia said. 'I've had a history of calling out wasteful spending, whether it's Democrats or Republicans.' Ingoglia is originally from the New York City borough of Queens and moved to Florida in 1996, according to his biography. He previously served in the state House and is a former chair of the state Republican Party. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2022. Patronis now represents a congressional district in the Florida Panhandle that was vacated by Matt Gaetz before his ill-fated attempt to become Trump's attorney general.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida hasn't had a CFO in months. Who will DeSantis pick, and why does it matter?
For nearly three months, Florida has been without a Chief Financial Officer. "Without a CFO in place, who in the hell is doing the business of the people?" asked former CFO Jimmy Patronis in a recent podcast. Patronis left the post on April 1 to replace former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz as Northwest Florida's member of Congress. Susan Miller, who was chief of staff under Patronis, is currently in charge of the Department of Financial Services, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has not officially named her CFO, even on an interim basis. The last press release from the department was in May, according to its website. The vacancy in a high-level cabinet position is unusual — the CFO is third in the line of succession for governor, after the lieutenant governor and attorney general. Especially since Florida also currently has no lieutenant governor: Former Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez left that role in February to be interim president of Florida International University, one of several DeSantis allies in leadership positions in Florida's higher education. (She's since been confirmed as president permanently.) At the first Florida Cabinet meeting since Patronis' absence, every new regulation or rule change was approved unanimously by DeSantis, Attorney General (and former DeSantis chief of staff) James Uthmeier, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson. DeSantis had said he would appoint a temporary CFO by mid-May, after the scheduled end of the regular legislative session. But the session was extended due to a stalemate over budget talks between the House and Senate. A final budget was approved on June 17 and now awaits DeSantis' review. Now, a CFO choice could be forthcoming. When a choice is made, it may bring more Republican drama. DeSantis is said to favor a staunch loyalist for the position: Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill. At the same time, Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, last year announced his intent to run for the open seat in 2026. He's endorsed by President Donald Trump. It could make for an awkward GOP primary since Ingoglia is expected to also file to run for the seat for a full term. And Ingoglia, if appointed to serve the rest of Patronis' term, technically would have the advantage of being the incumbent. Here's what to know, and why it's important: The Department of Financial Services is powerful, in charge of paying state vendors and overseeing insurance, financial regulators and fire investigations. It was created in 2002 after the Florida Cabinet was overhauled in 1998 by combining the former offices of comptroller, treasurer, insurance commissioner, and fire marshal. "My department serves consumers and taxpayers through its work in 13 different divisions and additional initiatives I set forth," Patronis once wrote for the DFS website. "A world of information and assistance is provided by the department on issues ranging from insurance education and assistance, fire prevention and safety, and even unclaimed cash and property. "I have also established additional priorities to assist Floridians including fighting fraud, consumer protection and fiscal transparency." The DFS is made of the following divisions, each one with a direct impact on Floridians: Accounting and Auditing Consumer Services Criminal Investigations Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services Insurance Agent and Agency Services Office of Financial Regulation Office of Insurance Regulation Rehabilitation and Liquidation Risk Management Treasury State Fire Marshal Unclaimed Property Workers' Compensation State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, is a long-time Trump ally who has support from Patronis and some influential Trump backers. DeSantis will be making the interim appointment, however, and the two men have had a contentious relationship. 'I don't know where the Governor's going to go with the CFO seat, although I'm pushing hard and I'd like to have it now because I think it'd be better for Florida,' Gruters told reporters in December. He announced his bid for the CFO position in June 2024. Gruters, 47, is a Tampa native with a bachelors' degree from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of South Florida. Previously a CPA for Robinson, Gruters & Roberts PA CPA LLC in Venice, he worked for multiple campaigns and became the chair of the Sarasota Republican Party. Gruters was an early Trump supporter and one of the few GOP leaders who got behind him in 2012. He became Florida co-chair of Trump's 2016 campaign. He won election as a House member in 2016 and moved to the Florida Senate two years later. He was reelected to the Senate in 2022. In 2019 he was elected chair of the Republican Party of Florida and reelected in 2021. In 2023, Trump appointed Gruters to manage the Patriot Legal Defense Fund, his tax-exempt legal defense expense fund. Trump announced in April he was appointing Gruters to vice chair of the White House Homeland Security Council. Gruters and DeSantis clashed back when Gruters was the state GOP chair over Gruters' pay and his organization of a fundraiser for the party. It didn't help when Gruters sided with Trump during DeSantis' campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, and later criticized the governor for spending taxpayer funds to attack an amendment that would have legalized recreational marijuana; Gruters supported the amendment. Gruters is married to Sydney Gruters and they have three children. Sydney Gruters was appointed by Trump in his first term to serve as the state director for Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After that she worked as district director for U.S. Rep. Greg Steube before being hired as executive director of the New College Foundation during DeSantis' experiment in revamping the liberal arts college along more conservative lines. State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, is a Queens, New York, native who moved to Florida in 1996 to start a mortgage company and homebuilding company. He became politically active, his bio says, when property taxes skyrocketed, founding "Government Gone Wild" and producing seminars and videos over governmental wastefulness. The 54-year-old was elected chair of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee in 2009, and then was elected vice-chair of the Republican Party of Florida in 2011. In 2014, he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives and was later chosen chair of the Republican Party of Florida. He was reelected as state chair in 2017. Ingoglia ran for the Florida Senate in 2022 with DeSantis' endorsement and won. As a close ally of DeSantis, described as the governor's "conservative pitbull in the Florida Senate,' Ingoglia has criticized legislative leaders during a rift with the governor over immigration laws. He's sponsored bills in line with DeSantis' agenda, including lowering property taxes and imposing term limits on local officials. Ingoglia has been an official campaign spokesperson for both Trump and DeSantis. This story includes previous reporting by Gray Rohrer of the USA TODAY Network – Florida Capital Bureau. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Chief Financial Officer pick may come down to loyalties
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
All us billionaires who voted Patronis must be celebrating ‘Big Beautiful Bill'
All us billionaires who voted Patronis must be celebrating 'Big Beautiful Bill' | Letters Show Caption Hide Caption PNJ Headlines: Here's what's in the news Tuesday People react to arrest of woman with dementia, Santa Rosa zoning board controversy, and Seventy1 Bistro in Tuesday's news Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are those of our readers and not the Pensacola News Journal. In order for letters to be considered for publication, they must be 250 words or less and include your full name, address and phone number. Only your name and city of residence will be published. Submission does not guarantee publication. Email submissions to opinion@ All us billionaires who voted for Patronis must be celebrating now To all voters in House District 1, there was a special election on April 1. Just recently, you were asked to exercise your constitutional right to vote for your representative. The race was between Democrat Gay Valimont and Republican Jimmy Patronis. And Jimmy Patronis won. Thank you to all who voted. Just to point out that your vote counts, the U.S. House of Representatives voted this week on the 'Big Beautiful Budget' that will cut Medicaid, SNAP, and Meals on Wheels to name just a few things. And this budget will also give tax breaks to all of you billionaires. The amazing thing is that it passed by one vote! It comes down to what is important to you. If more people had voted to elect Gay Valimont, that bill would not have passed, we would not have the possibility giant cuts to Medicaid and the other cuts in this Budget. Since more people voted for Jimmy Patronis, there is the possibility that huge tax cuts will be available for the very rich. Which will affect you? If Gay Valimont had been elected on April 1, you would have been responsible for saving Medicaid and disappointing those billionaires in the neighborhood. Please don't think that your vote doesn't count. Because it does. It did. And will continue to matter. Donna Grace, Gulfport Perhaps neighborhood developers should take bear habitat into consideration Whose fault is it that bears are "encroaching" on our neighborhoods? For how many years and how many acres have people encroached on bear habitat? Maybe those responsible for giving permission for development should identify bear habitat and consider the bears. Then maybe the bears would not get a death sentence from those who moved into their land. Perhaps redevelopment of rundown areas could be considered, instead. Meg Melvin, Pensacola Pensacola Beach could do more to give warning flags better visibility As a resident of Santa Rosa and Escambia counties off and on for almost 50 years, Pensacola Beach is a big part of my life. You hear about the beach warning flag system daily on the news, which is a great thing. Arriving on Santa Rosa Island from the Bob Sikes Bridge, you immediately see the warning flag color (which can change throughout the day). If you set up at the Casino Beach parking lot, you are one of the few lucky ones that can see the warning flag. We recently rented 102 Ariola Drive for the week. There were 13 of us of whom only two could see what color the warning flag was that was flying at the end of the pier. The lifeguard trucks that roam the beach have what amounts to a small piece of colored cloth attached under a surfboard. There are a lot of American flags flying on the shoreline, but not one beach warning flag! People are chastised and berated for not following the warning flags that they cannot see! The warning flag system is a great idea but can only be followed if it is visible. It seems the lifeguard trucks can put in a little effort and fly a warning flag. Also, if you display the warning flags along with the American flags, they would be visible to many and do the job they were intended to do, save lives. Cyndi Schumaker, Milton Donald Trump's corruption must be resisted As the continuing blatant immorality and corruption of Donald Trump seems inevitable, the temptation to just accept it increases. But he will be stopped! We cannot just give up. Our voices of protest must continue to mobilize the people. Stopping Trump won't end the threat to the United States and our system of government. The demise of Marx and Hitler did not end Marxism and Fascism. Trumpism has spread to a large portion of our population. The resistance to the threat they project must continue. Our vigilance and action against them will continue. The extreme right of neo-Nazis and white Christian nationalists will not go away. But their political aims can be suppressed. Michael Gilbert, Jay Memorial Day is not for veterans, but for those who gave all This weekend is not Veterans Day. It's Memorial Day — a time not to thank the living, but to honor the fallen. I say this with the utmost sincerity, please do not thank veterans this weekend. Those of us who are veterans have our day in November. Memorial Day is for our brothers, sisters, and siblings who gave everything — the ones who didn't come home. When you thank us now, it reminds us that we made it back while they did not. It's a heavy reminder, one that intensifies the pain. This weekend is not about service — it's about sacrifice. To the estimated 22 veterans we lose to suicide daily — we remember you. Not every battle ends on the battlefield. Our hearts are with your families. The fight to support change and support service members must continue. Veterans represent every race, religion, ethnicity, and background. They spoke many languages and had families from every corner of the world. They loved in many ways. Make sure your idea of patriotism is not narrow minded. Honor all of them. To the family of SrA Fortson, we honor his service, his legacy, and his sacrifice. He was a hero. While justice may be absent, we continue to demand accountability. Christina Forrest, Navarre Why is DeSantis fighting so hard to deny climate change Floridians, it's time to get serious about combating climate change. Why is it taboo to include those words in any government legislative materials? Gov. DeSantis doesn't believe that our weather is changing in dramatic ways. He like Donald Trump dismisses the evidence that these wild weather patterns have anything to do with manmade emissions of carbon dioxide and methane. Extensive scientific studies have shown that these gases emitted into our atmosphere are heating the planet beyond normal cycles producing havoc (e.g. historic numbers of devastating storms, fires, tornadoes and droughts). DeSantis supports Donald Trump's willingness to 'drill baby drill' producing more polluting fossil fuels. DeSantis offered marginal effort to reduce damage to our environment by banning release of helium filled balloons over our waterways (known to harm/kill turtles/other sea life). Yet he has prevented cities and counties from banning the distribution of more damaging plastic bags. Encouraging the use of multiple cotton or plastic bags is a meaningful step to reducing production of petrochemicals. Estimates by reliable sources show that we Americans use approximately 100 billion single use plastic bags each year. By eliminating those bags, we could avoid production of three million barrels of oil. Wayne Seden, Gulf Breeze Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Pensacola News Journal using the link at the bottom of the page under Stay Connected.
