Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson along with the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation announced this month that Woody Larson, Dennis Wedgworth and Jack Vogel will be inducted into the institution in 2026. The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame was established in 1980 to honor Floridians who have made contributions to the agricultural industry in the state through mentoring youth and represent the future of the agricultural industry.
“Florida agriculture is stronger today because of leaders like Woody Larson, Dennis Wedgworth, and Jack Vogel,” said Simpson. “Each of these inductees represents the very best of our industry — visionary leadership, service to community, and a lifelong commitment to ensuring agriculture remains at the heart of Florida’s economy and way of life.”
The three will be inducted during a ceremony at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 10 at the Entertainment Hall in Tampa.
Larson is a longtime dairy and cattle farmer in Florida. He, along with his wife Grace, have built a business that’s expanded into beef and conservation enterprises. Larson is the General Manager of Larson Dairy Inc. and he is credited with creating milk programs that generated about $9 million in research for youth programs among other contributions.
Wedgworth has been steeped in the agricultural industry for about 50 years and worked for the U.S. Sugar Corp. at one point and then joined his family’s fertilizer company in 1977. He helped guide the company into the state’s largest fertilizer blender which produces about 350,000 tons each year. He also helped develop software and launched the company Summit Nutrients helping to mold Florida’s plant nutrition industry among other contributions.
Vogel has been enmeshed in Florida’s forestry industry for half a century. He’s been a member of the Florida Forestry Association for most of his career and served twice as President of that organization’s board. He’s the only person to do that. He was also the co-founder of Natural Resource Planning Services and contributed to conservation of lands by incorporating easements. He’s also served in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as well as other state organizations among other contributions to the state’s agricultural industry.
The Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) is lining up behind two Republicans running in a pair of Special Elections set for early next year.
In House District 51, the business lobby is throwing its support behind Hilary Holley, who went unopposed for GOP nomination and will go head-to-head with Democratic nominee Edwin Pérez on March 24. In House District 87, the group is backing Jon Maples, who will be on a Jan. 13 Special Primary ballot, with a March 24 Special General Election scheduled.
AIF President and CEO Brewster Bevis said Holley’s “dedication to fiscal responsibility, small-business growth, smart development, and protecting Florida’s agriculture and quality of life makes her an ideal candidate for the Florida House. Her Florida-first, conservative approach will help ensure Florida remains competitive and prosperous. We are proud to support her campaign.”
Holley is the favorite for HD 51, the northern Polk County district ceded by Rep. Josie Tomkow when she entered the race for the Senate seat previously held by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.
According to the most recent L2 voter data, the northern Polk County seat has an advantage for Republicans, with nearly 34% of the electorate registered to the GOP, compared to just 31% who are Democrats. Tomkow won her most recent re-election last year with 57% of the vote over Democrat Octavio Hernandez. The same cycle saw President Donald Trump carry the district with 56% of the vote.
Bevis said Maples earned AIF’s nod because he “understands the real pressures facing Florida’s families — from affordability challenges to infrastructure strain — and is committed to finding practical solutions. His background in small business, his dedication to community, and his focus on strengthening Florida’s families make him the voice we need for the business community in the Florida House. AIF is proud to endorse his campaign.”
Maples is running to replace former Rep. Mike Caruso, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed in August to serve as Palm Beach County Clerk, setting up the Special Election. Maples entered the race in April, before Caruso left the Legislature, expecting to run in the 2026 cycle.
Maples, who is also being backed by the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee, will face Gretchen Feng in the Primary. The winner of the Jan. 13 contest will be the overwhelming favorite in March — Republicans account for more than 39% of the electorate, compared to less than 29% who are Democrats, according to the most recent L2 voter data.
‘This is one of the easiest choices conservatives will ever have for Chief Financial Officer.’
Gov. Ron DeSantis is making it official and endorsing Blaise Ingoglia in next year’s race for Chief Financial Officer.
DeSantis appointed Ingoglia, a Republican from Spring Hill who served in the state Senate, earlier this year to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis.
And clearly the Governor likes how Ingoglia has handled the job so far.
“I’m pleased to endorse Blaise Ingoglia for the Chief Financial Officer of Florida. We’ve never had anybody in state government who’s been such a bulldog in favor of the taxpayers, who has held liberal mayors (to) account for extravagant spending. He has earned your support with his performance,” said DeSantis, alluding to Ingoglia’s series of audits of local governments that have ferreted out what he deems to be wasteful spending and excessive taxation.
“All these guys talk, very few of them deliver. Blaise has said what he’s going to do. He’s met those promises, and he’s over-delivering. Blaise Ingoglia, this is one of the easiest choices conservatives will ever have for Chief Financial Officer.”
Ingoglia said he was honored to get DeSantis’ backing.
“Governor DeSantis has transformed Florida into the nation’s leader for economic freedom, and I’m grateful for his trust and support. As CFO, I will keep Florida’s economy strong, stop wasteful spending in its tracks, hold insurance companies accountable, and defend every hard-earned taxpayer dollar. Florida’s future is worth fighting for,” he said.
Ingoglia will face a Primary next August against Rep. Kevin Steele and several less heralded candidates before the General Election in November. At this point, no Democrat has filed to run.
City Hall aide Monica Matteo-Salinas just won a four-year term on the Miami Beach Commission, outpacing a better-funded but controversy-laden opponent in a runoff for the panel’s Group 1 seat.
With all precincts reporting, a full tally of early votes and a partial count of mail-in ballots, Matteo-Salinas had 71% of the vote to defeat Republican lawyer Monique Pardo Pope.
She’ll succeed fellow Democrat Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, who must leave the city’s seven-member governing body after an unsuccessful mayoral run.
Matteo-Salinas said in a statement that she is “deeply grateful” Miami Beach voters trusted her to represent their interests on the City Commission.
I ran for this seat because I love our city — because my children, and every child in our community, deserve to grow up in a Miami Beach we can be proud of, and because our residents deserve a city government that truly works for them. I am inspired every day by the people who make Miami Beach so special: families, seniors, small business owners, first responders, and neighbors from every background who care deeply about our community,” she said.
“I promise to always listen, solve problems, and deliver on the issues that matter most. This victory belongs to everyone who believes in a Miami Beach that protects its neighborhoods, invests in its future, and reflects the values of the community we love. I am ready to get to work.”
Tuesday’s runoff sharpened into a choice between two contrasting résumés, platforms and campaign narratives, along with late-cycle revelations about Pardo Pope, one of which drew national headlines.
Matteo-Salinas, 46, consolidated establishment support for her campaign, which centered on promises to work on expanding trolley service, increase the city’s affordable housing index and establish a new “water czar” position in the city, paid by resort taxes.
She’s received endorsements from several local political notables, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Beach Commissioners Alex Fernandez, Laura Dominguez and Tanya Bhatt, and former Miami Beach Dan Gelber.
Groups backing her bid include the Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police, LGBTQ groups SAVE Action PAC and Equality Florida Action PAC, and the public safety-focused neighborhood group SOBESafe.
The Miami-Dade Democratic Party also celebrated Matteo-Salinas’ double-digit victory Tuesday, calling it “a monumental victory with profound implications for every community across Miami-Dade.”
(L-R) Monica Matteo-Salinas and Monique Pardo Pope. Images via the candidates.
Pardo Pope, 45, centered her messaging on public safety, investing in mental health, backing school choice initiatives, supporting homelessness services, encouraging “smart, thoughtful development” that preserves Miami Beach’s character while addressing flooding and roadway congestion, and alleviating cost-of-living issues for longtime residents and first-time homebuyers through “fair taxation.”
She touted her guardian ad litem work as evidence of her temperament and commitment to service, but that part of her record came under scrutiny in recent weeks. A review of Pardo Pope’s case records with the Miami-Dade Clerk’s Office showed her listed as a guardian ad litem in just three cases — one of which she was discharged from after trying to get the mother in the case jailed.
She was also the subject of negative attention for omitting that her father was the convicted, Nazi-adoring serial killer Manuel Pardo, to whom she wrote several loving social media posts.
Pardo Pope has said she forgave her dad to move forward with her life, asking voters to judge her on her own life and work.
She is also the target of a Florida Bar inquiry for falsely claiming that documentarian Billy Corben, who was the first to reveal her father’s identity, lost a defamation lawsuit.
Her backers included the Miami-Dade Republican Party, Miami-Dade Commissioner René García, Rep. Alex Rizo, former Miami Beach City Attorney Jose Smith, Miami Realtors PAC, Venezuelan American Republican Club and Teach Florida PAC, a Jewish education group.
Two of her former Group 1 opponents, Daniel Ciraldo and Omar Gimenez, also endorsed her.
Matteo-Salinas raised about $133,000 and spent $82,000 by Dec. 4. Pardo Pope raised about $190,000 — of which 29% was self-given — and spent close to $170,000.
Matteo-Salinas finished first in Miami Beach’s General Election last month with 23.2% of the vote. Pardo Pope advanced with 20.1% after narrowly avoiding a recount.
They outpaced four other candidates, but neither captured a large enough share of the vote — more than 50% — to win outright.
Politics8 years ago