The Florida Medical Association (FMA) Political Action Committee is backing Republican Rep. Josie Tomkow in the special election for Senate District 14, adding another high-profile endorsement to her growing list of supporters.
FMA PAC President Andrew Borom said the organization supports Tomkow’s leadership on health policy and her current work as Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee. Borom said Tomkow understands the health care challenges facing Floridians and emphasized the group’s interest in continuing to work with her should she advance to the Senate.
“As Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee, Rep. Tomkow understands the significant health care issues impacting Floridians and we look forward to our continued collaboration in the Florida Senate,” Borom said.
Tomkow said she was “humbled” by the endorsement, and highlighted the role medical professionals play in improving access to care and driving innovation across Florida’s health care system.
“Florida’s medical community is helping lead our nation into a healthier future that emphasizes wellness,” Tomkow said. “Through their advocacy, Florida’s doctors have helped improve access to care and leveraged innovation and technological advances to deliver better health outcomes in Florida. I’m so humbled to have the endorsement of Florida’s doctors who are on the frontlines of making our state — and country — healthier for generations to come.”
The endorsement further strengthens Tomkow’s standing in the race for the open Hillsborough County-based seat. The SD 14 seat became vacant after former Sen. Jay Collins was appointed Lieutenant Governor by Gov. Ron DeSantis, and the Special General Election to find his successor is scheduled for March 24.
Tomkow formally entered the race last fall and quickly consolidated support from Republican leadership and elected officials. She previously received endorsements from Senate President Ben Albritton and Sens. Jim Boyd and Jay Trumbull, as well as U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, several members of the Florida House, and multiple county Sheriffs across the Tampa Bay region.
The FMA PAC, founded in 1974, supports candidates it says will advance policies that make Florida the best state to practice medicine. The committee raises voluntary contributions from health care professionals and routinely weighs in on competitive legislative races across the state.
A seventh-generation Floridian and third-generation cattle rancher, Tomkow currently represents Polk County in the House. She is term-limited from her House seat and has been viewed as a logical successor to Collins in the upper chamber, particularly given her leadership role on health and human services and her close ties to House leadership.
