Griff Griffitts steps back, Tricia Berry steps up in HD 6

Rep. Griff Griffitts won’t seek re-election to House District 6, ending a Tallahassee tenure that began when he succeeded term-limited Jay Trumbull in 2022. The Panama City Beach Republican announced what he described as “a great deal of thought and prayer.”

Republican Tricia Berry has entered the race to take his place.

“There is a time to step up and serve, and there is also a time to step back and focus on family, business, and new ways to continue giving back to the community I love,” Griffitts said. In his farewell, he expressed deep gratitude to Bay County voters and his family.

Griffitts came to the House with strong ties to his community and experience handling tough situations. He led the Bay County Commission through Hurricane Michael in 2018, the COVID pandemic, and several major wildfires. He then won the 2022 GOP Primary against newcomer Brian Clowdus by 33 points. In 2024, Griffitts was re-elected over Democrat Jerry Wyche with 76% of the vote, a margin that shows the district’s strong Republican lean.

The district includes all of coastal Bay County, such as Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lynn Haven, and Mexico Beach. It has been a solid Republican area for over ten years. During his eight years in the House, Trumbull never faced a tough General Election. In the last election, Wyche received just over 23,000 votes, while Griffitts got nearly 73,000. Whoever wins the 2026 GOP nomination will likely keep the seat.

In Tallahassee, Griffitts kept his focus close to home — hurricane recovery, debris hauling, property insurance, and the Panhandle’s small-business economy, the issues he lived through at the local level. He carried legislation as part of CFO Jimmy Patronis’ “Florida Fights for Freedom” package in 2024 and sponsored bills on highway safety, property tax limitations, and emergency planning. After last year’s storms battered South Florida, he said he’d lean on his experience with Hurricane Michael to help communities still slogging through debris removal.

Griffitts isn’t disappearing from public life — he’s already landed his next gig. In April, after a unanimous Board vote, he became president and CEO of Visit Panama City Beach, the convention and visitors bureau (CVB) overseen by the Bay County Tourist Development Council.

This appointment comes after a difficult period for the CVB, which lost its longtime leader, Dan Rowe, last year when two staff members were arrested on grand theft and credit card fraud charges. Griffitts brings 45 years of hospitality experience to the job, including running his family’s Panama City Beach hotels, Sugar Sands Inn and Suites and La Quinta Inn and Suites. He also served on the TDC before joining the County Commission.

“Panama City Beach is my home,” Griffitts said when he announced the appointment. “As a third-generation Bay County resident, I have a deep love for the community and am honored to join a talented team of people who truly love this destination and want to see it succeed.”

Berry, meanwhile, is wasting no time. The former nurse practitioner — who spent her career in burn surgery and trauma orthopedic surgery at Level 1 trauma centers, as well as dermatology — was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Gulf Coast State College Board of Trustees and has spent more than 15 years embedded in Panama City civic life.

Her résumé includes work with the Boys and Girls Club of Bay County, the Bay County Chamber of Commerce, and the Life Management of NW Florida Foundation Board. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, Eric Berry, and the couple has two children.

“Florida is a global economic engine and the nationwide leader in conservative governance, but it will only stay that way if we have leaders who understand what it takes to support our local businesses and make Florida more affordable for everyone,” Berry said. “I’m ready to get to work to protect our progress and fight for our community in Tallahassee every day, all day.”