Michael Grant is making his move for 2028 — and he isn’t being subtle about it.
The former House Majority Leader and Punta Gorda Republican filed Tuesday to run for Senate District 27, the Southwest Florida seat Senate President Ben Albritton will leave behind when he hits term limits in 2028. Grant rolled out the bid with more than 20 endorsements already in hand — a day-one show of force aimed at clearing the field more than two years before anyone casts a ballot.
Grant is no stranger to the territory or the building. He spent more than a decade in the House across two stints — 2004 to 2008, then 2016 to 2024 — representing Charlotte County and climbing the GOP leadership ladder from Deputy Whip to Majority Whip to Majority Leader, a post he held for two consecutive terms under Speakers Chris Sprowls and Paul Renner. He also served as Vice Chair of the Ways and Means Committee, working the tax and budget side of the ledger.
His pitch leans on that résumé: balanced budgets under a Republican supermajority, tax relief for small businesses, and funding for sheriffs and deputies. He’s also quick to remind voters he delivered for home — most notably the recovery and redevelopment dollars Punta Gorda and Charlotte County secured after Hurricane Charley flattened the region in 2004.
Grant is launching his campaign with backing from Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, State Attorney Amira Fox, state Senators Joe Gruters — also the sitting Republican National Committee Chair — and Ralph Massullo, and state Representatives Jon Albert, Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, Danny Nix, Kaylee Tuck, and Vanessa Oliver. Nix now holds Grant’s old House seat. Rounding it out: Lee and Charlotte County Commissioners Cecil Pendergrass, Brian Hamman, David Mulicka, Kevin Ruane, Bill Truex, and Ken Doherty.
“I am overwhelmed and deeply grateful for the incredible outpouring of support on the very first day of this campaign,” Grant said. “I have a track record of delivering principled and conservative results, and together we will continue to fight for lower taxes, safer communities, stronger families, and the individual freedoms that make Florida exceptional.”
Grant tied the campaign to the party’s standard-bearers, crediting “the bold leadership and conservative vision of President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis.”
A small-business owner by trade, Grant holds a political science degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MBA from Suffolk University. His community ledger runs long, too — past Chair of the Charlotte County Airport Authority and past President of the Charlotte County Family YMCA among the entries.
— Ed. note: This story was drafted with assistance from AI. Editorial judgment, sourcing, and final review were performed by Peter Schorsch and the Florida Politics editorial team.
