Senate leadership endorses ‘proven warrior’ Josie Tomkow for SD 14

Florida Senate leadership is backing Josie Tomkow in her bid for Senate District 14, where she’s running to replace former Sen. Jay Collins, who left the post after Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped him to be Lieutenant Governor. 

In a joint statement, Senate President Ben Albritton and Senate leaders Jim Boyd and Jay Trumbull called Tomkow “a proven warrior for the conservative values that have made Florida safer for our families, created more opportunity for our students and ensured government doesn’t get in the way of job creation.”

“Josie is a seventh-generation Floridian who knows firsthand how crucial it is to protect Florida’s precious natural resources. We are proud to endorse Josie Tomkow for Senate District 14, because we need leaders like her in the fight for a more affordable Florida with access to opportunities for all,” the group wrote.

Tomkow announced she would run for the open seat last week, just hours after fellow Republican Melanie Griffin, Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, joined the race. But on Wednesday, Griffin announced she had reconsidered her bid and suspended her campaign, paving the way for Tomkow as the frontrunner. 

Tomkow faced term limits in her House District 51 seat, which she resigned to run for the Hillsborough County-based Senate seat, making a bid for the upper chamber a logical next step in her political career. She had already been rumored to be among the GOP’s top picks to replace Collins.

She entered the race with prominent backing from U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee; state Reps. Lawrence McClure; Traci Koster, Michael Owen and the House budget chief, Danny Alvarez; Sheriffs Chad Chronister of Hillsborough County, Grady Judd of Polk County and Chris Nocco of Pasco County; and Hillsborough County Commissioner Christine Miller.

Tomkow also began her Senate campaign with $3 million cash on hand, sources tell Florida Politics.

A second Republican, Amaro Lionheart, is also running, though he is not expected to present a threat to the more notable GOP officials now in the race. The Special Primary is set for Jan. 13.

As of now, there will be a Special General Election on March 24. One Democrat, Brian Nathan, has filed for the race.

Over the past several years, Tomkow has proven herself to be a quiet force in the House. As a cattle rancher, she provided strong representation for agricultural communities, and she remains a key member of Speaker Daniel Perez’s leadership team, helping shape numerous legislative packages beyond just her own bills.

With Perez still holding another year in his leadership tenure, his backing would all but guarantee plenty of cash to keep the seat for the GOP and friends in high places to help with other campaign needs.

SD 14 favors Republicans slightly, with Republicans controlling nearly 39% of the electorate. Democrats account for just under 32% of district voters, while independents make up more than 29% of the electorate.