ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Election Day may be right around the corner, but registered voters in Florida are already able to cast their ballots as early voting has begun.
There are plenty of races voters need to keep an eye on, including who to elect as the state's governor, attorney general, U.S. Senate and agricultural commissioner.
Specifically speaking on the race for the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic Naomi Blemur and Republican Wilton Simpson will be battling it out for that position after each nominee won their respective primary.
This race will also not have an incumbent as Nikki Fried, the state's current agricultural commissioner, decided to run for Florida governor during the primaries. She ultimately lost to Rep. Charlie Crist and he will now take on Gov. Ron DeSantis for his position.
Before we get into more details about each candidate running for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, here's what the position's role is within the state.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture
The agricultural commissioner is an executive position within the Florida state government, according to Ballotpedia.
This cabinet-level officer oversees the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which regulates and promotes the state's agriculture industry.
FDACS also establishes rules for the following divisions and industries:
- Animal
- Aquaculture
- Forestry and produce
- Emergency preparedness and law enforcement efforts covering the agriculture industry
- Marketing support for the state's agribusinesses
- Regulates various consumer services businesses, including motor vehicle repair shops, charitable organizations, dance studios, pawnshops, telemarketers and several others
The commissioner is elected to four-year terms for two consecutive terms. The winning candidate will take office on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January the following year after the midterm election.
Here are the two candidates that are running for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and what they plan to support.
Naomi Blemur
Blemur currently serves as the committeewoman for the Miami Dade Democratic Executive Committee in District 15.
Blemur defeated Ryan Morales and J. R. Gaillot in the primaries to claim the Democratic nominee in the agricultural race come November. She defeated second place Morales by more than 268,000 votes, according to Ballotpedia.
According to her campaign site, Blemur will support advocating for small farmers, building a hemp economy, having strong gun safety laws, providing clean energy and decriminalizing cannabis.
The topics that Blemur advocates for are part of the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations, her campaign site says.
In October, Blemur was endorsed by Fried and Florida NOW, which is a national organization for women.
In August, she reportedly lost support from other Democrats in south Florida after screenshots of comments from her social media in the past were brought up and displayed words of anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+.
Wilton Simpson
Simpson is a farmer and currently represents District 15.
He defeated James Shaw in the Republican primary for the same race by 455,954 votes to be elected as the party's choice for agricultural commissioner.
Former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis have endorsed Simpson to win his race, and so have 59 sheriffs across the state, including Polk County's Grady Judd, according to Florida Politics.
According to his campaign website, Simpson helped form the Right to Farm Act last year to protect farmers from minor lawsuits during his time as Florida Senate President.
If elected, Simpson says he will support the Parents' Bill of Rights, which has been dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" law, fight vaccine mandates, defend the second amendment and support election integrity.
On his campaign site, it includes his voting record during his time in the Florida Senate. Click here to view it.
Early voting began in most counties in the Tampa Bay area on Monday, Oct 24. Registered voters can also choose to cast their ballot on Election Day, which falls on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
