As the Florida Legislature winds its way through yet another Special Session, it appears there may still be some tension among the Freshman Class and their selection of House Speaker for the Session that begins in 2021, over 6 years away. The process of selecting a House Speaker so far in advance is predicated on the assumption that each of these people, including the designated Speaker will be re-elected every two years. Things don’t always work that way.. just ask Chris Dorworth. The process is considered by many to be flawed, even archaic, pitting people who have barely been elected, let alone proven themselves through a legislative session, against each other right from the start of their legislative careers.
Normally, the process seems to go as smoothly as something like this can be expected. Not so this year. A Florida legislature already fraught with tension continues to struggle finding its Speaker for the 2021 term. Eric Eisnaugle, representing House district 44, very well liked and popular among his peers, appeared to be the overwhelming choice for the top spot going into the session. But as the session wore on, many freshmen reformers, ostensibly led by Rep Blaise Ignolia, House district 35 out of Hernando County and also RPOF chairman, began questioning the process and decided to withdraw support from Eisnaugle. Some accused the RPOF chair of wanting the Speakership himself, but Ignolia has denied those claims, stating on several occasions, he is a reformer and his main concern outside of representing the people of his House district, in his capacity as Party Chair, is to win races for Republicans. Cindy Graves, conservative talk show host in Jacksonville, and RPOF State committee woman out of Duval County, stated it best, “if duly elected legislators want to change the archaic process of anointing a speaker, that is their right”.
Rep Brad Drake, from Florida’s house district 5, which covers some of Northwest Florida said in an interview with Florida Politics that he believes the current process of selecting speakers should be reformed to give House members more time when considering who will lead them. With the current process, the race to become speaker can begin even before candidates have won election to the House.
It seems that Rep Eisnaugle is caught in the middle of a power struggle among factions within the GOP; he does not seem to have the overwhelming support he had earlier this year; at the same time, it does not appear the so-called reformers within the Freshman class have another candidate in mind for the Speaker’s Job. The pressure on this year’s Florida Legislative freshman class mounts.