Sen. Joe Negron’s recent statement where he declares victory as the next Senate President in the Florida legislature, could possibly be a move to indirectly help his wife Rebecca’s congressional campaign.
“I am grateful to the majority of the Florida Senate Republican Caucus, who have declared their support for me to serve as the Senate President for the 2016-2018 legislative term.-Sen. Joe Negron
Negron’s opponent in the race, former-Charlie Crist Republican and all around persona non grata in the Tampa Bay area, Sen. Jack Latvala (pictured), has taken offense to Negron’s victory dance, accusing him of being part in the ongoing redistricting fiasco that the Florida Senate finds itself in.
Latvala accuses Negron of “breaking an anti-gerrymandering law” and added that he would only have 11 Senators backing his candidacy one the dust settles.
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The POLITICO had this:
“Joe hasn’t won anything. Which time is this? The fourth time he declared victory or the fifth time he declared victory?” Latvala said. “Joe Negron’s timing is insulting to the president of the Senate. … It’s insulting to the Senate. It’s very selfish of Joe to do this. He’s not thinking about the Florida Senate. Joe Negron is only thinking of himself.”
And this:Latvala blamed the current chaotic state of the Senate on Negron and his ally, Don Gaetz, the former Senate president who led the chamber’s redistricting efforts in 2012. The congressional and state Senate maps produced under Gaetz’s watch were rejected by a circuit judge and the Florida Supreme Court, which ruled the maps were unconstitutional. A special session to redraw the congressional maps ended Friday at impasse with the House. A special session is slated in October to pass the Senate maps, although the current legislative dysfunction makes that future effort seem like a heavy lift.
Here is Latvala going after Sen. Don Gaetz (R)
“It’s Joe’s buddy Don Gaetz who set up the Senate districts to help him, to help him keep office and to get people elected who would support Joe,” Latvala said. “Generally, he drew the districts the way Joe wanted. Why is Joe’s district something like 100 miles long and 20 miles wide from Palm Beach to Indian River County? There’s no reason for that — except to help Joe. Why did he draw Sen. Hukill’s seat the way he did? To help Joe.”
As much as it pains me to say this about one of the state Senate’s worst pariahs, but Latvala makes a great point about how Negron’s Senate seat is drawn.
The bigger picture here could be that south Florida congressional seat his wife is currently running in.Speculation within the Republican grassroots in Palm Beach and Martin Counties is that Rebecca Negron hopes to win the seat, and serve as a place-holder for her husband until he terms out of the Senate in 2018.
Joe’s wife Rebecca is a little-known Martin County School Board member, who shocked politicos (not really) when she posted $175,000 in her last FEC filings.
In looking closely to those donations, Negron’s federal campaign haul is laden with donations from lobbyiests and special interests folks who have had, and will continue to have business in Tallahassee.
In other words, Rebecca Negron’s congressional campaign is supported by her husband’s influence, and nothing more.
Several key political figures and donors, who asked that we keep their names out of this story, have told the Shark Tank that Sen. Negron has indeed reached out to them on behalf of his wife Rebecca.Nothing wrong with this, as I am sure anyone else in the race with the same influence would surely exploit it.
The other Republicans in the contested primary with Negron are combat businessman Paul Spain, combat veteran and double-amputee Brian Mast, Attorney Rick Kozell, St. Lucie County Commissioner Tod Mowery, Noelle Nikpour, Carla Spalding, and former Rep. Carl Domino.
