State Rep. Alex Andrade endorsed Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis in the special election for the Northwest Florida congressional seat formerly held by Matt Gaetz on the new episode of “(we don’t) color on the dog.”
“I fully support Jimmy Patronis,” Andrade said. “I think he’s going to be a great congressman. He’s very personable. He’s got a depth and a breadth of knowledge that no one else in that race is going to have. He’s got incredible relationships both in Florida and in D.C. He’s got a deep understanding, obviously, of major systems that affect us.”
He added that Patronis will become a resident of Escambia County. “When was the last time we’ve had Escambia County resident in CD 1?”
The state lawmaker said, “I’ve known Jimmy Patronis for seven years now. He’s always had really taken a really personal approach to public service. Shoot, we were at an event; someone passed out in the parking lot, and he was the first person to come running from the building with a wheelchair.”
Patronis faces nine other candidates in the GOP primary, including former Escambia County Commissioner Gene Valentino, soon-to-be former State Rep. Joel Rudman, and Aaron Dimmock, whom Gaetz crushed in the GOP primary in August.
Rep. Andrade also discussed the new House Speaker, Danny Perez., and Rep. Susan Valdez’s switch to the Republican Party.
The House Speaker sent this email to state lawmakers and the media Monday afternoon:
Members,
I so rarely get to send a communication solely in my role as Republican Leader, but I am thrilled today to announce that Representative Susan Valdes has changed her voter registration from Democrat to Republican.
We all know Susan as a fierce advocate for her community and a person of uncommon common sense. She will be a great asset to our Republican team.
With this change, we will now have the largest Republican Conference in the history of the Florida House of Representatives. I encourage all of you to reach out to Rep. Valdes and welcome her to our House Republican supermajority.
“(Speaker Perez) has the courage of his convictions, and he stands by what he believes,” Andrade said. “He’s also a big tent guy. As of today, we have the largest Republican majority in the history of the Florida legislature at 86 Republicans. As of today, we have the largest Republican majority in the history of the Florida legislature at 86 Republicans. That’s because Susan Valdez from Tampa has a relationship with Danny. She trusts him, likes him and respects him. And she just kind of gravitated towards what he stated he wanted to make the Florida House look like for the next two years.”
- He continued, “And so the best way to summarize is he’s just got a way of making everybody want to be part of the team and a way of making everybody feel like they can contribute.”
The new podcast episode drops on YouTube today at 4 p.m. We also interview Port of Pensacola Director Clark Merritt for the latest news on American Magic, attorney Chris Paulos on the alarming number of brain tumors linked to the contraceptive Depo-Provera, and Amelia Blackmon of the Krewe of Gatsby Girls. Plus, we have more information on the Palafox tunnels.
Please subscribe. We’ve even created a Step-by-Step Guide on how to do it.
