For (we don’t) color on the dog, Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis reflects on his experiences during the BP oil spill, the importance of infrastructure for economic growth in Northwest Florida, and his commitment to public service.
He also explained why he chose to run for Florida’s District 1 Congressional seat:
“When the President of the United States calls and says, ‘Jimmy, I want you in Congress, and I’ll endorse you.’ When the Speaker of the House and these other leaders across the panhandle, whether it be all of the sheriffs in Northwest Florida, say, ‘Jimmy, we’re going to stand with you, ‘You don’t say ‘no.’ You sign up, you do the job, and you move forward.”
Patronis added, “It’s time to right the ship. It’s a profound honor to serve along with the other members of Congress and support the president’s agenda. By God, we owe it to the citizens of Northwest Florida to get more wall and less woke.”
Northwest Florida Native
He responded to the snide remarks made by his opponents, Gene Valentino and Joel Rudman, at a candidate forum that Patronis doesn’t currently live in District 1.
“Northwest Florida is my home. I was born and raised here,” said Patronis. “I’m not sure if the other candidates in the field were even born and raised here. This part of the state is who I am. It is what I stand for. And it’s what I’ve advocated for and my public service to this state. I identify as somebody from Northwest Florida.”
He said he and his wife are looking at homes in the district and schools for his two sons. “And you know what? If I have to sleep in a tent to do it, I’ll do exactly that.”
In 2017, then-Governor Rick Scott appointed former State Rep. Jimmy Patronis as Florida’s Chief Financial Officer. Patronis’s first official visit was to Pensacola, where he stood beside Gov. Scott when he announced that the new Pensacola Bay Bridge would not have a toll. The new CFO talked about his family and all that Florida had given him.
“I owe the state of Florida more than I’ll ever be able to pay it back,” said Patronis, remembering that moment. “My family has been very fortunate to be in the restaurant business for 30 years. We like taking care of the customer. That’s what I’ve been programmed to do. And that’s why I still hope to do with Congressional District 1 here with our special elections coming up in the spring.”
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