Wilton Simpson Wins Reelection as Florida Agriculture Commissioner
Republican Wilton Simpson defeated Democrat Joey Mendoza Atkins to secure a second term as Florida's commissioner of agriculture.
Republican incumbent Wilton Simpson won reelection as Florida's commissioner of agriculture, defeating Democratic challenger Joey Mendoza Atkins. Unofficial results from the Florida Division of Elections show Simpson receiving 51.1% of the vote, totaling 5,142,629 votes, compared to 48.9% for Mendoza Atkins.
Simpson, a former Florida Senate president, campaigned on reducing regulatory burdens, protecting working farmland, and banning farmland purchases by foreign countries of concern. Mendoza Atkins, a trial attorney, focused his platform on food access, consumer protection, and environmental stewardship. During the campaign, Mendoza Atkins argued that the Greenbelt tax break for agricultural land is "being totally, totally exploited."
Simpson will begin his second term in January. He oversees the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which manages food inspections, the issuance of concealed weapon licenses, and wildfire prevention through the Florida Forest Service.
