Florida Republicans

Governor Ron DeSantis is the former U.S. Representative for Florida’s Sixth District. 

A native Floridian with blue-collar roots, Ron worked his way through Yale University, where he graduated with honors and was the captain of the varsity baseball team. He also graduated with honors from Harvard Law School. While at Harvard, he earned a commission in the U.S. Navy as a JAG officer. During his active-duty service, he supported operations at the terrorist detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and deployed to Iraq as an adviser to a U.S. Navy SEAL commander in support of the SEAL mission in Fallujah, Ramadi and the rest of Al Anbar province.  His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal.

After active-duty service, Ron served as a federal prosecutor, where he targeted and convicted child predators.  He was first elected to Congress in 2012, where he fought for term limits, the No Budget/No Pay Act, and to cut taxes.  While serving in Congress, Ron refused his Congressional pension and health insurance plan because he is against special deals for politicians.  He also sponsored legislation to make it easier for the military to prosecute sexual assault and authored the bill to end the secret taxpayer-funded slush fund for members of Congress to make hush payoffs for sexual harassment. 

Ron is married to Casey DeSantis, an Emmy Award winning television host. Together, they’re the proud parents of their daughters, Madison and Mamie, and their son, Mason.

Born and raised in Panama City, Florida, Jay Trumbull Jr. graduated from Bay High School and attended college at Auburn University where he graduated with a degree in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship.

Jay started a work career before he could even begin driving, working for his grandfather and father in the family water conditioning business since he was 14 years old.

The Trumbull family has been in the bottled water and water conditioning business for over 4 generations now, and the family owns 7 Culligan dealerships in Panama City; Ft. Walton; Tallahassee; Dothan, Alabama; Mobile, Alabama; Tifton, Georgia; and Americus, Georgia. Shortly after college, Jay joined with his father in the family business. Jay started at the bottom, driving a truck for the first 2 years and then later becoming a part of the dealer management team.

Jay is active in the local business community as the business is a member of the Panama City Chamber of Commerce, the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce, and the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

Jay married his high school sweetheart, Brittany Fishel, who is also an alumnus of Bay High and Auburn University. Brittany served on the Student Government Association as the Pro Tempore of the Auburn Senate. She was the Vice President of Membership Development in the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority, and was involved in the Society of Women Engineers, as well.

She is currently a member of the Junior League of Panama City, and works as a civil engineer with Preble-Rish Inc. Consulting Engineers and Surveyors. She is the daughter of Elyse Hauser Fishel and the Fourteenth Circuit Judge, John Fishel. Jay and Brittany are both active members of the First United Methodist Church of Panama City.

More than 55 years ago Jay Trumbull, Sr.’s grandfather, Den A. Trumbull, established a successful partnership with Emmett Culligan, the founder of the national water conditioning company. In 1947 he started the water-conditioning business, in Panama City on Harrison Avenue.

Jay Trumbull, Sr., now president of the company, came on in 1985. Together the family owns Culligan Water Services and a 50,000-square-foot bottling plant that each month produces 60,000 five-gallon bottles of Econfina water and 120,000 half-liter bottles of the world’s purest spring water to Bay County and surrounding areas. In addition to Bay County, Culligan, now distributes Econfina water to Fort Walton Beach, Mobile, Ala., Dothan and Tifton, Ga. and, most recently, Tallahassee.

Capitol Office

320 Senate Building
404 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
(850) 487-5002
Senate VOIP: 5002 

District Office

840 West 11th Street
Panama City, FL 32401
(850) 747-5454
Senate VOIP: 40200

Legislative Aides:

Andrea Gainey, Kimberly Rodgers, and Tina Sain 

District Secretary:

Jacob Sjostrom

Griffitts, a third-generation Bay County resident, graduated in 1989 from Bay High School. He earned a political science degree in 1993 from Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Griffitts and his brother are co-owners of a home construction business after recently selling their hotel and hospitality business based in Panama City Beach. In his campaign announcement, he lauded his experience in private enterprise, which he said would help him stay connected to citizens, consumers, and small businesses.

On the Bay County Commission, Griffitts represents District 5, which encompasses all of Panama City Beach. He is also the immediate past chairman of the County Commission.

Griffitts served six years on the Panama City Beach Civil Service Board and nine years on the Bay County Planning Commission. He also currently serves on the Bay County Tourist Development Council.

Griff is a member of the Bay Medical Sacred Heart Board of Trustees and is also a member of the Florida State-Panama City Foundation Development Board. In addition, he has served as the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce chairman and as a board member of the Bay County Chamber of Commerce.

He and his wife, Laura, have been married for 20 years and have two grown daughters, Katie and Anna Claire. In their spare time, Griff and Laura enjoy boating, golf, and surf fishing.

Committees:

• Joint Committee on Public Counsel Oversight
• State Affairs Committee
• Ethics, Elections & Open Government Subcommittee
• Local Administration, Federal Affairs & Special Districts Subcommittee
• Energy, Communications & Cybersecurity Subcommittee
• Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee
• Insurance & Banking Subcommittee

Capitol Office

1402 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
(850) 717-5006

District Office

840 West 11th Street
Panama City, FL 32401-2336
(850) 914-6300

Legislative Aide:
Patti Butchikas

District Aide:
Sonya Smith

Larry Basford served the citizens of the 14th Judicial Circuit for over 34 years as an Assistant State Attorney before being elected State Attorney in August, 2020 and taking office on January 5, 2021.

Larry earned his law degree from Florida State University College of Law in late 1982 and started his career in the 7th Circuit State Attorney’s Office in 1983, as the misdemeanor prosecutor in the St. Johns County office. When a spot opened up in his hometown State Attorney’s Office, Larry returned to the 14th Circuit and served under three State Attorneys. He worked in the Marianna office from 1983 to 1990, before a brief tenure as a partner in a private firm. He returned to the State Attorney’s Office in 1992, serving as the Chief Attorney in the Marianna office until 2004. There he tried numerous felony cases ranging from murder to sexual battery, DUI manslaughter, and drug offenses. In 2005, Larry moved to the main office in Panama City as the Chief of the Major Crimes, where his primary focus was murder cases. Larry was named Chief Assistant State Attorney in 2016.

Larry has tired over 250 jury trials. As Chief Assistant, he helped implement several innovative programs, including Veterans Court and a Construction Fraud Task Force after Hurricane Michael.

Larry is a member of the First United Methodist Church, the St. Andrews Bay Inn of Court, the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, the National Rifle Association, and Ducks Unlimited. He is a Board Member of the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, a Past President of the Bay County Bar Association, a Past Chairman of the 14th Circuit Grievance Committee, and a former representative to the Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors for the Florida Bar. Larry has two children and two grandchildren who are the light of his life.

"Our mission is to uphold the public’s trust in the pursuit of justice and the enforcement of the law. The Office of the State Attorney works to protect the public from those who endanger, threaten, and degrade the security of the community and to protect the personal rights of those we serve."

Jimmy Patronis is a native Floridian born and raised in Panama City. He earned his associate degree in restaurant management from Gulf Coast Community College and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Florida State University. He is a partner in a family-owned seafood restaurant called Captain Anderson’s that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2017. His public service career began with experience as an intern in the Florida Senate and the United Kingdom’s House of Commons. Following Patronis' college graduation, Governor Lawton Chiles appointed him to the Florida Elections Commission, and he was later reappointed by Governor Jeb Bush.

He served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing his hometown region in the Florida Panhandle. He was appointed to serve on Florida’s Public Service Commission, as well as the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets once every twenty years to propose changes to the state constitution.

He and wife Katie are proud parents to two sons, Jimmy Theo III and John Michael. 

Attorney General Ashley Moody, a fifth generation Floridian, was born and raised in Plant City, Florida. She attended the University of Florida where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting and law degree. She later attended Stetson University College of Law earning a Masters of Law in International Law.

Attorney General Moody began her legal career with the law firm of Holland & Knight where she practiced commercial litigation. In her spare time, she volunteered assisting domestic violence victims seeking protection in court.

She subsequently joined the United States Attorney’s Office prosecuting drug, firearm, and fraud offenses. While a federal prosecutor, General Moody was commended by the DEA for prosecutorial excellence and outstanding initiative in drug law enforcement. She was also recognized by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for her lead of “Operation Round-Up,” a targeted prosecution of violent and repeat offenders.

In 2006, at the age of thirty-one, Attorney General Moody became the youngest judge in Florida when she was elected Circuit Court Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. As a judge, she founded the Attorney Ad Litem program recruiting volunteer attorneys to stand in the place of parents who did not appear in court with their children. She also developed a mentoring program for at-risk children within the juvenile delinquency system.

Attorney General Moody served as an adjunct professor at Stetson University College of Law and on the judicial faculty for Florida’s New Judges College, Advanced Judicial Studies, and the Circuit Judges Conference. She was a frequent lecturer on crime and justice as well as best practices for Florida attorneys. In 2015, Attorney General Moody was recognized by the National Legal Services Corporation for her significant contributions to pro bono legal service and was awarded the Florida Supreme Court’s Distinguished Judicial Service Award.

On January 8, 2019, Attorney General Moody became Florida’s 38th Attorney General. Since taking office as Attorney General, Moody has been recognized as a leader having served as a Commissioner on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, as Chair of Florida’s Statewide Task Force on Opioid Abuse, and continues to serve as Chair of Florida’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking.

Attorney General Moody and her husband, Justin, a federal law enforcement agent, have two sons, Brandon and Connor.

Wilton Simpson was born in Lakeland, Florida in 1966. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Pasco–Hernando State College (formerly Pasco–Hernando Community College) in 1997. Simpson has worked for his family's businesses, Simpson Environmental Services and Simpson Farms.

Wilton lives in Trilby with his wife Kathy. Their son Wilton Jr. and his wife Caroline are practically neighbors, as are President Simpson’s daughter Lauran, her husband Kenten, and their daughters. Among his many accomplishments, President Simpson’s most esteemed title is “Papa” to his two beautiful granddaughters Addy and Emy.

Wilton Simpson is a fifth generation Floridian, proud to be born and raised in the Sunshine State. A lifelong Florida farmer and entrepreneur, Wilton has deep personal and professional roots grounded in agriculture, including a large scale egg-laying operation that supplies eggs for Florida’s families through supermarkets across the state.

 Jeanette M. Nuñez was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She was elected as Florida’s First Hispanic Female Lieutenant Governor of Florida in 2018. She previously served as a State Representative of the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018 and was named Speaker Pro Tempore from 2016 to 2018. 

In November 2016, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez was named Speaker Pro Tempore of the Florida House of Representatives. She served as the Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and served on the Rules and Policy Committee. She was appointed Chair of the Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness. In the past, she chaired the Health Quality Subcommittee, Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, and Higher Education and Workforce Subcommittee. 

She began her healthcare career working at Jackson Health System in 2004 as the State Director for Government Relations and handled all aspects of the organization’s state affairs. In 2006, she was promoted to Vice President of Government Relations and was responsible for overseeing the advocacy efforts at the local, state and federal level. In addition to her duties, she served on numerous boards and healthcare organizations, including the National Association of Public Hospitals Fellowship Program. In 2010, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez joined Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) as their Vice President of Community Affairs for both Kendall Regional Medical Center and Aventura Hospital and Medical Center. She oversaw their community outreach for 3 and half years and was responsible for a number of marketing and business development initiatives. 

In late 2013, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez began her own consulting firm, OnPoint Strategies. She has been working with Jackson Health System, providing them with strategic advice on service line and business development. She has also been tasked to work with the Managed Care Department and Population Health. 

Over the years, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez has demonstrated her ongoing commitment to the South Florida community through her active involvement in various local organizations and professional groups. She has been involved with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Miami, WHEN, and Women in Government. In 2007, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez was named Hispanic Woman of Distinction. From 2007 – 2015, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez served on the Board of Kristi House, an organization dedicated to children who are victims of sexual abuse. Additionally, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez served as a member of the Statewide Council of Human Trafficking. The 15-member Council, chaired by State Attorney General Pam Bondi, was created to support victims of human trafficking by enhancing the available care options. Recently, Lieutenant Governor Nuñez was appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card. She was also appointed to the Constitution Revision Commission which examined the Florida Constitution, identified issues, performed research and possible recommendations to amend the Florida Constitution.

Lieutenant Governor Nuñez is a proud graduate of Florida International University (FIU) and a lifetime member of the FIU Alumni Association. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Political Science, her Master of Public Administration from FIU, and a Six Sigma Certificate from the University of Miami. Lieutenant Governor Nuñez has served in the past as an adjunct professor at Florida International University.  She is also a graduate from Leadership Miami. Lieutenant Governor Nuñez attends Christ Fellowship West Kendall Campus. Lieutenant Governor Nuñez is married to her husband, Adrian Nuñez, and together they are the proud parents of three children – Megan; Justin; and Jason.