Rep. Randy Fine announces 2024 run for Florida Senate
Republican Rep. Randy Fine announced his plans Thursday to seek to climb to the next rung of the ladder in Florida politics.
Fine, R-Palm Bay, announced his candidacy for the Florida Senate District 19 seat, which will be decided in 2024.
Incumbent District 19 Sen. Debbie Mayfield cannot seek reelection to the Senate because of term limits.
Meanwhile, another Republican Florida House member — Tyler Sirois of Merritt Island ― said Thursday that he is "very strongly considering" running for Mayfield's current Senate seat as well.
If both Fine and Sirois run, it would set up a GOP primary between them and potentially other Republican candidates for the seat.
In a news release announcing his campaign sent to media Thursday, Fine, known for his bare-knuckle style of politics, decried what he called "wokeism," and cited culture war topics, such as the need to fight against things like drag queen story time, health care for transgender children, illegal immigration and critical race theory, as reasons for his candidacy.
Fine currently represents the newly redrawn District 33 (formerly District 53), which includes Malabar, West Melbourne, Melbourne Beach, parts of Melbourne and most of Palm Bay.
Known for making brash statements on social media, Fine has clashed with school board members and Brevard's former schools superintendent and butted heads with city council members in Brevard County. He's been at the forefront of some of the state's most politically charged battles, including last year's fight with Disney.
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The former casino executive and Harvard-educated MBA touted his accomplishments in the Florida Legislature since he was first elected in 2016 to the House. This past year, he was elected to his fourth and final two-year term in the House. He cannot seek reelection to the House in 2024 because of term limits.
“For six years, I have had the privilege of fighting for the people of Brevard County,” Fine said. “I have passed legislation transforming our public schools, our universities, and protecting the Indian River Lagoon."
Sirois said he has set no timetable for deciding whether to seek the Senate seat or to run for a fourth and final term in the Florida House, where he represents District 31, a Central Brevard district. Sirois is an announced candidate for the District 31 seat in 2024, but can change that in advance of the 2024 candidate qualifying period.
For now, Sirois said, he is focusing on the business at hand of the 2023 Florida Legislature session that will run from March 7 through May 5, including what Sirois calls "the Freedom Agenda" of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"That's my priority right now," Sirois said.
Both Fine and Sirois have leadership roles in the Florida House. Fine is chairman of the Health & Human Services Committee. Sirois is chairman of the House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee.
In his campaign announcement this week, Fine spoke of various endorsements he already has secured, including from Florida Rep. and former Florida Sen. Thad Altman; Republican Party of Florida Chairman and Sen. Joe Gruters; and former Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos.
When reached by phone Thursday afternoon, Fine said he is still gearing up for what may come in the future, in terms of his legislative priorities if he wins the Senate seat.
"I don't know what the fights will be two years from now, but I do know they will be there," Fine said. "We couldn't have predicted the fights we're having now a few years ago."
Fine said he would continue to fight in the Senate for state funding to help the beleaguered Indian River Lagoon.
"I've helped bring hundreds of millions of state funding to the lagoon, as well as changing policy that will affect the lagoon," he said.
He also added that he would work to "knock down the governmental barriers" that he sees as an impediment to increasing the affordable housing supply on the Space Coast.
"That way, we can build housing that is reflective of the incomes of people in the area. I do not believe in government-subsidized housing," Fine said.
Mayfield first ran for and won for the District 17 Senate seat ― covering central and southern Brevard County, along with Indian River County ― in 2016 before being reelected in 2020.
During her second term, however, Florida finalized the redistricting process. In order to maintain staggered terms, certain office-holders were elected to two-year terms.
Mayfield ran unopposed in 2022 for the new District 19, the seat now sought by Fine, which covers central and southern Brevard County.
Florida state senators earn a salary of $29,697 annually, and serve four-year terms, with a two-term limit.
Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-917-7491 or [email protected]. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez
Contact Berman at [email protected], on Twitter at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Randy Fine announces run for Florida Senate race in 2024
