Palm Coast Republican Paul Renner will likely take over as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives in 2022. On Friday, Renner beat out three other state reps for the position to secure the title of freshman class leader and eventually, possible Speaker of the Florida House.
House freshmen convened in Orlando Friday to vote on their class leader in a secret ballot for one of the most coveted positions in Florida politics.
Renner ran against three state reps for the job: Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, Jamie Grant, R-Tampa and Byron Donalds, R-Naples, all vied for the title of class leader, but ultimately it Renner who won the election on the first ballot, taking 16 votes.
Grant received nine votes while Grall and Donalds received one vote each.
Renner only needed to win 14 votes to secure the title.
Friday marks the first time a House Speaker has been chosen from Northeast Florida in nearly 20 years.
A retired Navy commander, Renner was elected to the Flagler County seat nearly three years ago in a special election. Despite being elected in 2015, Renner is still considered a freshman representative because his first full term actually began in 2016.
Renner initially ran for the Florida House in 2014, but narrowly lost the primary election for a Jacksonville seat to Rep. Jay Fant.
Like many House Speakership campaigns, Renner’s was run behind the scenes. While he never officially announced he was campaigning for the job, he worked members to gain their support well in advance of Friday’s vote.
Becoming House Speaker is likely but not certain. In order to become House Speaker in 2022, Renner will need to win reelection in 2018, 2020 and in 2022. Republicans will also need to continue to hold a majority to ensure Renner takes the job.
Renner will follow House Speaker Jose Oliva, who will take over the job in 2018. His term ends in 2020 and he will likely be followed by Palm Harbor Republican Rep. Chris Sprowls, who is the favorite to take over as House Speaker in 2020.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen. READ MORE FROM SUNSHINE STATE NEWS
