With less than a month to go until the primary, the two candidates battling for the Republican nomination to be Florida’s next attorney general unveiled more endorsements on Thursday.
Former Judge Ashley Moody looked to nail down support on the First Coast as former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney, state Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach and state Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Palm Coast, endorsed her.
“The northeast area of Florida has long been a bastion of conservative leadership,” said Moody. “I am proud to receive the endorsement of this distinguished group of elected officials. As attorney general, I will work hard every day in office to deserve this great honor and will fight to protect our communities and the freedoms guaranteed to our citizens.”
"Keeping Florida safe is a top priority of mine in the Florida Senate and that's why I'm endorsing Ashley Moody. Ashley has the experience, will and muscle to put bad guys behind bars and keep our communities safe,” said Bean.
"As a conservative senator from northeast Florida, I'm proud to endorse Ashley Moody. As a former judge for over ten years, Ashley believes that we must strictly follow the conservative principles of the U.S. Constitution. She is a strong believer in Christian, pro-family values and will always defend religious freedom and the rights of Christians. It is my hope that voters from all across Florida will stand behind strong conservative Ashley Moody,” said Hutson.
"As a former mayor of Jacksonville, I know how important safety and security is to our community. That's why I'm endorsing Ashley Moody for attorney general. In addition to steadfastly supporting the men and women of law enforcement, Ashley's top priority will be to fight the prescription drug and opioid epidemic which has affected hundreds of thousands of Floridians. I hope my fellow Jacksonville neighbors will join me in supporting Ashley Moody on August 28th," said Delaney.
But state Rep. Frank White, R-Pensacola, reeled in a conservative endorsement of his own as
John Stemberger, the president and general counsel of Florida Family Action, backed him over Moody. Stemberger praised White’s record and noted that the Panhandle Republican had earned an “A+” grade from his group which released report cards on legislators earlier in the week.
“Our FFA Board of Directors had the opportunity to interview both candidates privately and I personally have watched and moderated debates between the AG candidates. Based on our interviews, each candidates' record, and extensive background research, we believe Frank White is a conservative candidate we can trust,” Stemberger said. “Frank White is a strong family man who has consistently promoted family and conservative values both within his home and in the legislature. Frank White has a clear voting record, which shows that he doesn’t shy away from opportunities to support pro-life and conservative principles. Frank just earned an A+, 100 percent score from Florida Family Action’s Legislative Scorecard released earlier this week.
“Frank would be a great leader to run the office of the attorney general and has extensive professional administrative experience in addition to 11 years of experience practicing law,” Stemberger added. “Of particular interest was Frank's long standing membership and association with the Federalist Society (Fed Soc) a conservative legal group. Frank was president of Fed Soc in law school and helped to found the Northwest Florida lawyer's chapter.
“Frank doesn’t just talk the talk during an election, he has dedicated his life to family values. Outside of the legislative office, Frank and his wife Stephanie, an adoption attorney, raise their three sons according to Christian values. Frank is also an active member of his church where he serves as a deacon and taught Sunday school with his wife,” Stemberger concluded.
The primary will be held on August 28.
