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Florida GOP picks Sam Garrison as next House speaker

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Florida GOP picks Sam Garrison as next House speaker



‘I believe with my whole heart that complacency is the single biggest threat to the conservative movement in Florida,’ Garrison said.

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  • Florida House Republicans selected state Rep. Sam Garrison to be the House speaker after the 2026 elections.
  • As Speaker-designate, Garrison will lead Republican House campaign efforts for the 2026 election cycle.
  • The Fleming Island Republican is an attorney and former prosecutor who was first elected to the House in 2020.

Florida House Republicans officially selected state Rep. Sam Garrison to take the helm of the chamber as speaker for a two-year term after the 2026 elections.

The Fleming Island Republican was officially picked in a ceremony at the Capitol on Oct. 9.

In his speech, he warned his party – which comprises a supermajority in the Florida Legislature – not to rest on their laurels despite dominating for 30 years and turning the former swing state into a deeper shade of red in the last few election cycles.

“I believe with my whole heart that complacency is the single biggest threat to the conservative movement in Florida,” Garrison told the GOP members. “This is not an external danger. It is internal. Our challenge isn’t the Democrats. It’s us.”

A host of GOP dignitaries, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who is considering running to replace DeSantis next year, were in attendance.

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Garrison will succeed current Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, who repeatedly clashed with DeSantis on several issues. He warned against infighting among Republicans but also said he’ll “always support” Perez.

Most of Garrison’s term as speaker will take place under the next governor, but he hasn’t endorsed anyone in the race to replace DeSantis. When asked if he has a preference for who is governor during his term, he didn’t say.

“But I can tell you whoever he or she is, (that person) is going to have a partner in the House that’s going to work like heck to make them successful,” Garrison told reporters after the ceremony.

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Next House speaker is attorney, former prosecutor

According to his House webpage, the 48-year-old was born in Illinois and got his undergraduate degree in international relations from Samford University, near Birmingham, Alabama.

He received his law degree (J.D.) from Illinois University and moved to Florida in 2001. He was an assistant state prosecutor from 2001-2011. He is currently with the Jacksonville-based Driver, McAfee, Hawthorne & Diebenow firm.

First elected in 2020, Garrison is the House Rules Committee chair and one of the notable bills he sponsored was the 2024 legislation to prohibit homeless people from camping in public spaces, including streets, sidewalks and parks. The law required local governments to place homeless people in temporary shelters.

Garrison gave few hints of his priorities once he becomes Speaker, but stressed the importance of drilling down into difficult issues and programs if Republicans want to maintain their dominance in Florida.

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“Do we do the arduous work of leading this state and fighting for our people back home, or do we hit the easy button and simply ride the wave, shrug our shoulders, and leave the tough decisions, the intractable problems, and the big dreams to someone else?” Garrison said.

As Speaker-designate, Garrison will also be in charge of helping maintain the GOP’s supermajority in the House. He’ll head up Republican House campaign efforts for the 2026 cycle.

Gray Rohrer is a reporter with the USA TODAY Network-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at grohrer@gannett.com. Follow him on X: @GrayRohrer.



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Florida high school football team pulls off miraculous touchdown to help win state championship

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Florida high school football team pulls off miraculous touchdown to help win state championship


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A Florida high school state football championship finished with a phenomenal ending for one team and absolute heartbreak for the other on Saturday night.

Lake Mary High School was down six points with seven seconds left in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 7A title game against Vero Beach. Noah Grubbs dropped back to pass and rolled to his right. He gained momentum and fired the ball, which was tipped and caught short of the goal line.

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A Lake Mary quarterback looks to throw in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

As Vero Beach defenders tried to keep receiver Barrett Schultz out of the end zone, Schultz’s teammate Tavarius Brundidge Jr. came around and took the ball out of Schultz’s hands. Brundidge ran the ball into the end zone to complete the wild and chaotic play.

The touchdown tied the game, and Lake Mary would kick the extra point to win, 28-27.

INDIANA’S FERNANDO MENDOZA WINS 2025 HEISMAN TROPHY

A Lake Mary player in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, makes a catch at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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“I was just hoping and praying like everyone else that he was going to come down with the football and Barrett did,” Lake Mary head coach Scott Perry said, via TC Palm. “… We were just going to keep fighting and fighting until the final whistle.”

Vero Beach tried to run out the clock the best they could. The team decided to take a safety with 12 seconds left, and gave the ball back to Lake Mary.

A Vero Beach player is stunned after the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

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It was the first state championship for Lake Mary in its history.

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Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.





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Gisele Bündchen and Joaquim Valente enjoy Florida day date on jet skis

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Gisele Bündchen and Joaquim Valente enjoy Florida day date on jet skis


Gisele Bündchen and her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, soaked up the sun during a jet skiing date in Florida.

The model and the MMA athlete appeared in good spirits while on the water near their home in Surfside on Saturday.

They both stayed close to each other and sported life vests.

Gisele Bündchen and her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, were seen soaking up the sun on jet skis. BACKGRID
The couple enjoyed a date day in Surfside, Fla., on Saturday. BACKGRID

Bündchen, 35, appeared to be wearing a white one-piece bathing suit underneath her vest.

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She accessorized with sunglasses and styled her hair in a ponytail.

As for Valente, he sported black swim trunks.

At one point, the model was seen on the phone. BACKGRID
Bündchen sported a white swimsuit. BACKGRID

The couple, who have been romantically linked since 2023, enjoyed some quality time together after welcoming a son together in February.

While Bündchen and Valente have shied away from revealing too much about their infant, they recently took him out on a boat ride in September.

At the time, the former Victoria’s Secret model was seen cradling her son while her beau took the wheel.

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She also wore a life vest. BACKGRID
The health guru accessorized with sunglasses. BACKGRID

Valente then adorably held onto their 10-month-old, as Bündchen watched in awe.

The health guru also shared a rare glimpse of her son alongside her 16-year-old son, Benjamin, in October.

The teenager adorably held onto his little brother while playing the piano.

She also wore her hair up. BACKGRID
Bündchen was seen on her phone while at a standstill. BACKGRID

Bündchen shares Benjamin and her daughter Vivian, 13, with her ex-husband, Tom Brady.

The exes were wed from 2009 to 2022.

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The former NFL star also shares an 18-year-old son, Jack, with his ex Bridget Moynahan.



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Florida Class 4A state championship: How to watch American Heritage vs. Jones

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Florida Class 4A state championship: How to watch American Heritage vs. Jones


The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state championships continued last night down in Miami at Pitbull Stadium as the Raines Vikings upset the Northwestern Bulls for the the Class 3A state championship, provind the most exciting game of the week thus far. Another rematch from last year’s finals pits the American Heritage Patriots versus the Jones Tigers for the Class 4A state championship this afternoon. We preview the sixth of seven FHSAA state championship games as teams begin being crowned as champions of their classifications.

How to Watch American Heritage vs. Jones in Florida 4A state championship game

Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla.
TV Channel: NFHS Network

American Heritage Players to Watch

QB Leon Strawder: Strawder is making his second consecutive appearance in a state championship game, this time with a different team, however. The senior has thrown for 2,052 yards and 19 touchdowns.

WR Jamar Denson: Of the star-studded wide receiving corps for American Heritage, its Denson who has been Mr. Reliable thus far this season. Throughout the course of the season, Denson has hauled in 69 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns.

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WR Jeffar Jean-Noel: The Georgia Tech commit has been the second option behind Denson on offense, with Jean-Noel catching 57 passes for 795 yards and six touchdowns.

LB Dylan Bennett: Anchoring the front seven of the Patriots’ defense is the senior linebacker, who currently leads the team with 61 total tackles, 17 them going for a loss and five sacks.

Jones Players to Watch

QB Dereon Coleman: The Miami signee is as calm as they come in the pocket as the senior quarterback has thrown for 2,749 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three picks this Florida high school football season.

WR Larry Miles: Coleman’s favorite target to throw to is the Nebraska signee as the senior looks to end his high school career with a state crown. Miles has caught 88 passes for 1,111 and 10 touchdowns.

OL Xavier Payne: The 6-foot-7, 275-pound Colorado offensive tackle signee will have the job of making sure Coleman stands upright throughout the afternoon against American Heritage’s pass rush.

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EDGE Frederick Ards: The 2027 four-star EDGE rusher for the Tigers has been superb, racking up 73 tackles, 13 for loss and 11 sacks.

Where to Watch the Florida Class 4A state championship on livestream:

You can watch the American Heritage Patriots take on the Jones Tigers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on NFHS Network.

For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Sunshine State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Florida.



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