Florida
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 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.
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.
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.
“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.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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