As Election Day gets closer, key races for positions like Florida鈥檚 Senate, Governor and Agriculture Commissioner are closely watched. Yet the race for the state鈥檚 Chief Financial Officer appears to be flying under the radar.
Florida鈥檚 Chief Financial Officer is rarely in the headlines. But the seat could be important to Democrats this election cycle. Democrats haven鈥檛 held a statewide seat since 2006, when Alex Sink was Florida鈥檚 CFO.
The CFO is a member of the cabinet, oversees the state鈥檚 finances, licenses insurance agencies, serves as the trustee of the state鈥檚 retirement fund and is the Fire Marshal.
Facing off this election cycle are Republican Jimmy Patronis, the state鈥檚 current CFO, and Democrat Jeremy Ring. Governor Rick Scott appointed Patronis in June of 2017 after Jeff Atwater resigned early to take a job at Florida Atlantic University.
Patronis says his priorities include supporting first responders, cracking down on insurance fraud, and promoting fiscal responsibility.
鈥淚鈥檓 a consummate believer that the citizens of the state of Florida spend their own money better than Tallahassee does,鈥� aruges Patronis.
Patronis touts 800 insurance fraud arrests, a new law granting worker鈥檚 compensation to first responders with PTSD and work with insurance claims after Hurricane Irma as accomplishments since he took office.
鈥淭he reality of it is I鈥檝e done the job for the last 11 months, the state is in better condition now than it was when I took the job, and Jeremy can鈥檛 own any of that,鈥� say Patronis.
Meanwhile Jeremy Ring wants to lower insurance rates, protect the Florida Retirement System and make Florida a competitive technology market like California. He says the CFO shouldn鈥檛 be political or partisan.
Ring鈥檚 key message: qualifications matter.
鈥淚鈥檓 the most fiscally responsible," says Ring. "I have the deepest business experience. I鈥檓 the most qualified. I鈥檝e worked with very large numbers.鈥�
Ring cites his business experience as an executive at Yahoo. He also served in the Florida Legislature as a Senator, and chaired the Governmental Oversight and Accountability committee, which has oversight of the Florida Retirement Fund.
A recent poll shows the race in a statistical tie.
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