Florida - Tuesday October 17, 2023: The Florida Senate's Republican caucus Tuesday unanimously elected Wauchula Republican Senator Ben Albritton as the next Florida Senate president-designate.
Albritton will take the helm after the 2024 elections.
During an emotional ceremony in the State Senate Chambers, Albritton thanked members of the republican caucus for their support saying "I’m humbled to have earned your trust for this important role. Thank you for choosing me. I’ll strive not to just listen to you, but to hear you.”
The 55-year-old Albritton will take over the chamber from current Senate President Kathleen Passidomo at the end of next year, a point he made clear when he spoke to reporters after the ceremony. “I want to make sure that everybody understands, today was a designation ceremony. I’m not the President. I’m not the President. I still serve the President. I’m just the Majority Leader.”
Albritton is a fourth generation Floridian whose comes from a family of citrus growers. He’s known as a champion of Florida’s agriculture community, but he said he would focus on both the state's agricultural needs and water quality issues.
“I'm going to work very, very hard to not just create additional value in agriculture, but additional value in water quality here in the state. They’re both vitally important to the economy.”
Albritton will serve as Senate President during the 2024-2026 Florida Legislative Term.