From the farm to the fight, candidates vie to serve as Agriculture Commissioner
By Keith Lowe
BOCA RATON, Fla. — From sugar cane to oranges, Florida’s crops are as important as it famed beaches. One of the state’s more important but greatly under-covered races focuses on who will be Florida’s next Agriculture Commissioner.
Running on this year’s ballot is Naomi Blemur, the Democratic Party candidate, and Wilton Simpson, the Republican Party candidate. Blemur comes from a family of immigrant farm workers and wants to make sure that the farmers within Florida’s community are being treated fairly. Simpson is a Florida farmer who has his roots deep in the agricultural scene, running a multimillion-dollar egg-laying operation supplying millions of supermarkets across the state.
Simpson and Blemur, both with farming roots, are fighting for their spot as Florida’s agricultural commissioner. Blemur may not have as many endorsements under her belt, however, she was still willing to talk about her campaign and what she wants to see implemented during her term. Multiple attempts have been made to try and contact Simpson’s campaign, however, there was no response.
“Sugar burning is a huge problem in our state,” said Blemur. “First, it pollutes nature. Second, as it tends to happen in rural communities of color, it disproportionately negatively affects minority groups and causes numerous health issues.”
Sugarcane burning releases small particles that can make their way deep into the lung tissues. According to researchers at Florida State University, these particles can cause asthma, lung cancer, and cardiovascular issues. “I will make sure that everyone in these communities and leaders are fully aware of [the] negative consequences on sugar burning through special educational courses and organized public campaigns,” said Blemur.
On top of her plan to regulate and educate communities on the harmful effects of sugarcane burning, she also intends to establish strict regulations on usage and commercial activity in Florida’s natural parks, ensure that farmers have access to bank capital to scale and grow their businesses, allow all children in the public education system to have a hot, nutritional breakfast and lunch, and advocate for the legalization and decriminalization of marijuana for those with small non-violent charges within the state.
The race hasn’t been a close one, with Simpson garnering almost 1.1 million votes and Blemur managing to pull up almost 700,000 votes during the primary election. This gap of almost 400,000 voters could be attributed to their endorsements or lack thereof.
“Endorsements mean nothing to me when it comes to voting,” said Vivienne Merk, 19, a freshman at Florida Atlantic University majoring in political science. “Political endorsements are the equivalent to popularity contests in high school. It doesn’t matter.”
Simpson is endorsed by the Florida Farm Bureau FarmPAC (Political Action Committee), 59 out of the 67 Florida Sheriff Offices, Governor Ron DeSantis, and former U.S. president Donald J. Trump. Blemur on the other hand, is endorsed by 17 Miami Dade and Broward County elected officials, and the organizations Sun Sentinel, Florida NOW, and the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida.
On Aug. 7, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, State Sen. Annette Taddeo, and Sen. Shevrin Jones rescinding their endorsements after the former Agriculture Commissioner candidate, Adam Christensen, began tweeting screenshots of public posts made to Simpson’s personal Facebook account portraying her as homophobic and anti-abortion.
Screenshots from her profile regarding her stance on abortion surfaced with Blemur saying, “Abortion is a SIN. Just like any other sin, it will never be consistent with Christianity. Period.” Her remarks about the LGBTQ+ community also came up with her sharing a video of someone speaking saying Christ died for your lesbianism. Blemur replied, “God died for YOU!!”
Blemur’s response to the attack came in the form of a tweet. “The statement that is circulating does not speak to my values as a leader or how I will lead as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services,” Blemur wrote. Her campaign also released a press release in which she said she is “Pro-choice, and have always been.” The release quoted her as saying, “I am an LGBTQIA+ ally, and I will remain one.” The Facebook posts that Christensen released have since been deleted.
Even though Blemur faced this scandal during the later period of the primary election, she managed to beat her other opponents, securing her spot as the Democratic nominee on the general election ballot.
The agricultural commissioner’s primary responsibilities include oversight of regulation and promotion of the agricultural industry and the management of 13 associated agricultural regulation divisions. Those 13 divisions include: Agricultural Environment Services, Agricultural Law Enforcement, Agricultural Water Policy, Animal Industry, Aquaculture, Consumer Services, Energy, Florida Forest Service, Food Nutrition and Wellness, Food Safety, Fruit and Vegetables, Licensing, Marketing and Development, and Plant Industry.
It is these divisions that an agriculture commissioner should focus on, many voters said.
“I think the state needs someone who is going to actually care about Florida’s ecosystem and economy,” said Casey Weyer, 21, a junior at Florida Atlantic University majoring in early care and education. “Rather than prioritizing the economy, there needs to be a balance.”
With the electoral race almost at its end, only time will unveil who will be Florida’s new agricultural commissioner.
