Wilton Simpson

Wilton Simpson

Republican Party

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Nikki Fried

Prior offices

Florida State Senate District 18

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Florida State Senate District 10

Successor: Jason Brodeur

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Compensation

Base salary

$139,988

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Associate

Pasco-Hernando Community College, 1997

Personal

Birthplace

Lakeland, Fla.

Profession

Business owner

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Wilton Simpson (Republican Party) is the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He assumed office on January 3, 2023. His current term ends on January 5, 2027.

Simpson (Republican Party) ran for election for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He won in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Simpson is a former senate president. He was elected senate president on October 15, 2019.

Simpson was first elected to the state Senate in 2012. He presented District 18 in the Florida State Senate from 2012 to 2016. He served as state Senate majority leader from 2016 to 2018.

Biography

Wilton Simpson was born in Lakeland, Florida. Simpson earned an associate degree from Pasco-Hernando Community College in 1997. His career experience includes owning Simpson Environmental Services, Inc. Simpson served as a board member of Pasco Hernando Community College.

Elections

2022

See also: Florida Agriculture Commissioner election, 2022

General election

General election for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Wilton Simpson defeated Naomi Blemur in the general election for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wilton Simpson (R)	59.3	4,510,644
		Naomi Blemur (D)	40.7	3,095,786

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,606,430
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Naomi Blemur defeated Ryan Morales and Jacques Rene Gaillot, Jr. in the Democratic primary for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Naomi Blemur	50.4	699,275
		Ryan Morales	30.3	420,609
		Jacques Rene Gaillot, Jr.	19.4	268,863

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,388,747
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Wilton Simpson defeated James Shaw in the Republican primary for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wilton Simpson	64.7	1,048,775
		James Shaw	35.3	571,957

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,620,732
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018

See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2018

General election

General election for Florida State Senate District 10

Incumbent Wilton Simpson defeated Michael Cottrell in the general election for Florida State Senate District 10 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Wilton Simpson (R)	65.0	147,601
	Submit photo	Michael Cottrell (D)	35.0	79,349

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 226,950
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Florida State Senate District 10

Michael Cottrell advanced from the Democratic primary for Florida State Senate District 10 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Michael Cottrell

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Florida State Senate District 10

Incumbent Wilton Simpson advanced from the Republican primary for Florida State Senate District 10 on August 28, 2018.

		Candidate
✔		Wilton Simpson

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Florida State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 30, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 24, 2016.

Incumbent Wilton Simpson ran unopposed in the Florida State Senate District 10 general election.

Florida State Senate, District 10 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Wilton Simpson Incumbent (unopposed)
Source: Florida Division of Elections

Incumbent Wilton Simpson ran unopposed in the Florida State Senate District 10 Republican primary.

Florida State Senate, District 10 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Wilton Simpson Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2014

Elections for the Florida State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 20, 2014. Incumbent Wilton Simpson was unopposed in the Republican primary and was unchallenged in the general election.

2012

See also: Florida State Senate elections, 2012

Simpson won election in the 2012 election for Florida State Senate District 18. Simpson ran unopposed in both the Republican primary on August 14, 2012, and in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Wilton Simpson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Wilton Simpson campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services	Won general	$2,911,618	$2,530,277
2018	Florida State Senate District 10	Won general	$763,691	N/A**
2016	Florida State Senate, District 10	Won	$264,385	N/A**
2014	Florida State Senate, District 18	Won	$353,272	N/A**
Grand total			$4,292,966	$2,530,277
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Stances on the issues

Agriculture commissioners are responsible for overseeing and regulating practices and policies that affect farmers, consumers of agricultural products, and the broader agricultural industry in their states. Their powers can vary, but they typically have the authority to enforce state laws and regulations pertaining to agriculture and investigate practices related to the agricultural sector that may violate state laws or regulations.

This section outlines Simpson's stances on policy issues as they relate to agriculture.

Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)

See also: Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)

Simpson has argued against ESG, which refers to an investment or corporate governance approach that involves considering the extent to which corporations conform to certain standards related to environmental, social, and corporate governance issues (such as net carbon emission or corporate board diversity goals) and making business and investment decisions that promote those standards. Agricultural commissioners have the authority to use their investigative and enforcement powers to scrutinize the effects of financial practices on the agricultural sector, write letters to financial institutions requesting information on their policies and practices, and issue regulations related to fertilizer usage, agricultural fuel usage, and rural electrification.

Letter opposing ESG practices at financial institutions

Simpson joined eleven agricultural commissioners from other states on January 29, 2024, in writing a public letter to the CEOs of six large banks, including J.P. Morgan and Goldman Sachs, opposing their ESG commitments.

The letter argued that the financial institutions’ commitments to implementing Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) policies could restrict credit access for farmers and coerce agricultural producers into changing their farming practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The officials said such changes would increase costs in the agricultural sector, reduce the availability of food, drive up consumer prices, and eliminate jobs in the industry.

The letter requested additional information related to the banks’ ESG commitments, including details on how the banks intended to promote NZBA’s carbon emissions targets for the agricultural sector.

Noteworthy events

Tested positive for coronavirus on December 14, 2020

See also: Politicians, candidates, and government officials diagnosed with or quarantined due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
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On December 14, 2020, Simpson announced that he had tested positive for coronavirus.

State legislative tenure

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Florida

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Florida scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2022

In 2022, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 11 to March 14.

• Americans for Prosperity Florida

Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues.

• Associated Industries of Florida

Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues.

• Florida Chamber of Commerce

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• Progress Florida and Florida Watch

Legislators were scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more.

• National Federation of Independent Business

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 2 to April 30. Americans for Prosperity Florida Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues. Associated Industries of Florida Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Progress Florida and Florida Watch Legislators were scored based on their votes on health care, the economy, public schools, affordable housing, clean energy and water, reproductive rights, the freedom to vote and more. Sierra Club Florida Chapter Legislators are scored on votes on environmental bills. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 14 to March 19. Associated Industries of Florida Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].

In 2019, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 5 through May 3. Americans for Prosperity Florida Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues. Associated Industries of Florida Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. Foundation for Florida's Future: House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2018

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2018, click [show].

In 2018, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 9 through March 11. Americans for Prosperity Florida Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues. Associated Industries of Florida Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Florida Health Care Association: House and Senate Legislators are scored on their stances on healthcare related issues. Foundation for Florida's Future: House and Senate Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills related to education. Liberty First Network Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 7 through May 8. There was also a special session from June 7 to June 9. Americans for Prosperity Florida Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues. First Amendment Foundation Legislators are scored on their stance on public records access as it relates to Florida's "Sunshine Law" Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Florida Health Care Association: House and Senate Legislators are scored on their stances on healthcare related issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the Florida State Legislature was in session from January 12 through March 11. Americans for Prosperity Florida Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues. Associated Industries of Florida Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Florida Family Action Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to social issues. Florida Health Care Association: House and Senate Legislators are scored on their stances on healthcare related issues. Fund Education Now Legislators are scored on whether the organization believes they are making an effort to provide “a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education.” Liberty First Network Legislators are scored on their votes on bills supported or opposed by the organization. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].

In 2015, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 3 through May 1. Americans for Prosperity Florida Legislators are scored on their stances on economic issues. Associated Industries of Florida Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Florida Health Care Association Legislators are scored on their stances on issues related to healthcare. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].

In 2014, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 3 through May 5. Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Florida Health Care Association Legislators are scored on their stances on issues related to healthcare. Florida Sheriff's Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to public safety and law enforcement officials. Let Florida Decide Legislators are scored on their stances on marijuana. Liberty First Network Legislators are scored on a group of bills that the organization supports or opposes. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].

In 2013, the Florida State Legislature was in session from March 5 through May 3. Associated Industries of Florida Legislators are scored on their votes on business issues. Florida Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Florida Sheriff's Association Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to public safety and law enforcement officials. Preserve our Paradise Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to fracking. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2019-2020

Simpson was assigned to the following committees:

• Joint Legislative Budget Commission
• Senate Appropriations Committee, Vice Chair
• Senate Rules Committee
• Innovation, Industry, and Technology Committee, Chair

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

Florida committee assignments, 2017
• Appropriations
• Education
• Rules
• Joint Legislative Budget Commission

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Simpson served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Simpson served on the following committees:

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Nikki Fried (D)	Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by -	Florida State Senate District 10 2016-2022	Succeeded by Jason Brodeur (R)
Preceded by -	Florida State Senate District 18 2012-2016	Succeeded by -