Senate President Joe Negron resigns, cites term-limit stance

TALLAHASSEE — Florida Senate President Joe Negron will resign early rather than serve out the final two years on his term, he said Wednesday.

In a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, the Stuart Republican said he wanted to honor the limit of two straight four-year terms set on state senators. Negron was first elected to the Senate in a special election in 2009.

Although Senate terms usually run for four years, he ran in 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016 because of redistricting and a lawsuit that led to shifts in lines that required his seat to be on the ballot each election cycle. His last election was for a four-year term that ends in 2020.

“I believe in a citizen Legislature where women and men from all walks of life serve for a reasonable period of time and then return to the private sector,” Negron said in a released statement. “I have done my very best to fight for my community in Tallahassee, and November is the right time to retire from my service in the Legislature.”

Negron said he wanted to give as much time as possible for election officials to put his seat on the November ballot and avoid the cost of a special election. Assuming the GOP retains control of the Senate this year, he’ll be replaced as Senate president in November by Bradenton Republican Bill Galvano, a longtime friend and ally.

As president, Negron has focused heavily on revamping the state university system, including expanding the Bright Futures scholarship program, and pushing for construction of a reservoir that would help prevent polluted water from being discharged from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries.

His district includes Martin and St. Lucie counties and part of Palm Beach County. Two candidates, state Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, and Stuart Democrat Robert Levy had already opened campaign accounts to run for the seat in 2020.

Negron also served in the House from 2000 to 2006, including two years as the powerful budget chairman.