Jay Fant drops out of race for attorney general

In the first major development of qualifying week, state Rep. Jay Fant, R-Jacksonville, announced Tuesday that he is dropping out of the race for attorney general and will apply to become Florida’s top financial regulator.

Fant had been vying with two other Republicans and two Democrats to replace term-limited Attorney General Pam Bondi. But Fant, who raised relatively little campaign cash in recent months, said in a prepared statement that he will seek to become commissioner of the state Office of Financial Regulation.

“Businesses in Florida must operate on a level playing field, and our willingness to fight for that is vital to the success of free enterprise,” Fant said in the statement. “These beliefs led me to run for the Florida House, and then last year to run for attorney general. The recent opening for commissioner of the Office of Financial Regulation, however, is the position most in line with my experience in banking, law and policymaking and I will seek that appointment. My passion is to see that limited government be fair for all Floridians.”

Fant made the announcement on the second day of formal qualifying for this year’s elections.

Two candidates for attorney general had qualified as of Tuesday evening: Republican Ashley Moody, a former Hillsborough County circuit judge, and Democrat Sean Shaw, a state House member from Tampa.