While Republicans have held and probably continue to hold a strong majority of the legislative power in the state of Florida, there may soon be trouble in paradise as State Rep. Alina Garcia (R) is accusing her colleague State Rep. Jennifer Canady (R) of breaking the rules of candidacy ahead of becoming the Speaker of the Florida House.
According to Rule 5.2 of the Rules for Candidacy of the "Rules for the Republican Conference of the Florida House of Representatives," a candidate may not support a candidate for state House during the Republican primary period. On June 20, 2022, Rep. Canady made a $1,000 contribution to the Daniel Alvarez campaign in District 69.
Alina Garcia brought attention to this discrepancy and claims that "any other candidate from the 2023 Freshman Class who also contributed to a contested Republican primary, should be immediately disqualified from the upcoming Republican Leader-designate/Speaker of the House race."
Garcia penned a letter to Speaker Paul Renner alerting him of what she found, and suggesting that Canady be disqualified from the Speakers race:
Dear Mr. Speaker,
It comes with a heavy heart that I present you with the following evidence that will demonstrate that State Representative Jennifer Canady has clearly violated Rule 5.2, – Rules for Candidacy, of the "Rules for the Republican Conference of the Florida House of Representatives" by improperly supporting a candidate for the State House during the Republican primary period. On June 20, 2022, Rep. Canady made a $1000 contribution to the Daniel Alvarez Campaign for House District 69 during a contested Republican Primary. Please see the attached campaign report as evidence. As such, Rep. Canady, and any other candidate from the 2023 Freshman Class who also contributed to a contested Republican primary, should be immediately disqualified from the upcoming Republican Leader-designate/Speaker of the House race.
As a party and as elected leaders, we owe it to our constituents to hold fast to our rules and apply them blindly. We cannot allow ourselves to travel down the road of selective enforcement – a tactic commonly used by Democrats throughout the state and nationwide. If we are now going to selectively decide which rules to enforce, our party is doomed. I recognize how difficult this news must be to digest, but it is my duty as a member of the House to inform you of what I have only recently learned.
I recognize that Rep. Canady, if elected, would make history as Florida’s first female Speaker of the House. As a woman myself, I cannot allow this historical first to be tarnished by improprieties. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of the evidence I have brought forth. Please let me know what the proper course of action should be for moving a matter of this nature forward.
Respectfully,
Alina Garcia, State Representative District 115
Canady, who was expected to be the next Speaker of the House, would have made history as Florida's first woman speaker. Garcia claims that we cannot, "selectively enforce," these rules and she does not wish that the first female speaker to be, "tarnished by improprieties."
The evidence presented by Garcia was grabbed by a campaign report that shows that Canady donated several hundred dollars twice on the same day. The first payment was for $683.28 and the second was for $259.53. The purpose of the donation was marked as fuel and lodging costs, two things a campaign may need to stay afloat.
