Florida gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner (R) emphasized the importance of his military service in his bid for governor duringĀ an exclusive interview with Floridian publisher Javier Manjarres.
"I think it's very important," Renner noted. "If you look at my time as Speaker of the House, who's like the head football coach, moving bills, and a lot of speakers, will have one priority that they're working, or presidents will have a single priority. We lined up as many conservative wins and drove those to the finish line in the two years while I was speaker."
Renner, a former Speaker of the Florida House, served in Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War and later during combat operations in Afghanistan in his time in the Navy.
"Two wars, Desert Storm in 91 and 2011 as a reservist, mobilized in Afghanistan, and I had moved over from surface warfare into the intelligence community," Renner said. "I was an intelligence officer and led a team of men and women to gather intelligence against foreign fighters coming into Afghanistan to try to kill Americans."
Like Renner, Florida's current governor, Ron DeSantis, served in the U.S. Navy on active duty from 2004 to 2010 before transitioning into politics. His predecessor, current Sen. Rick Scott, also served in the Navy in the 1970s.
Could a third Navy veteran be elected governor this November? Renner certainly hopes so, and that his past leadership on the battlefield and in office separates him from the pack in the minds of Florida voters.
"The reason for that, I believe, is my veteran values. Every veteran that's listening, whether it's a veteran or law enforcement, they all have a deep love of country," Renner said. "They're wired for service above themselves, but they also put the mission at the forefront."
Renner is competing against U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, and businessman James Fishback for the nomination. Collins is the only other candidate in the race to have served in the military.
"Leadership matters. I mean, you look at history, not just politics, but all history, when you have a leader that's focused on the mission, that is just driving toward the goal, you get things done. We got things done," Renner said.Ā Ā I think it's invaluable in my time as a veteran."
