The 92nd Florida House of Representatives and the 127th Florida Senate convened on Tuesday, November 20, in Tallahassee for their Organizational Session. During the ceremony, newly elected members of both chambers were sworn into office, and House Speaker Daniel Perez (Miami) and Senate President Ben Albritton (Bartow) presided over the proceedings.
This marks the beginning of a new legislative term, with both chambers unveiling key leadership roles. The Senate has finalized its committee chairmanships, while the House is expected to announce its full committee structure after its December committee week.
Florida House Leadership Updates
The House leadership team includes:
- Rep. Wyman Duggan (Duval) – Speaker Pro Tempore and Chair of the Ways & Means Committee
- Rep. Lawrence McClure (Hillsborough) – Chair of the Budget Committee
- Rep. James Buchanan (Sarasota) – Chair of the Commerce Committee
- Rep. Jennifer Canady (Polk) – Chair of the Education & Employment Committee
- Rep. Josie Tomkow (Polk) – Chair of the Health & Human Services Committee
- Rep. Chuck Brannan (Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Union, Alachua) – Chair of the Judiciary Committee
- Rep. Will Robinson (Manatee) – Chair of the State Affairs Committee
- Rep. Sam Garrison (Clay) – Chair of the Rules & Ethics Committee
- Rep. Tyler Sirois (Brevard) – Majority Leader and Chair of the Security & Threat Assessment Committee
Florida Senate Leadership Updates
Senate leadership positions include:
- Sen. Jason Brodeur (Orange and Seminole) – Senate President Pro Tempore 2. Sen. Kathleen Passidomo (Lee) – Chair of the Rules Committee 3. Sen. Ed Hooper (Pinellas) – Chair of the Appropriations Committee 4. Sen. Jim Boyd (Manatee and Hillsborough) – Senate Majority Leader
The Florida Legislature will hold one more round of committee meetings this year, with the House scheduled for committee meetings the week of December 2 and the Senate meeting the following week. The 2025 Legislative Session officially begins in March.
Federal Shakeups and Florida’s Role in the Trump Administration While Florida’s state legislature organizes, major political shifts are occurring at the federal level. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated several Floridians to key roles in his administration, including his Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles:
- Sen. Marco Rubio – Secretary of State 2. Rep. Mike Waltz – National Security Advisor 3. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi – U.S. Attorney General 4. Former Arkansas Governor and Panhandle resident Mike Huckabee – Ambassador to Israel 5. Former Rep. Dave Weldon – Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
These appointments highlight Florida’s deep bench of talent ready to serve at the highest levels of government. However, they also create a ripple effect of special elections and appointments.
Upcoming Replacements and Political Dominoes 1. U.S. Senate: Governor Ron DeSantis will appoint a replacement for Senator Marco Rubio. Top contenders include Attorney General Ashley Moody, Governor’s Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, and RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump.
- Congressional District 1: Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis has announced his candidacy to replace outgoing Congressman Matt Gaetz. This election is set for April.
- Florida CFO: Governor DeSantis will appoint a replacement for Patronis due to Florida’s resign-to-run laws. President-elect Trump has endorsed State Senator Joe Gruters, a CPA from Sarasota, for the role.
- Congressional District 6: President-elect Trump has endorsed State Senator Randy Fine to replace Congressman Mike Waltz, creating another special election to fill his state senate seat.
The election may be over, but the political landscape continues to shift as Florida takes center stage in both state and federal politics. With President-elect Trump’s inauguration scheduled for January 20, the coming weeks are sure to bring more announcements and changes.