3 GOP Candidates For FL Ag Commissioner Have Taken $1 Million+ From Big Sugar, As Blooms Foul Coast

[hatrack]

EDIT

Toxic green slime is suffocating Lake Okeechobee and surrounding waterways, which has largely been blamed on “Big Sugar” whose polluted runoff has contributed to the crisis (though isn’t the sole cause). And a Republican candidate for governor, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam, took serious heat from opponent Ron DeSantis for accepting millions in sugar money — to cheers from the crowd during their televised debate in Jacksonville.

Yet in this notably anti-sugar environment, those looking to replace Putnam as the state’s top agricultural regulator have followed his lead. Three of the top candidates for agriculture commissioner — in this case, all Republicans — have accepted more than $1 million in both direct contributions from U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals, as well as groups that advocate for sugar’s interests, such as the Associated Industries of Florida and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

The GOP’s haul from these groups in this race is more than all of the contributions raised by the Democratic frontrunner, Nikki Fried, who had raised just over $250,000 at the beginning of the month.

EDIT

Sugar’s support, historically, has been far from partisan, with millions in contributions pouring into the Democratic Party’s account, and then to candidates — making the money more difficult to track than direct contributions. So far, neither Fried’s campaign account nor her political committee have received any contributions from the Democratic Party, nor U.S. Sugar. However, when asked if she would make a pledge not to accept any sugar money in the future, Fried declined to take that step in a statement.

EDIT

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article217156255.html

[beachbum bob]

1. will have to take significant tourist dollar losses to impact the vote but it is happening

the question is how democrats can campaign on this as well as cuts to SS, Medicare and Medicaid

[hunter]

2. It almost makes one appreciate high fructose corn syrup...

But I really do wonder which sugars would be best, from sugar beats, to corn, to sugar cane, if all the environmental impacts were taken into account.