The former House Speaker praises Mallea as a principled conservative
who will work hard for District 116 in the Florida House.
The Jose Mallea Campaign today announced the endorsement of Will Weatherford, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Mallea, a Republican, is running in the special election in District 116 to replace Jose Felix Diaz, who resigned to run for the Florida Senate. Weatherford joins a growing list of leading Florida Republicans supporting Mallea, including former Governor Jeb Bush, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Congressman Carlos Curbelo.
“Jose Mallea is a principled conservative, committed to limited government and lower taxes,” said Weatherford. “I’ve known Jose for many years. He’s a strong leader with a solid work ethic who will promote policies to create jobs and safer communities. District 116 will be well served by his fresh, conservative voice in Tallahassee.”
Weatherford served eight years in the Florida House, where from 2012 to 2014 he was the youngest Speaker in America. He led the Florida House to work with the Senate to pass significant reforms, including historic improvements to Florida’s ethics and campaign finance laws. He also championed a Florida GI Bill, a significant expansion of school choice, and a $500 million tax cut.
“Speaker Weatherford is one of Florida’s most effective conservative leaders, and I am honored to have his support,” said Mallea. “I look forward to following his model of servant leadership and commitment to increasing opportunity for everyone by keeping taxes low and supporting pro-growth policies.”
Weatherford was named a “Rising Star” by the Conservative Political Action Conference, a “Champion of Economic Freedom” by Americans for Prosperity, and “Legislator of the Year” by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Bankers Association. The Washington Post named him one of their “40 under 40” people in politics outside Washington.
The special primary election will be Tuesday, July 25, with the general election following on Tuesday, September 26.
