The post-election day scramble pushed incoming House speaker Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, out of office but it moved a two others into line to secure the House’s top job.
By Friday, Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, had quickly won the pledges to replace Dorworth after Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, dropped out. Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity, remained the GOP choice for 2016-18, and Miami Rep. Jose Oliva had secured enough Republican votes in his class to be designated House speaker in 2018-20.
Six years is a long time to wait but, in the just-because world of legislative politics, traditions die hard. So it was no surprise that, despite the election-year upset of Dorworth, the tradition of collecting pledges for the two-year post continued unabated.
Oliva, the CEO of Oliva Cigar Company who has been campaigning for the post since he was elected in a special election in June 2011, to secure enough support from his colleagues to become speaker in 2018-20.
Click here for the Tampa Bay Times article