Drew Wilson
House Speaker Chris Sprowls on Wednesday endorsed Tampa Republican Danny Alvarez in the race for House District 69.
“Danny Alvarez is the definition of a servant-leader. From his service to our country in the United States Army, to his advocacy for our men and women in law enforcement — Danny Alvarez is just the type of selfless, conservative leader we need in the Florida House,” Sprowls said in a news release.
“Hillsborough County has a rich history of supporting those who’ve served our nation and I know Danny Alvarez will build on that rich tradition and fight for those who’ve fought for us.”
Alvarez thanked Sprowls for the endorsement and offered praise for the outgoing House Speaker.
“The Florida Legislature’s work with Governor DeSantis has been a recipe for success. Speaker Sprowls has been at the tip of the spear in passing some of the nation’s most aggressive and bold conservative reforms that have helped shape Florida into a nationwide leader,” he said. “There’s no doubt that Florida is moving in the right direction and it is because of the hard work and dedication of leaders like Speaker Sprowls.”
Alvarez is the lone Republican running for HD 69, where he is likely to face Democratic Rep. Andrew Learned, who was drawn into HD 69 in the redistricted map approved by lawmakers during the 2022 Legislative Session.
The new district is also home to Republican Rep. Mike Beltran, though he has opted to move into House District 70 rather run in HD 69. The new House map (H 8013) had placed the majority of Beltran’s current district, House District 57, into the new House District 69.
Alvarez launched his campaign in mid-February, running on conservative platforms “to build on our state’s record of results and defend the principles and values enshrined in our constitution.”
The Sprowls endorsement comes after Alvarez announced his campaign had reeled in more than $50,000 from donors in its first 12 days. Campaign finance reports show he has about $47,000 on hand in his campaign account and another. Learned, who filed shortly before New Year’s, has $117,500 banked and another $75,000 in his political committee, Serve Florida.
___
Florida Politics reporter Kelly Hayes contributed to this post.
