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AG Candidate Jay Fant Earns Gov's Praise For Backing EFI

Rep. Jay Fant (R-Jacksonville) is running for Attorney General.
Jay Fant campaign website
Rep. Jay Fant (R-Jacksonville) is running for Attorney General.
Rep. Jay Fant (R-Jacksonville) is running for Attorney General.
Credit Jay Fant campaign website
Rep. Jay Fant (R-Jacksonville) is running for Attorney General.

Next year’s race for attorney general could find two of Florida’s most recognizable Republicans backing different candidates.  Incumbent Pam Bondi has already made her endorsement, but the governor may go in a different direction.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has thrown her support behind Ashley Moody—a former circuit judge from Hillsborough County.  But at Tuesday’s Enterprise Florida board meeting Governor Rick Scott tip toed the line of supporting a different candidate.

“There are not a lot of people in the Legislature that stood up for us and talked vocally about their support of Enterprise Florida and Visit Florida,” Scott told board members, “and Jay Fant was one of the few, and I want to thank Jay for doing that and I wish all luck in your next endeavor.”

Jay Fant is a Republican state House member from Jacksonville, and that next endeavor is an attorney general bid. 

Scott’s comments are far from an official endorsement, but since launching his campaign in May Fant has lined up the backing of a dozen fellow House members.

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Nick Evans came to Tallahassee to pursue a masters in communications at Florida State University. He graduated in 2014, but not before picking up an internship at WFSU. While he worked on his degree Nick moved from intern, to part-timer, to full-time reporter. Before moving to Tallahassee, Nick lived in and around the San Francisco Bay Area for 15 years. He listens to far too many podcasts and is a die-hard 49ers football fan. When Nick’s not at work he likes to cook, play music and read.