Clemons named Florida speaker pro tempore 

Chuck Clemons speaks at a Santa Fe College event
Rep. Chuck Clemons was recently selected to serve as Florida speaker pro tempore. (File photo by C.J. Gish)
File photo by C.J. Gish

Rep. Chuck Clemons, R-Newberry, will ascend to speaker pro tempore of the Florida House of Representatives for the next two years.  
 
On Nov. 17, incoming House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, named Clemons to the position, along with Rep. Michael Grant, R-Port Charlotte, as the new majority leader.  
 
The assignments will be officially made on Tuesday at the organizational session to be held in Tallahassee. The speaker pro tempore position presides over the House in the absence of the speaker.  

Clemons, who was first elected to the House in 2016 and has served as the deputy majority leader and majority whip, was re-elected to represent District 21 on Nov. 8, when he defeated Democratic challenger Brandon Peters. District 21 encompasses western Alachua County and all of Levy and Gilchrist counties.  
 
In additional to his personal victory on Election Day, Clemons is coming off another win after he spearheaded a successful referendum to move the Alachua County Commission to single-member districts and away from at-large representation. The single-member district amendment narrowly passed, 51.5% to 48.5%.  

Statewide, Republicans captured more than a two-thirds majority in the House, 85-35, and control the Senate 28-12. Gov. Ron DeSantis easily secured re-election by securing 59% of the vote against Democratic challenger Charlie Crist.   

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