FL Chamber of Commerce strips Sen. Villalobos-R of endorsement

The powerful Florida Chamber of Commerce today rescinded its endorsement of Miami Republican Sen. Alex Villalobos, saying he voted against business priorities last session.
The Miami lawmaker had been slated to become the first Cuban-American state Senate president in 2008, but a faction of GOP lawmakers bolted from his camp earlier this year, spoiling his chances of holding onto the powerful job.

Villalobos then broke away from his party and Gov. Jeb Bush, helping Democrats scuttle several high-profile conservative pieces of legislation this spring: the most visible being an attempt to water down the class-size mandate and preserve a statewide school voucher program. Villalobos also voted against a chamber priority, to repeal the legal doctrine that allows defendants in injury lawsuits to pay more than their share of fault in damages.

Villalobos said he voted his conscience on those issues, but Republicans were quick to predict he would face repercussions in this year's election.

It is highly unusual for a group as large as the Florida Chamber to pull back an endorsement.

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Jennifer Krell Davis, a spokeswoman for the chamber, said the organization had endorsed Villalobos for re-election in November but was compelled to retract the blessing based on his votes.

Instead, the coalition of Florida businesses, executives and power brokers will back his GOP primary opponent, Frank Bolanos.
“Because of his voting on several of our priorities this session, he turned out to be not as pro-business as he had in the past,” she said.

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