Albritton named Florida Senate Majority Leader

Sen. Ben Albritton, R-Wachula, has been named Majority Leader of the Florida Senate.

Albritton’s district covers southern Polk County — including Bartow, Mulberry and Frostproof — as well as Hardee, DeSoto and Charlotte counties and part of Lee County. Albritton is scheduled to become Senate President in 2024.

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Albritton, an agricultural business owner, served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018, before being elected to his first term in the Senate. He is a Lakeland native and a graduate of Florida Southern College.

Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, has been installed as House Minority Leader for the 2022-2024 term. Driskell is a Polk County native and a graduate of Lake Gibson High School in Lakeland.

Driskell, a graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center, is the first Black woman to become a party leader in the Florida House.

Committee assignments have not yet been made for Polk County’s other state senator, Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, or the four members of the House — Rep. Melony Bell, R-Fort Meade; Rep. Jennifer Canady, R-Lakeland; Rep. Sam Killebrew, R-Winter Haven; and Rep. Josie Tomkow, R-Polk City.

The Legislature will meet for a special session in December. The regular session is scheduled to begin March 7.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Sen. Ben Albritton named Majority Leader of Florida Senate