Commissioner of Agriculture
Runs the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: food safety, farm policy, state forests, consumer complaints, and concealed-weapon licensing. A member of the Cabinet. Term: 4 years.
How we verified who is on the ballot
Third pass (Sept 17, 2026): verified against the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections' official 2026 General Election sample ballot, which lists Wilton Simpson (REP) and Joey Mendoza Atkins (DEM) for Commissioner of Agriculture followed by a blank write-in line, meaning at least one write-in candidate qualified; write-in names are not printed on the ballot.
Sources: elections.sumtercountyfl.gov · files.floridados.gov
Candidates
Wilton Simpson
Simpson is the incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture, first elected in 2022, and a former president of the Florida Senate. He is seeking a second term and won the Aug. 18, 2026 Republican primary with roughly 69-70% over Plant City welder and social-media personality Matt 'The Welder' Taylor. His campaign and affiliat…
Joey Mendoza Atkins
Atkins is a Miami trial attorney and former sports agent. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Florida Atlantic University, a J.D. from the University of Toledo College of Law (2013) and a master's degree in environmental management, and has done policy work with the UN Global Compact. He worked at …
Side-by-side on the major issues
AgreeDiffer a littleDiffer stronglyNot enough data· hover for details, click to jump to the row
Taxes & spendingProperty taxesProperty insuranceHousing affordabilityImmigrationAbortionGunsHealth careEducation & school choiceEnvironment & waterGrowth & developmentMarijuanaElections & votingCrime & policingGender identity lawsEnergy & utilitiesTrump administrationVeterans
Where the candidates in this race split, issue by issue.
Strongly agreesLeans agreeMixed / neutralLeans disagreeStrongly disagreesNo public position found
Each row is a statement. The chips show how each candidate's stated positions or record relate to that statement. Expand a row to read the evidence and sources. "No public position found" means we could not find a statement or record on the topic, not that the candidate has none.
| Issue | Wilton Simpson Republican | Joey Mendoza Atkins Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| Taxes & spendingCutting taxes should be a top priority, even if it means less government spending on services. | Strongly agrees· stated position His campaign says he has 'fought to ensure Floridians and businesses keep more of their hard-earned money,' citing gas-tax and sales-tax holidays and cutting the business rent tax by more than half; the Tallahassee Democrat guide lists keeping Florida 'free and affordable' by limiting taxes and regulation among his top issues. | No public position found |
| Property taxesFlorida should eliminate or sharply reduce homestead property taxes, even if local governments must cut services or find other revenue. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Property insuranceThe state should intervene more directly in the property-insurance market (rate caps, expanding Citizens, stricter insurer regulation) rather than relying mainly on market-based reforms. | No public position found | No public position found |
| Housing affordabilityGovernment should do more to make housing affordable (subsidies, zoning changes, rent measures). | Leans agree· stated position Says he expanded the tax credit for affordable housing and called for dedicating documentary-stamp revenue to affordable housing, wastewater and sea-level-rise mitigation. | No public position found |
| ImmigrationImmigration enforcement should be stricter, including large-scale deportation of people in the country illegally. | Strongly agrees· stated position Simpson says he is 'doubling down' on support for federal immigration enforcement, saying farmers 'cannot keep having an influx of illegal folks coming across that border,' and has played down the prospect that mass deportations would harm Florida agriculture, saying most farm labor is legal H-2A visa labor. He advocates simplifying the H-2A visa process for small farms. As a state senator he voted for the 2019 'sanctuary city' ban (SB 168). Sources: Wilton Simpson doubles down on support for immigration crac… (2025-06-23) · Ag commissioner dismisses economic harm from mass deportati… (2025-01-14) · Florida's new immigration law and E-Verify could pose 'chal… (2023-05-19) · SB 168 (2019) - Florida Senate bill page with vote history (2019-05) · CS/CS/CS/SB 168 (2019) Federal Immigration Enforcement (san… (2019-05-02) · Wilton Simpson campaign site - Public Safety (2026) | No public position found |
| AbortionAbortion should be legal in most cases (Florida's six-week ban should be repealed or loosened). | Strongly disagrees· based on record As a state senator Simpson voted for HB 5 (2022), the 15-week abortion limit, and for SB 404 (2020), which requires parental consent for a minor's abortion. He left the Legislature before the 2023 six-week law. | No public position found |
| GunsGun laws should be stricter (keep the red-flag law and the age-21 purchase rule; expand background checks) rather than looser (permitless or open carry, lower purchase age). | Leans disagree· stated position Simpson has said he supports permitless ('constitutional') carry and would have voted for it on the Senate floor, though gun-rights groups criticized him as Senate President for not bringing such a bill to a vote. As Agriculture Commissioner he oversees concealed-weapon licensing, says the licensing program 'will remain exactly the same' under the 2023 permitless-carry law, encourages Floridians to still obtain licenses for reciprocity and waiting-period benefits, and reports the license backlog is cleared. No statement calling for repeal of the red-flag law or the age-21 rule was found. Sources: Wilton Simpson says he'd vote for constitutional carry bill… (2022) · Wilton Simpson Says he Supports Constitutional Carry: 'Reas… (2022) · Gun owners may want concealed carry permit, despite Florida… (2023) · Florida's Pro-2A Ag Commissioner Says Carry License Backlog… (2026-05-23) · CS/SB 7026 (2018) Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Publ… (2018-03-05) · CS/SB 7026 (2018) bill page - The Florida Senate (2018) · Wilton Simpson campaign site - Free Florida (2026) | No public position found |
| Health careGovernment should expand its role in health coverage (expand Medicaid in Florida, extend Affordable Care Act subsidies). | No public position found | No public position found |
| Education & school choicePublic money should follow students to private, charter or home schools (universal school vouchers). | Strongly agrees· based on record As Senate President oversaw passage of HB 7045 (2021), which expanded state scholarship (voucher) eligibility, and his campaign says 'parents sometimes need alternatives to their assigned school.' | No public position found |
| Environment & waterProtecting water quality, conservation land and climate resilience should take priority even if it slows development or raises costs. | Leans agree· stated position Emphasizes conservation of farmland and the Florida Wildlife Corridor (he cites $300 million-plus for corridor easements and a 243% increase in farmland preserved) and opposes development on agricultural land, while framing farmers as 'Florida's first environmentalists.' Wikipedia notes he supported a 2022 measure allowing utilities to charge rooftop-solar customers new fees. | Strongly agrees· stated position Atkins says he is running to 'protect and preserve Florida's natural resources' and that government needs systems that look at long-term issues such as water-table and aquifer preservation. He calls for a moratorium on data centers and a rollback of legislation that shields sugar growers from air-pollution lawsuits. |
| Growth & developmentGrowth and development should be slowed or more tightly regulated (higher impact fees, density limits, stronger local control). | No public position found | Leans agree· stated position Atkins calls for a moratorium on new data centers and says keeping them out of communities will be a top priority; he has not been found to address impact fees, density limits or local control more broadly. Sources: Debate about data centers emerges in Donalds-Jolly gubernat… (2026-09-16) · Election 2026: Florida's primary races for commissioner of … (2026-08-10) · Joey Mendoza Atkins for Florida Agriculture Commissioner - … (2026) · Get to know the 2026 Florida candidates for Agriculture Com… (2026-08-04) |
| MarijuanaRecreational marijuana should be legal for adults. | Strongly disagrees· stated position Simpson opposed the 2024 recreational-marijuana amendment, and in 2026 praised a Fifth District Court of Appeal ruling upholding his department's enforcement of THC limits on hemp products as stopping a 'back-door' effort to legalize recreational marijuana. He says he worked with the Legislature beginning in 2023 to put 'guardrails' on hemp products and their marketing to children. | No public position found |
| Elections & votingVoting should be made easier (mail voting, drop boxes, restoring voting rights) rather than adding new restrictions. | Strongly disagrees· based on record As Senate President he voted for SB 90 (2021), which added ID requirements for mail-ballot requests and limited drop boxes, and in 2019 for SB 7066, which requires payment of fines and fees before voting rights are restored under Amendment 4; his campaign site says he 'championed laws to strengthen existing voter ID laws, ban ballot harvesting, prohibit unsolicited mass mailing of ballots.' Sources: CS/CS/CS/SB 90 (2021) Elections - Senate roll call, April 2… (2021-04-29) · CS/CS/CS/SB 90 (2021) Elections bill page (vote-by-mail req… (2021) · CS/SB 7066 (2019) Election Administration (Amendment 4 impl… (2019-05-02) · CS/SB 7066 (2019) bill page (2019) · Wilton Simpson campaign site - Free Florida (2026) | No public position found |
| Crime & policingCriminal penalties should be tougher and police funding increased, rather than emphasizing reform and rehabilitation. | Strongly agrees· stated position Campaign says he strengthened penalties for protests that turn into riots and supports funding for law enforcement: 'safe communities have thriving economies, schools and businesses.' | No public position found |
| Gender identity lawsFlorida's laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors and classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity should remain in place. | Strongly agrees· based on record Voted for HB 1557 (2022), the Parental Rights in Education law, as Senate President; his campaign says 'only a parent can make religious upbringing or health decisions for a child.' | No public position found |
| Energy & utilitiesGovernment should promote renewable energy and tighten oversight of utility rate increases, even at the expense of fossil-fuel production. | Leans disagree· based on record Wikipedia (citing 2022 coverage) reports he supported the 2022 bill allowing regulators to impose fees on rooftop-solar customers, which Gov. DeSantis vetoed; no statement found on utility-rate oversight. | No public position found |
| Trump administrationI approve of the direction of the Trump administration. | Strongly agrees· stated position Endorsed by President Trump in both 2022 and 2026 and campaigns as an ally of the administration. | No public position found |
| VeteransExpanding VA services and veterans' benefits should be a top priority. | No public position found | No public position found |
Where they sit on the map
Each candidate is placed by the average of their documented stances. It is a summary of the table above, not an extra judgment.
RepublicanDemocratic· photo or initials inside each bubble · hover or tap for details
Not enough documented positions to place: Joey Mendoza Atkins
Joey Mendoza AtkinsHow the axes are computed
Each axis is the average of a candidate's coded stances (+2 to −2) on a fixed set of statements, so it comes straight from the documented positions and nothing else. A candidate needs at least three documented statements on an axis to be placed.
Economic issues (toward "Smaller government (lower taxes, less spending)"): Taxes & spending (agree), Property taxes (agree), Health care (disagree), Housing affordability (disagree), Property insurance (disagree), Energy & utilities (disagree), Social Security & Medicare (disagree).
Social & legal issues (toward "Conservative side of the statements"): Immigration (agree), Abortion (disagree), Guns (disagree), Education & school choice (agree), Elections & voting (disagree), Crime & policing (agree), Gender identity laws (agree), Marijuana (disagree), Environment & water (disagree), Trump administration (agree).
| Candidate | Economic issues | Social & legal issues |
|---|---|---|
| Wilton Simpson | 0.67 (3 statements) | 1.60 (10 statements) |
| Joey Mendoza Atkins | not enough data | not enough data |
Other issues the candidates have raised
Priorities each candidate has brought up on their own, beyond the major-issue list above.
Wilton Simpson
- Rural and Family Lands Protection Program (farmland conservation easements) — Has secured more than $1.1 billion in state funding since 2022, including a record $425 million in the 2026-27 budget, to buy conservation easements that keep working farms and ranches from being developed; the program has protected more than 234,000 acres, over 168,000 of them during his term, and received a record 500+ applications in the latest cycle.
- Amendment 2 (2026): property-tax exemption for farm equipment — Supports the Nov. 3 ballot's Amendment 2, which would exempt tangible personal property such as farm equipment used for agriculture or agritourism from property taxes beginning 2027; he calls food security a national-security issue and the amendment 'a pivotal step towards securing the permanent future of agriculture in Florida.' A Senate estimate puts the local revenue reduction at about $31 million in 2027-28.
- Hemp product regulation — Worked with the Legislature beginning in 2023 to set THC limits, packaging and marketing rules for hemp products, and his department's enforcement of total-THC limits was upheld on appeal in 2026.
- Lab-grown meat ban and foreign ownership of farmland — Backed the 2024 law making Florida the first state to outlaw lab-grown (cultivated) meat and Farm Bill provisions barring 'hostile foreign nations' from buying Florida agricultural land.
- Wildfire mitigation — Steered more than $100 million into wildfire mitigation and prescribed burns through the Florida Forest Service.
- Solar farms on agricultural land — His Florida Farm Bill proposal would return decisions on siting solar farms on agricultural land to local governments and clarify the tax structure to encourage dual use of solar with working agriculture; his department also houses the state Office of Energy.
- H-2A farm labor visa simplification — Advocates simplifying the federal H-2A agricultural visa process so small farms can access legal guest labor.
- 'Year of the Farmer' budget and agency funding — Requested nearly $415 million for his department ahead of the 2026 session and declared 2026 'The Year of the Farmer' after the Legislature passed what he called historic agriculture funding.
- Fluoride, cultivated meat and ESG banking — Supports outlawing synthetic 'cultivated meat,' banning local water fluoridation and barring banks from denying service to farmers over ESG policies.
- Citrus greening research and agritourism — Cites securing citrus-greening research funding in 2020 and adding agritourism to the legal definition of a farm operation in 2021.
Joey Mendoza Atkins
- Legal aid for migrant farmworkers — His campaign biography emphasizes his work providing legal aid to migrant farmworkers; no detailed platform was located in accessible sources.
- Moratorium on data centers — Says data centers will be a defining issue in November and that keeping them out of communities would be a top priority as commissioner; joined a Democratic 'Data Center Donalds' tour in Pinellas County.
- Repeal of liability shield for sugar growers' air pollution — Calls for rolling back legislation that shields sugar growers from air-pollution lawsuits.
- Special interests and cost of living — Campaign site says he is running to 'take on the corruption of multi-millionaire politician Wilton Simpson,' to 'fight for regular Floridians against special interests, and cut costs for Florida families.'
- Suspend the state gas tax and fight price gouging — Consumer-protection plank: 'Suspend the state gas tax,' 'Fight price gouging,' 'Increase transparency' and 'Hold bad actors accountable.'
- Expand 'Fresh From Florida' and protect the food supply — Says he would 'Expand and Strengthen' the Fresh From Florida marketing program and 'Protect our food supply.'
- Polluters pay and the Blue-Green Algae Task Force — Would 'Hold Polluters Directly Responsible for Cleanup' and implement the recommendations of the state's Blue-Green Algae Task Force.
- Emergency preparedness and first responders — Lists strengthening emergency preparedness and supporting firefighters and first responders (the department runs the Florida Forest Service).