Last week in the small Panhandle city of Blountstown, the Clearwater Republican criticized House Speaker Richard Corcoran, another possible GOP primary candidate for governor, for backing measures to defund Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida, the News Service of Florida's Jim Turner reported. On Tuesday, Latvala was in Lake Worth for a roundtable discussion of the opioid crisis. And he spoke closer to home in Oldsmar, on Wednesday at an Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce event.
On Wednesday, the veteran lawmaker is expected to make an announcement at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
In all likelihood, he'll be announcing a run for governor. Or not. But probably.
A gubernatorial primary run for Latvala, who is terming out of the state senate in 2018, would certainly spice up the election cycle. Latvala has long been known as a blunt, funny and at-times cantankerous lawmaker who has gone against his party — not to mention its major corporate benefactors, namely Duke Energy.
Thus far in the Republican primary, Agricultural Commissioner Adam Putnam is only well-known GOP candidate to have announced his candidacy thus far. Other potential Republican contenders include Corcoran, former Congressman Ron DeSantis and wealthy real estate developer and former U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Beruff.
On the Democratic side, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and former Congresswoman Gwen Graham are among announced candidates.
Among Dems who say they're considering a run is personal injury lawyer and medical marijuana advocate John Morgan. If Latvala does announce his candidacy, Morgan said in April, he may be less inclined to run given what he said was Latavala's willingness to go against his party's establishment on behalf of his constituents.
"He's a bull in a china shop," he said of Latvala. "I'd love for that guy to run."
If he does run, Latvala will of course face a tough primary, given his vote in favor of Medicaid expansion as well as his opposition to this year's controversial education bill, which he voted in favor of, apparently in the hopes that Governor Scott would veto it.
This article appears in Aug 3-10, 2017.