The 2017 Florida legislative session hasn’t yet started, but the Senate Democrats have already elected a new leader for 2018.
Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) has served in the Florida Legislature since 2010—including a stint in the Florida House. The 46-year-old is now the Senate Democratic Leader Designate, after current head Sen. Oscar Braynon (D-Miami) serves out his term.
“You know, I think it’s going to be an interesting four years,” said Clemens. “The next two years, I’m going to be in charge of running the campaign operations. You know we didn’t have the campaign season that we wanted to have this year, but there are opportunities. So, I’m excited about that.”
And, Clemens says he’s also excited for his upcoming new role.
“And, then, in terms of leading the caucus from 2018-2020, that’s going to be an exciting time of change,” he added. “We’ll have a new Governor. So, it will be interesting to see whoever that person that’s elected, how they choose to govern, and I’m looking forward to working with some new people and see if there’s some new ideas out there. We are in the minority, but the Senate is a place where Democrats and Republicans work together on a lot of issues. So, my goal is to make sure my members are able to go home and hold their heads up high and bring projects home and make sure they’re doing the right thing for their constituencies.”
So far, as a state senator for 2017, Clemens has filed a number of measures he’s hoping to revive, including some voter-related bills. One new law he’s behind that will come online in 2017 is the creation of an online voter registration system in Florida.
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