Public Service Commissioner Lisa Edgar won’t seek a fourth term. That may give the inside track to Governor Rick Scott’s favored insurance commissioner nominee.
Public Service Commissioner Lisa Edgar is forgoing a fourth term. Sen. Jack Latvala (R-Clearwater) singled Edgar out for special scrutiny in her 2013 confirmation hearing.
“You know my personal feeling is that she does not represent the consumers in the way that she should as a public service commissioner," Latvala said at the time, "and that’s just my personal opinion.”
When she vacates her post January next year she’ll have served for twelve years as a state regulator. But back in 2013 Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) questioned whether she should serve that long.
“She’s been on this commission for eight years now," Clemens said, "and I think that if eight years in the senate is good enough for anybody then probably eight years on the public service commission is also good enough for anybody.”
After a 2016 session in which senators staunchly rejected Surgeon General John Armstrong’s reconfirmation, Edgar may have faced an uphill climb.
Eleven other candidates have filed for the seat. One of them is Jeffrey Bragg—Governor Scott’s top, but ultimately unsuccessful, choice for insurance commissioner. A twelve member nominating council will whittle the list, but Scott gets to make the final pick.
