FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sean Carpenter, Chair
St. Johns County Republican Liberty Caucus
chair@sjcrlc.org | www.sjcrlc.org
St. Johns County Republican Liberty Caucus Announces Unanimous Straw Poll Support for Matt “The Welder” Taylor for Agriculture Commissioner
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — July 26, 2026 — The St. Johns County Republican Liberty Caucus today announced the results of its straw poll for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, in which participating members voted unanimously in favor of Matt Taylor (Matt the Welder).
The unanimous vote reflects strong grassroots support for Matt the Welder’s commitment to protecting Florida’s rural land, family farms, clean water and agricultural heritage.
“Matt the Welder understands that Florida agriculture should serve Florida’s farmers and families, not politically connected corporations and developers,” said Sean Carpenter, chair of the St. Johns County Republican Liberty Caucus. “Our members responded enthusiastically to his message of protecting private property, opposing unchecked development and making it possible for family farms to remain productive and profitable.”
Taylor has made the preservation of Florida’s rapidly disappearing agricultural land a centerpiece of his campaign. He supports expanding voluntary programs that compensate landowners for keeping property in agriculture, providing tax relief to family farms and timber owners who conserve their land, and preventing productive farmland from being consumed by sprawling development and industrial-scale projects.
His platform also calls for reducing unnecessary regulations and fees that burden small farms, improving access to disaster relief and crop insurance, and creating a “Florida Grown First” initiative to connect Florida farmers with schools and other public institutions. Taylor supports stronger farm-to-school partnerships so children can receive fresh, nutritious food while local farmers gain reliable markets for their products.
“Once farmland is paved over, it is gone for good,” Carpenter said. “Matt recognizes that private landowners need voluntary, market-oriented alternatives to selling their property to developers. His approach respects property rights while protecting the farms, forests and rural communities that make Florida worth preserving.”
The contrast with incumbent Wilton Simpson is significant. Simpson owns a large industrial egg operation reported to include more than one million chickens, and since his time in the Florida Senate his record has reflected the priorities of large, politically connected agribusiness interests. Simpson advanced bills that provided liability protections to major agricultural operations, including against certain claims involving particle emissions.
“Florida does not need another commissioner who confuses corporate agribusiness with the family farmer,” Carpenter said. “We need someone who will fight for everyday Floridians, not huge sugar, phosphate and marijuana corporations. The unanimous result of our straw poll shows that Matt the Welder’s message is resonating with grassroots liberty Republicans in St. Johns County.”
The straw poll is a nonbinding expression of the preferences of participating chapter members. Matt the Welder will appear on the primary ballot as Matt Taylor. The names are used interchangably here.
About the St. Johns County Republican Liberty Caucus
The St. Johns County Republican Liberty Caucus is a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing individual liberty, limited government, fiscal responsibility and the constitutional principles that safeguard America’s freedom. The organization works to identify and support principled leaders who will uphold these values in government.
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Paid for by the St. Johns County Republican Liberty Caucus. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.