Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson endorsed Senator Rick Scott for reelection, adding to a support base that features an assortment of  business and trade groups alongside 80 state legislators.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson on Monday formally endorsed United States Senator Rick Scott in his bid for reelection.

“I’m proud to have served alongside Sen. Rick Scott and honored to endorse my friend because his commitment to economic prosperity, personal freedom and fiscal responsibility puts him in a league of his own as a once-in-a-generation kind of leader,” Simpson said.

Simpson, an egg farmer by trade, delivered his endorsement just days after Scott announced his “Farmers for Rick Scott” coalition.

“Excited to have support from these great Floridians!” Scott said upon its unveiling. “I’m not going to back down to Democrats who want to play politics with Florida’s Agriculture industry.”

Simpson’s backing adds to Scott’s existing support from various business and trade groups across the state, including the Florida Retail Federation and Associated Industries of Florida, who both pledged support in October.

Last month, Scott received endorsements from 80 state legislators, including prominent state leaders like Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner. Both lauded Scott’s “commitment to policies fostering a conducive environment for living, working, and raising families in the state.”

Scott, a two-term Florida governor, narrowly defeated Democrat incumbent Bill Nelson in the 2018 Senate election, receiving approximately 10,000 more votes than the former astronaut, marking the first time since the Reconstruction era that Republicans held both Senate seats in Florida.

In August, former Democratic Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell declared her intention to challenge Scott for his Senate seat. Before her formal announcement, top Democratic figures, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee officials, had already expressed support, urging her to enter the race, as reported by Politico in July.