Ex-Florida House Majority Leader Grant Enters 2028 Race for SW Florida Senate Seat

Michael Grant, the former Florida House Majority Leader from Punta Gorda, filed Tuesday to run for Senate District 27 — the Southwest Florida seat Senate President Ben Albritton will vacate when term limits force him out in 2028 — and arrived with more than 20 endorsements already secured.

The day-one show of force included Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, State Attorney Amira Fox, state Sen. Joe Gruters — who also serves as Republican National Committee Chair — state Sen. Ralph Massullo, and a roster of state House members and county commissioners from Lee and Charlotte counties.

Grant's entrance carries direct weight for Treasure Coast voters who track the balance of power in Tallahassee. Senate District 27 anchors a stretch of Republican-dominated Southwest Florida whose legislative priorities — hurricane recovery funding, water quality, and small-business tax policy — overlap substantially with Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River county interests. A power vacuum in a seat long held by a chamber president invites competition and shapes committee alignments that determine how Treasure Coast appropriations requests move through the Senate.

Grant brings a résumé built for the pitch. He served in the Florida House across two stints: 2004 to 2008 and again 2016 to 2024, representing Charlotte County. He ascended from Deputy Whip to Majority Leader, a post he held for two consecutive terms under Speakers Chris Sprowls and Paul Renner. He also chaired the Ways and Means Committee, the panel that controls the state's tax and budget machinery.

His campaign platform centers on lower taxes, public safety funding, and what he describes as the restoration of individual freedoms. Grant has pointed to post-Hurricane Charley recovery dollars he directed to Punta Gorda and Charlotte County as evidence he can deliver for the region under pressure.

"I have a track record of delivering principled and conservative results," Grant said in a statement. "Together we will continue to fight for lower taxes, safer communities, stronger families, and the individual freedoms that make Florida exceptional."

No other candidates have publicly filed for the seat. The primary election is more than two years away, and filing will remain open well into the 2028 cycle.

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