Florida Rep., Allstate Insurance Agent Patterson Joins Race for CFO

Rep. Pat Patterson, (R-DeLand), has launched a campaign for the Republican nomination for the post of Florida chief financial officer (CFO), a job being vacated by Democrat Alex Sink who is running for governor.

Patterson is in his fifth term in the House. He is the House chair of the Insurance, Business, and Financial Affairs Policy Council, which oversees divisions within the CFO office. He also serves on the General Government Policy Council and the State Universities and Private Colleges Appropriations Committee.

Patterson, a U.S. Navy veteran and former public school teacher, has also been an Allstate insurance agent for more than 30 years.

A native Floridian, Patterson has advocated for greater consumer choice and criticized lawmakers for not dealing with the billions of dollars in hurricane risk facing the state.

“Floridians deserve to have a choice in this election,” said Patterson. “With me, they’ll get someone who has spent a lifetime educating and advocating for consumers, and someone who understands that we can’t just sit idly by while our state is one major storm away from financial devastation and potentially billions in unfair tax increases.”

Patterson is not the only Republican running for CFO. Senate President Jeff Atwater announced his candidacy in May.

Atwater was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000. In 2002, he earned a seat in the Florida Senate. Atwater’s District 25 Senate seat encompasses parts of Broward and Palm Beach County. He was elected Senate president in 2008.

During his tenure in the Florida Legislature, Atwater supported lowering property insurance rates. He backed the Capital Investment Tax Credit Program and led the Government Efficiency Committee, which streamlined Florida’s bureaucracies and reduce government spending.

“I will use the power of the Chief Financial Officer to protect taxpayers from fraud, waste and abuse, whether it comes from Wall Street, fly-by-night finance companies, big insurance or corruption in government,” he said in his announcement. “I will reform the way government works by making it more transparent, more effective and more accountable to the people of Florida.”