The political action committee of the Florida Realtors Association released a list of candidates it is endorsing ahead of the Nov. 6 midterm elections. The endorsements cover a number of statewide races as well as state congressional districts. Like other state, local and national PACs organized by Realtor associations, the Florida Realtors PAC advocates for the interests of its members and the real estate industry in general through political endorsements and fundraising activity.

Among the most notable is the Florida Realtors PAC’s endorsement of Ron DeSantis for governor, who won the state’s Republican primary in August. In that race, DeSantis defeated Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who had previously received an endorsement from the Florida Realtors PAC over other challengers. DeSantis represented Florida’s Sixth District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2013 until shortly after his primary victory. 

DeSantis faces Democratic nominee and Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum in the race for Florida governor. According to an average of six polls analyzed by Real Clear Politics as of Sept. 19, Gillum holds a 3.5 percent lead over DeSantis. As one of the largest states and its tendencies as a “swing state,” Florida’s top-ballot races often garner national attention. This year’s gubernatorial race is expected to be among the most closely watched on election night.

As a member of the Republican Party and the Freedom Caucus in the U.S. House, DeSantis’s political platform is generally conservative. Based on platform positions listed on his website, DeSantis is not running in support or opposition of issues specific to the real estate industry. However, his platform does include a willingness to maintain Florida’s relatively low taxes, and supports “a constitutional amendment requiring a supermajority vote in the Legislature to raise taxes.” DeSantis also named environmental preservation as a priority, campaigning to “Restore the Everglades, Stop Toxic Algae Discharges, and Send Clean Water South,” as well as to “Protect Our Beaches, Expand and Protect our Water Supply,” and “Protect our State Lands, Parks, Springs, and Air.”

For other statewide elections, the Florida Realtors PAC endorsed Ashley Moody for Attorney General, Jimmy Patronis for Chief Financial Officer and Matt Caldwell for Commissioner of Agriculture.