# 2018 Florida Commissioner of Agriculture election

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The 2018 Florida Commissioner of Agriculture election occurred on November 6, 2018, to elect the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture. Incumbent Republican Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term. Democrat Nikki Fried narrowly defeated Republican Matt Caldwell. Fried became the only statewide elected Democrat in Florida, as U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, who had held Florida's Class I U.S. Senate seat since 2000, lost re-election.
As of 2025, this remains the last time that a Democrat has won a statewide election in Florida, and the only time since 2012.

## Republican primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Matt Caldwell, state representative
* Denise Grimsley, state senator
* Mike McCalister, retired United States Army colonel, Republican candidate for governor in 2010, Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2012
* Baxter Troutman, former state representative

#### Withdrawn

* Paul Paulson, businessman, 2015 candidate for Mayor of Orlando

#### Declined

* Ben Albritton, state representative
* Halsey Beshears, state representative
* Lisa Carlton, former state senator
* Steve Crisafulli, former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
* Greg Steube, state senator (running for congress)

### Endorsements

U.S. Senators
* Marco Rubio (R-FL)
U.S. Representatives
* Matt Gaetz, U.S. Representative (FL-01)
* Francis Rooney, U.S. Representative (FL-19)
State legislators
* Larry Ahern, state representative (R-Seminole)
* Bryan Avila, state representative (R-Miami Springs
* Michael Bileca, state representative (R-Miami)
* Jeff Brandes, state senator (R-St. Petersburg)
* Jim Boyd, state representative (R-Bradenton)
* Danny Burgess, state representative (R-Zephyrhills)
* Cord Byrd, state representative (R-Neptune Beach)
* Chuck Clemons, state representative (R-Newberry)
* Neil Combee, former state representative (R-Polk County)
* Travis Cummings, state representative (R-Fleming Island)
* Manny Díaz Jr., state representative (R-Hialeah)
* Brad Drake, state representative (R-Eucheeanna)
* Byron Donalds, state representative (R-Naples)
* Dane Eagle, state representative (R-Cape Coral)
* Randy Fine, state representative (R-Palm Bay)
* Jason Fischer, state representative (R-Jacksonville)
* Heather Fitzenhagen, state representative (R-Fort Myers)
* Julio Gonzalez, state representative (R-Venice)
* Joe Gruters, state representative (R-Sarasota)
* Shawn Harrison, state representative (R-Tampa)
* Clay Ingram, state representative (R-Pensacola)
* MaryLynn Magar, state representative (R-Tequesta)
* Ralph Massullo, state representative (R-Lecanto)
* Amber Mariano, state representative (R-Hudson)
* George Moraitis, state representative
* Jeanette Núñez, state representative (R-Miami)
* José R. Oliva, state representative (R-Miami Lakes)
* Bobby Payne, state representative (R-Palatka)
* Mel Ponder, state representative (R-Destin)
* Dan Raulerson, former state representative (R-Plant City)
* Paul Renner, state representative (R-Palm Coast)
* Ray Rodrigues, state representative (R-Estero)
* Bob Rommel, state representative (R-Naples)
* Jimmie Todd Smith, former state representative (R-Inverness)
* Ross Spano, state representative (R-Dover)
* Cyndi Stevenson, state representative (R-St. Johns)
* Jennifer Sullivan, state representative (R-Mount Dora)
* Jackie Toledo, state representative (R-Tampa)
* Carlos Trujillo, state representative (R-Miami)
* Jay Trumbull, state representative (R-Panama City)
* Jayer Williamson, state representative (R-Pace)
* Frank White, state representative (R-Pensacola)
* Clay Yarborough, state representative (R-Jacksonville)
Mayors and other municipal leaders
* Michael Adkinson, Walton County Sheriff
* Paul Alfrey, Melbourne City Councilman
* Brian Anderson, Palm Bay Councilman
* Larry Ashley, Okaloosa County Sheriff
* Bryan Bell, Holmes County Property Appraiser
* Harry Bell, Holmes County Tax Collector
* Gregory Brown, Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser
* David Earl Cadle, Mayor of Crestview
* John Crawford, Nassau County Clerk
* Joel Greenberg, Seminole County Tax Collector
* Graham Fountain, Okaloosa County Commissioner
* Bill Furst, Sarasota County Property Appraiser
* Larry Hart, Lee County Tax Collector
* Michael Hickox, Nassau County Property Appraiser
* Wendell Holmes, former Santa Rosa County Sheriff
* Tres Holton, Palm Bay Councilman
* Kristine Isnardi, Brevard County Commissioner
* Wayne Ivey, Brevard County Sheriff
* David Johnson, Seminole County Property Appraiser
* Robert Johnson, Santa Rosa County Sheriff
* Scott Lunsford, Escambia County Tax Collector
* Grant Maloy, Seminole County Clerk of Court
* Jerry Milligan, former mayor of Crestview
* Scott Monnypenny, Laurel Hill City Councilman
* J.D. Peacock, Okaloosa County Clerk of Court
* A.J. Smith, Franklin County Sheriff
* John Tate, Holmes County Sheriff
* John Tobia, Brevard County Commissioner
Other individuals
* Paul Paulson, businessman, 2015 candidate for Mayor of Orlando
Organizations
* Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida
* Florida Chamber of Commerce
* NRA Political Victory Fund
* Florida Police Benevolent Association
Newspapers
* Miami Herald
State legislators
* Bill Galvano, state senator (R-Bradenton), President-designate of the Florida Senate
* Wilton Simpson, state senator (R-Trilby)
Mayors and other municipal leaders
* Mike Chitwood, Volusia County Sheriff
* Darryl Daniels, Clay County Sheriff
* Sadie Darnell, Alachua County Sheriff
* Gator DeLoach, Putnam County Sheriff
* Peyton Grinnell, Lake County Sheriff
* David Hardin, Glades County Sheriff
* Mike Harrison, Gulf County Sheriff
* Mark Hunter, Columbia County Sheriff
* Arnold Lanier, Hardee County Sheriff
* Bill Leeper, Nassau County Sheriff
* Bobby McCallum, Levy County Sheriff
* Mac McNeill, Jefferson County Sheriff
* Jared Miller, Wakulla County Sheriff
* Wayne Padgett, Taylor County Sheriff
* Mike Prendergast, Citrus County Sheriff
* James Potter, DeSoto County Sheriff
* Bill Prummell, Charlotte County Sheriff
* Scotty Rhoden, Baker County Sheriff
* Robert Schultz, Gilchrist County Sheriff
* Gordon Smith, Bradford County Sheriff
* William Snyder, Martin County Sheriff
* Ben Stewart, Madison County Sheriff
* Noel Stephen, Okeechobee County Sheriff
* Sam St. John, Suwannee County Sheriff
* Eddie Joe White, Liberty County Sheriff
* Brad Whitehead, Union County Sheriff
* Billy Woods, Marion County Sheriff
Other individuals
* Al Cardenas, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida
* Leslie Dougher, former chairwoman of the Republican Party of Florida
* Carole Jean Jordan, former chairwoman of the Republican Party of Florida
Organizations
* Florida State Fraternal Order of Police
* Florida Professional Firefighters
Newspapers
* Tampa Bay Times
Statewide officials
* Jennifer Carroll, former Lieutenant Governor of Florida
Mayors and other municipal leaders
* Lenny Curry, Mayor of Jacksonville

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Matt Caldwell | Denise Grimsley | Mike McCalister | Baxter Troutman | Undecided |
| Gravis Marketing | August 21–25, 2018 | 579 | ± 4.1% | 18% | 17% | 13% | 19% | 33% |
| Gravis Marketing | August 21–22, 2018 | 321 | ± 5.5% | 20% | 15% | 13% | 18% | 34% |

### Results

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Matt Caldwell | 523,051 | 34.60% |
| | Republican | Denise Grimsley | 402,525 | 26.62% |
| | Republican | Baxter Troutman | 393,098 | 26.01% |
| | Republican | Mike McCalister | 193,002 | 12.77% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,511,676 | 100.0% |

## Democratic primary
### Candidates
#### Declared

* Jeff Porter, mayor of Homestead
* R. David Walker, president of the South Florida Audubon Society
* Nikki Fried, lobbyist attorney

#### Withdrawn

* Michael Christine, University of Miami School of Law student
* Daniel Sohn, Palm Beach County Soil and Water Conservation District aide
* Thomas Clayton White Jr., Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University chemistry professor

#### Declined

* Katie Edwards-Walpole, state representative
* Patrick Murphy, former U.S. Congressman, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in 2016

### Endorsements

Statewide officials
* Alex Sink, former Chief Financial Officer of Florida, Democratic nominee for Governor in 2010, Democratic nominee for U.S. House in 2014
Newspapers
* Tampa Bay Times

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nikki Fried | 826,009 | 58.65% |
| | Democratic | R. David Walker | 359,081 | 25.50% |
| | Democratic | Jeffrey Duane Porter | 223,299 | 15.85% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,408,389 | 100.0% |

## General election
### Debate

2018 Florida Commissioner of Agriculture debate :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | | |
| Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Key: P Participant  A Absent  N Not invited  I Invited W Withdrawn | Matt Caldwell | Nikki Fried |
| 1 | Oct. 21, 2018 | WFOR-TV | Jim DeFede | YouTube (Part 1) YouTube (Part 2) YouTube (Part 3) | P | P |

### Polling

| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Matt Caldwell (R) | Nikki Fried (D) | Undecided |
| University of North Florida | October 23–26, 2018 | 1,046 | ± 3.0% | 41% | 43% | 17% |
| Cherry Communications | September 19–24, 2018 | 622 | ± 4.4% | 37% | 42% | 17% |
| St. Pete Polls | September 5–6, 2018 | 2,240 | ± 2.1% | 45% | 47% | 8% |
With Grimsley
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Nikki Fried (D) | Denise Grimsley (R) | Undecided |
| Frederick Polls | August 16–20, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 42% | 40% | 17% |
With Troutman
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Nikki Fried (D) | Baxter Troutman (R) | Undecided |
| Frederick Polls | August 16–20, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 43% | 39% | 17% |

### Results

2018 Florida Commissioner of Agriculture election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Nikki Fried | 4,032,954 | 50.04% | +8.71% |
| | Republican | Matt Caldwell | 4,026,201 | 49.96% | −8.71% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,059,155 | 100.00% | N/A |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |