What could bipartisan condemnation of Big Sugar mean for the industry?

Ties to the sugar industry may finally be taking their toll on some Florida candidates, particularly those in the race for Florida governor. Gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam is now the only candidate in the race (Republican or Democrat) that continues to take money from the industry.

A tapestry of federal price supports, tariffs, and quotas on sugar have contributed to a powerful industry with extensive political leverage, especially in Florida. Three companies that produce half of the country’s supply: U.S. Sugar, Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, and Fanjul Corp. are all based in Florida.

The powerful lobbying elements of the industry have had major influence in Tallahassee and across the country for decades, earning the title of “Big Sugar.”

Until recently, loyalty to Big Sugar was strong, with candidates on both sides of the aisle accepting campaign contributions from the lobby. In May, the industry handily defeated a measure that would have amended the farm bill in Congress, seeking to curb the heavy protections against foreign competition to American sugar, and remove the government subsidies that have supported the industry for decades.

Only three Florida representatives voted in favor of the measure – Ron DeSantis, Brian Mast and Francis Rooney – all Republicans.

Big Sugar’s harmful effects on Florida’s politics and its wildlife, especially in the Everglades, has also been a rallying point for progressive Democratic candidate Chris King, who was the first in the Democratic field to speak up against the powerful lobby.

Florida voters are concerned with Big Sugar’s influence on politics now more than ever.

The state’s southern Gulf Coast is in the midst of an ecological crisis that has drawn national attention. Toxic algae blooms fueling red tide are killing marine wildlife up and down the coast, from Naples to Bradenton. Much of the blame for this crisis has fallen on the shoulders of Big Sugar, and the industries’ harmful pollution of Lake Okeechobee, whose overflowing waters run into the Gulf and feed the algae.

In the final televised debate of the Republican gubernatorial primary, Trump-backed Ron DeSantis came out as the industry’s latest and most vocal critic. In a surprising move for the Republican front-runner, he’s now ensured extensive bipartisan condemnation of Big Sugar.

DeSantis will pay a visit to Southwest Florida Wednesday to rally against his opponent Adam Putnam, who he has called the “errand boy” of Big Sugar, while condemning the industry’s role in the algae crisis that has fueled destructive red tide outbreaks along the coast.