After considering a run for CFO back in 2014, Jeremy Ring jumped into the race this year. He’s said that his time as a state senator and his business experience give him an edge and would make him the best fit to run Florida’s finances.
If he wins the seat, he’ll be the first Democrat to hold the position since Alex Sink served in the role from 2007-2011. The position was established in 2002.
Ring isn’t a native Floridian like his opponent, Jimmy Patronis, but he’s been in the state for nearly two decades working in the startup industry. Before his time in the Sunshine State he was an advertising executive with Yahoo!, helping it establish a presence on the east coast.
Here’s where he stands on a few key issues under the CFO’s purview.
The state’s insurance industry:
Ring told the Miami Herald that he wants to work to reduce insurance rates and to stabilize the market a little more to, “create an environment where insurance prices are not spiking.” He’s placed a particular focus on the unique risk that Florida properties face because of miles and miles of coastal development and extreme weather.
Voter rights restoration and Amendment 4:
He has expressed support for Amendment 4 and criticized Gov. Rick Scott for the current lack of voting rights for felons, telling the Herald that, “If Rick Scott felt that 1.5 million nonviolent ex-felons would vote Republican, he would have had their rights restored years ago.”