MIAMI – Manatee developer Carlos Beruff has been openly mulling over a possible run at the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Marco Rubio for months, but on Monday he made it official. Beruff joins a crowded Republican primary field that includes Congressmen Ron DeSantis and David Jolly, as well as Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera.
Beruff announced his candidacy Monday morning in Miami, where he grew up following his family's flight from Cuba.
"I’m a husband and father, I’m a homebuilder, I’m a Florida businessman. But most of all I’m a proud American, and like many people, I’m fed up ÉThis country that has given me so much is on the verge of slipping away from us," said Beruff.
A controversial figure in local politics for years, Beruff has spent heavily on Manatee County Commission races, supporting members who are fiercely pro-development and opposing those who favor environmental protection or so-called smart growth strategies.
Beruff has also served as the chair of the regional water management district's board, where he's made pro-development decisions as well. On his final day before stepping down as a board member, he led the vote to allow fellow developer and sometimes business partner Pat Neal to destroy wetlands on Perico Island for development purposes.
The Medallion Home founder is currently embroiled in an ongoing legal battle with Manatee County
over his desire to build a large resort-style development on a large piece of environmentally-sensitive land on the county's final major
undeveloped portion of Sarasota Bay.
Beruff has been a close ally and supporter of Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who appointed him to the Board of Trustees for the State College of Florida. There, Beruff recently led a controversial move to end continuous contracting, which protected instructors who had met the rigorous standards for achieving the status from being dismissed without proper cause.
On the primary education level, Beruff recently joined Neal in convincing the Manatee School Board not to re-institute full school impact fees, as prescribed by a long-delayed study. Despite a six-year abatement on the fees and a growing need for new schools and revenue sources, the board ultimately decided to reintroduce the fees at 50 percent of what the study called for.
In the GOP Senate primary race, Rep. Jolly has the lead in polls, while DeSantis has established much financial support, raising nearly twice as much money in the most recent reporting period as both Jolly and Canteras-Lopez combined. When it became clear that Beruff would enter the race, DeSantis launched preemptive attack ads, seeking to label the developer a Charlie Crist Republican.
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