TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Representative Jennifer Canady seems poised to take over as the next Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, according to a recent report from Florida Politics. Canady would step in after current Speaker Paul Renner is term-limited out of office following the 2024 elections.
Canady is a Republican representative from Polk County, first elected to her seat in the November 202 election cycle. When not in Tallahassee, Canady is an education professional. Also of note is the fact that her husband, Charles Canady, is a former U.S. congressman and current Florida Supreme Court justice.
If selected to the speakership by her Republican colleagues in the state House, Canady has the potential to hold the position for considerably longer than Renner. Having only been elected less than a year ago, she's slated to serve until she's term-limited in 2030, assuming she successfully runs for re-election in her district each year. She won her primary election with 63.5% of the vote in November, and faced no Democratic challenger.
Florida Politics' report of the speakership contest reported that Governor Ron DeSantis lent support to Canady behind the scenes, as did several other legislators. If she gets the job, Canady would be the first female speaker in the history of Florida's state House.
