NewsWUSF — Tampa Bay NPR (Local & State)October 24, 2026Hillsborough County
Joey Mendoza Atkins discusses platform in Florida Commissioner of Agriculture race against incumbent Wilton Simpson
Photo: WUSF — Tampa Bay NPR (Local & State)
Democratic candidate for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Joey Mendoza Atkins discussed his campaign priorities in a radio interview, highlighting plans to close agricultural tax loopholes, protect farmland from AI data centers, and advocate against immigration raids that affect farm labor.
Read the full story at WUSF — Tampa Bay NPR (Local & State)Why It Matters
The Commissioner of Agriculture oversees a major state department that affects local food production, tax assessments for property owners, conservation lands, and consumer protection involving firearms and fraud.
Key Facts
- The race for Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture features incumbent Republican Wilton Simpson and Democratic challenger Joey Mendoza Atkins.
- Mendoza Atkins stated his campaign focuses on education around the department's purview, summarizing it as food, farms, firearms, and fraud.
- Mendoza Atkins proposes closing the 'rent-a-cow' loophole in the Greenbelt Law, which allows property owners to receive agricultural tax breaks by placing a few cattle on their land.
- Mendoza Atkins opposes building AI data centers on agricultural land and proposes using conservation easements and development rights to protect those areas.
- Mendoza Atkins argued that as a member of the executive cabinet, the Commissioner of Agriculture can advocate for policies directly to the governor and legislature.
- Mendoza Atkins stated that immigration enforcement raids on farms reduce the labor supply, potentially leading to increased food prices and negative economic impacts on local communities.