Florida GOP Senate Leader to Miss Electoral College Vote After Testing Positive for Covid-19

Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Republican, has informed Governor Ron DeSantis that he will miss today’s Electoral College vote in the state after testing positive for Covid-19.

“In advance of the Electoral College meeting scheduled for this afternoon, last night I tested for COVID-19, and my test came back positive,” Simpson wrote in a letter addressed to the governor.

“As a result of this positive test, it is with great regret that I inform you I will not be able to attend today’s meeting of Florida’s Presidential Electors,” he continues. “It was a great honor to be selected to serve our state in this historic capacity, and I was very much looking forward to casting my vote for President Trump and Vice President Pence.”

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It is not yet clear who will replace Simpson to cast today’s Electoral College vote.

Yesterday, Florida reported nearly 9,000 new coronavirus cases and 81 deaths in the state. Nearly 20,000 people––the majority in the Miami-Dade area––have died of the virus since February, when the first case was reported in the United States.

Alan Herrera

Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.