Jake Johansson has received the endorsement of the Florida Chamber of Commerce for his candidacy in Senate District 8 for the 2026 election. Johansson, a retired Navy Captain with 35 years of service, has also worked as Port Orange City Manager and served on the Volusia County Council. He is focusing his campaign on addressing inflation, job creation, and workforce development.
Mark Wilson, President & CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Florida Chamber of Commerce is pleased to endorse Jake Johansson as Senate District 8’s next state senator. Having served with distinction in the U.S. Navy and more recently as a locally elected official, we are confident in Jake’s commitment to the free market and look forward to working alongside him to make Florida even more competitive as we continue to grow towards becoming the 10th largest economy in the world.”
Johansson responded: “As a small business owner and veteran, I know free enterprise is worth defending, whether on battlefields abroad or within government at home. Given the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s track record of fighting for jobs and equal opportunity for earned success for all Floridians, I am humbled to receive their endorsement and look forward to working with them and the job creators they represent in the Florida Senate to continue Florida’s economic momentum.”
Senate District 8 is located in Volusia County and is considered a solid Republican district according to the Florida Chamber’s Partisan Performance Index. In recent elections, both President Trump (2024) and Governor DeSantis (2022) secured over 60 percent of votes in this district. The chamber stated it will leverage its extensive political experience to support Johansson’s campaign.
