Neil Combee

Combee was born in Lakeland. He attended Polk State College and Florida State University. He then worked in agribusiness and real estate.{{cite web|url=http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4567|title=Representative Neil Combee|publisher=Florida House of Representatives|accessdate=25 December 2013}} He is married to Linda Combee, with 2 adult sons and 5 grandchildren.

He was elected to the Polk County Commission as a Democrat in 1988, a position to which he was re-elected in 1992, 1996, and 2000. In 2004, Combee did not seek another term on the Commission, and following the conclusion of his term in 2005, he was appointed to the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, where he served until 2012 when he resigned to run for the legislature.

Combee was going to run for the legislature in 2010 when incumbent State Representative Kelli Stargel was planning on seeking the Florida Senate seat held by Paula Dockery, who planned on running for Governor.{{cite web|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20100117/NEWS/1175063/1338/NEWS00|title=Ex-Commissioner Combee Enters State House|date=January 17, 2010|accessdate=December 12, 2013|work=Lakeland Ledger|first=Bill|last=Rufty}} When Dockery dropped her gubernatorial campaign,{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/paula-dockery-drops-out-of-florida-governors-race/1097190|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528043914/http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/paula-dockery-drops-out-of-florida-governors-race/1097190|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 28, 2010|title=Paula Dockery drops out of Florida governor's race|date=May 24, 2010|accessdate=December 12, 2013|work=Tampa Bay Times|first=Steve|last=Bousquet}} however, Stargel instead ran for re-election,{{cite web|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20120426/POLITICS/120429454|title=Kelli Stargel Collects $146,500 in Campaign for State Senate Seat|date=April 26, 2012|accessdate=December 12, 2013|work=Lakeland Ledger|first=Bill|last=Rufty}} putting her on a collision course with Combee. Ultimately, Combee did not qualify for the ballot because his campaign "wrote a qualifying check for $1,781.81, but the correct amount required was $1,781.82."{{cite web|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20100621/news/100629971?p=1&tc=pg|title=State House Hopeful Neil Combee Trying to Resolve Filing Problem|date=June 21, 2010|accessdate=December 12, 2013|work=Lakeland Ledger|first=Bill|last=Rufty}}

When Dockery was term-limited in 2012, Stargel ran to succeed her, creating an open seat in the 39th District, and Combee once again declared his candidacy. He was unopposed in the primary election and faced Carol Castagnero, an independent candidate who had run for a number of offices unsuccessfully, in the general election.{{cite news | url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20120706/politics/120709597 | title=Fla. House District 39: Castagnero Runs Without Party Affiliation | work=The Ledger | date=6 July 2012 | accessdate=26 December 2013 | author=Pera, Eric}} Castagnero did not present a strong challenge to Combee, and he ended up defeating her in a landslide, receiving 65% of the vote, to win his first term in the legislature.{{cite web | url=http://myq105.cbslocal.com/2012/11/07/decision-2012-election-results-president-obama-romney/ | title=Decision 2012 Tampa Bay Election Results | date=7 November 2013 | accessdate=26 December 2013}}

Combee sponsored legislation in 2013 that would have "[prevented] someone who fires a warning shot or brandishes a weapon from being prosecuted under the state's stiff gun laws," which he had previously proposed a year prior, but had not received a vote.{{cite web|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20130927/POLITICS/130929310?tc=ar|title=State Rep. Neil Combee Revives 'Warning Shot' Bill|date=September 27, 2013|accessdate=December 12, 2013|work=Lakeland Ledger|first=Ryan E.|last=Little}}

He attracted controversy in 2013 when he suggested on Twitter that Barack Obama was responsible for the chemical attacks that took place in the Syrian Civil War, asking, "Who knows? Did the White House Help Plan the Syrian Chemical Attack?" He defended his remarks, saying, "I think it's my place, your place and everybody's place to question what is going on here. Who do we believe?"{{cite web|url=http://www.theledger.com/article/20130906/NEWS/130909563?tc=ar|title=State Rep. Neil Combee Tweet on Syria, Obama Gets Attention|date=September 6, 2013|accessdate=December 12, 2013|work=Lakeland Ledger|first=Ryan E.|last=Little}}

During his time in the legislature, Combee chaired the Oversight, Transparency & Administration Subcommittee. He also served as Vice Chair of the State Affairs Committee and Government Operations & Technology Appropriations Subcommittee.

Combee resigned from the House on November 24, 2017 after being appointed by President Donald Trump to take a position as Florida state director of the USDA Farm Service Agency.{{Cite news|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2017/11/09/rep-neil-combee-resigning-to-take-federal-farm-service-job/|title=Rep. Neil Combee resigning to take federal farm service job|last=Hollyfield|first=Amy|date=2017-11-09|work=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=2017-11-24}}{{Cite news|url=http://floridapolitics.com/archives/249229-neil-combee-praises-richard-corcoran-others-resignation-letter|title=Neil Combee praises Richard Corcoran, others in resignation letter|last=Schorsch|first=Peter|date=2017-11-08|work=Florida Politics|access-date=2017-11-24}} He held that position until April 17, 2018, when he announced his campaign for Florida's 15th congressional district.{{Cite news|last=Rufty|first=Bill|date=April 17, 2018|title=Neil Combee makes it official; announces run for Dennis Ross' seat|work=Florida Politics|url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/261532-neil-combee-makes-it-official-announces-run-for-dennis-ross-seat|access-date=June 10, 2020}} Combee came in second in the 2018 Republican primary to Ross Spano, 44.1 to 33.8%.{{Cite news|last=Dawson|first=Anastasia|date=August 28, 2018|title=U.S. 15th District: It's Democrat Carlson, Republican Spano in November|work=Tampa Bay Times|url=https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/08/25/u-s-15th/|access-date=June 10, 2020}}{{Cite web|last=Florida Division of Elections|date=|title=August 28, 2018 Primary Election|url=https://results.elections.myflorida.com/Index.asp?ElectionDate=8/28/2018&DATAMODE=|access-date=June 10, 2020|website=}}

In 2020, Combee was elected to the Polk County Commission after defeating incumbent John Hall.{{Cite web |last=Bouffard |first=Kevin |title=Lori Edwards breezes to new Supervisor of Elections term, Neil Combee ousts John Hall |url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2020/08/18/neil-combee-returns-polk-county-commission-after-16-year-absence/3396307001/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=The Ledger |language=en-US}} In 2024. After serving 4 years on the Board of County Commissioners, he entered the race for Polk County Property Appraiser and won with 58.8% of the votes. {{Cite web |last=Bouffard |first=Kevin |title=Lori Edwards breezes to new Supervisor of Elections term, Neil Combee ousts John Hall |url=https://www.theledger.com/story/news/2020/08/18/neil-combee-returns-polk-county-commission-after-16-year-absence/3396307001/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=The Ledger |language=en-US}}

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• [http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Representatives/details.aspx?MemberId=4567 Florida House of Representatives - Neil Combee]

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Category:1959 births

Category:Living people

Category:People from Lakeland, Florida

Category:Florida State University alumni

Category:Businesspeople from Florida

Category:Republican Party members of the Florida House of Representatives

Category:Polk State College alumni

Category:United States Department of Agriculture officials

Category:21st-century members of the Florida Legislature

Category:Candidates in the 2018 United States House of Representatives elections