LEADERS
PRESIDENT
PRUITT
become one of Florida’s most influential lawmakers
41
A Port St. Lucie water systems owner rises to
BY GREGORY ENNS | PHOTOS BY PORFIRIO SOLORZANO
Thirty years ago, a young
water systems salesman in
Miami got wind of a new
opportunity north of him.
Sales for his product were
slow, with most of the residents on
municipal systems.
“I was told there was this land of
milk and honey in Port St. Lucie where
everyone was on wells and had to have
a water treatment system,’’ he says. “It
had 80,000 single-family lots where
everybody had wells and needed water
softeners. You didn’t have to convince
anybody in Port St. Lucie they needed
a water softener.’’
The salesman, Ken Pruitt, made the
move to Port St. Lucie, started a business,
married and raised a family.
Today, Pruitt, as president of the
Florida Senate, is among the three most
influential lawmakers in state government,
along with Gov. Charlie Crist and
House Speaker Marco Rubio.
And although Pruitt, a 50-year-old
Republican, is often mentioned as a
viable candidate for higher office, such
as governor or the U.S. House or
Senate, he says he has only one destination
in mind after his presidency ends
in 2008 and his Senate term ends in
2010.
“The only thing I’m running for is
home,’’ says the father of five and husband
of Aileen Pruitt, a vice president
of National City Bank. “It’s time for me
to come home.’’
FIRST TEST
By both Republican and Democrat
accounts, Pruitt passed his first litmus
test as Senate president when he
presided over the unanimous Senate
passage of the homeowner insurance
reform bill during a special session in
January. The measure, which was
signed by Crist, promises average rate
cuts of five percent to 25 percent,
achieved in part by having the state
shoulder part of the insurance risk.
Pruitt, who presided over the regular
session of the Senate beginning in
March, credits the November election
for the harmonious outcome in January.
“November 7 had a lot to do with it,
where people were demanding that
Democrats, Republicans and independents
stop the nonsense partisan bickering.
They sent a message loud and clear
to get our act together and work
together, and we’re listening to them.’’
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The seal of the Florida Senate adorns the door of
the Senate Chamber at the capitol, above.