Denise Grimsley is a fifth-generation Floridian from Wauchula. She is a conservative Republican running for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture & Consumer Services.
Denise grew up in agriculture and is involved in the citrus and cattle ranching industries. She is a member of the Peace River Valley and Highlands County Citrus Grower’s Associations and the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.
She is a registered nurse and is currently a Hospital Administrator for Florida Hospital Wauchula and Lake Placid. She has also served as Vice President and COO of her family business, Grimsley Oil Company.
She received her degrees from Polk Community College and Warner Southern College, and earned an MBA from the University of Miami.
After being involved in numerous local civic organizations in Hardee and Highlands counties, Denise offered her candidacy and was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2004, where she was a leader in Agriculture and Health Care Committees, and served as the Appropriations Committee Chairman. In 2012, she was elected to serve in the Florida Senate and re-elected without opposition in 2016. She currently serves as the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
Family and faith are central to Denise’s life. She is proud and grateful for her parents, who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, her daughter Nicole, and her grandchildren Tyson and Jillian.
