Senate OKs Ladapo As Surgeon General; To Democrats, He's ‘Not The Right Person For The Job'

Florida Phoenix

February 23, 2022

The Florida Senate confirmed Joseph Ladapo as surgeon general on Wednesday, even as Democrats criticized the doctor over his stance on COVID-19 safety and other concerns.

State Sen. Lori Berman, a Democrat representing parts of Palm Beach County, urged colleagues to vote against Dr. Ladapo — a favorite of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who chose Ladapo for the job.

“He doesn’t have the skills and is not the right person for the job,” Berman said.

Likewise, Sen. Gary Farmer, a Democrat who represents parts of Broward County, said, “I never thought things could get any worse. He has been an unmitigated disaster. He favorites conspiracy theories and ignored science.”

An episode came up in which Ladapo refused to wear a mask during a meeting with Democrat Tina Polsky in October even after she asked him to because she was undergoing treatment for a serious illness — breast cancer.

Republican Aaron Bean, representing Nassau and part of Duval County, wrote that off.

“We have a national draft pick here. The man went to Harvard and I believe he is the best. He made a mistake. Give him another chance,” Bean said.

Polsky responded: “What can you do at this point? Yes, you can say that has accomplished a lot. This is just not the right person for the job.”

Other Democrats shared concerns that Ladapo has never answered whether he has been vaccinated against COVID despite their repeated questions about it, suggesting he is more concerned about politics than public health.

Ladapo who sat in the gallery seemed unbothered and waited for the senators’ decision.

The vote was 25-15. Ladapo will run the Florida Department of Health as it continues to deal with a pandemic that has resulted in 5.8 million cases in Florida and about 69,000 deaths.

Following the vote Ladapo, offered comments to the media. “I’m really looking forward to just serving Florida and improving some of things we already have in motion,” he said.

The Florida Phoenix, a nonprofit news site that’s free of advertising and free to readers, covers state government and politics through a mix of in-depth stories, briefs, and social media updates on the latest events, editorial cartoons, and progressive commentary. The Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.