Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, was hospitalized Sunday after experiencing chest pain, with emergency physicians discovering a small blood clot in his lung, according to a memo sent Monday to senators.
The memo said Albritton, 57, remained under observation at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital awaiting further testing. He began experiencing chest pain early Sunday morning.
“The president is in good spirits and has been in frequent communication with staff via phone and email yesterday and today,” Monday’s memo from Albritton’s office said. “All previously scheduled Senate business will proceed as planned this week.”
“The president and Mrs. (Missy) Albritton are grateful to the physicians and staff at Tallahassee Memorial for the excellent care the president is receiving,” the memo added. “He looks forward to returning to the office later this week. The president and Mrs. Albritton would be very grateful for your prayers.”
Albritton, a citrus grower, is in his second year as Senate president, one of the most-powerful positions in the state. He was first elected to the Florida House in 2010, before getting elected to the Senate in 2018. He began serving as Senate president after the 2024 elections and will leave the post after this year’s elections.
The 2026 regular legislative session started Jan.13 and is scheduled to end March 13. Gov. Ron DeSantis also has scheduled a special legislative session during the week of April 20 to redraw congressional districts.
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Albritton has made a priority this year of passing what has been dubbed the “rural renaissance” plan, which is aimed at boosting such things as health care, education, transportation and economic development in rural areas.
The Senate unanimously approved the plan (SB 250) on the second day of the legislative session, an indication of its importance to Albritton. But a similar package got broken up in the House last year and did not pass. It remains unclear how the House will handle this year’s version.
Albritton, a cautious leader who speaks often about his Christian faith, had well-publicized disagreements last year with House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, about issues such as the state budget and taxes.
In a recent interview for The News Service of Florida’s “5 Questions” feature, Albritton acknowledged the disagreements but called Perez a friend.
“We're going to work through whatever it is that pops up,” Albritton said in the interview. “I'm committed, and I believe that he is as well, because he's a good leader. Good leaders look at these things, and we may have frustrations, or we may have challenges, but again, it goes back to staying on task and making sure that we're using our principles and getting to a place to where we're doing good for Floridians. I will say and reiterate with you again that I have zero hard feelings with the speaker, and look forward to working with him.”
