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The statute of a Confederate General representing Florida in the Nations capitol could soon be replaced. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, a special committee today narrowed a list of 130 possible replacements down to three.

General Edmund Kirby Smiths statute has represented Florida in the nation’s Capitol since 1922. This year, lawmakers decided that honoring a confederate general didn’t reflect the states diversity. they asked for nominations for a replacement. set up a nomination process for a replacement.

130 people were nominated. Wednesday, a panel of four narrowed the list to seven,

and then down to three. The top vote getter was Dr, Mary McLeon Bethune. She’s the founder of Bethune-Cookman University.Daisy Grimes is a Special Assistant at Bethune Cookman.
“She in 1875 being born and then living the true american dream and not letting anything stopping her from believing, believing in what our constitution says” says Grimes.

Marjorie Stonemason Douglass and George Jenkins each got two votes. Douglass originated the effort to save and protect the Everglades, Jenkins founded Publix Supermarkets. Maj General Michael Calhoun, Adjutant Gen. Florida National Guard cast one of the votes for Jenkins.

“You can’t ride anywhere without seeing a Publix. And the competition has kind of faded away,and that’s probably because of the quality of service they do there” says the top National Guardsman in Florida.

Even the man who gave Floridian’s name, Ponce DeLeon, was nominated, but he didn’t really fit all the criteria.

Fictional characters weren’t allowed to be considered. But Committee member SL Frisbee joked that Mickey Mouse has certainly played a role. His creator, Walt Disney was on the list, but fell short,

“The ones that we selected were more totally Florida focused” says Frisbee.

Florida lawmakers can choose one of the three, or anyone else they want.

In total, just over three thousand people submitted a nomination. Since the decision now goes back to the legislature, which is a political body, we checked the records and found that Bethune Cookman has two registered lobbyists, Publix has four, while the Everglades Trust and Foundation have 15.