TALLAHASSEE — With a gun-control Democrat in line to oversee it, concealed weapons licensing in Florida looks likely to be relocated by the Republican-ruled Legislature.

But where?

The National Rifle Association is pushing to have the nation’s largest concealed weapons program moved under Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, away from Agriculture Commissioner-elect Nikki Fried, who has campaigned for tougher gun laws.

Fried also supports moving the weapons office.

But she sides with a couple of Senate Democrats proposing to move licensing to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which already conducts background checks on applicants.

More than 2.1 million concealed weapons licenses have been issued in Florida, representing roughly one in 10 people in the state.

“I want to take the politics out of it,” said Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, who with Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, is crafting legislation to make the switch from the Agriculture Department, where the program has been housed for more than 15 years.

“FDLE is already doing the background checks. So why put a middle man in it? It makes no sense,” Stewart said.

But NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer said it’s important for the program to fall under an elected official who is “accountable to the people.”

“You don’t want this in an agency where the people are beholden to somebody who is a political appointee,” Hammer said, adding, “Law enforcement agencies are the worst place for a program like this to be.”

Location of the weapons-licensing office is looming as the latest gun-centered drama — although a benign one — in a year of many in Florida.

The Valentine’s Day shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland sparked efforts to improve school security and renewed calls for stricter gun limits that led to demonstrations at the state Capitol and debate that coursed into the November elections.

Oversight of the concealed weapons office by outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam also was criticized when it was revealed that employee negligence during background checks led to almost 300 licenses being issued that were later revoked.

The failure was seized on by gun-control advocates and proved one of several stumbles by Putnam on his way to losing the Republican primary for governor to Gov.-elect Ron DeSantis.

A number of states operate concealed weapons programs through a law enforcement agency — but Hammer said that, alone, shouldn’t drive Florida’s decision on its program.

But Stewart said the NRA may want permitting housed under an elected official who can be easily pressured by the powerful gun lobby to maintain ready access to weapons.

“Why else would you not want it under the agency that has access to the databases used to do background checks?” she said.

Hammer has influential allies, with the incoming governor a staunch supporter of gun rights and a state House and Senate solidly in Republican hands. Still, Hammer got crossways with some Republicans last year after legislation prompted by the Parkland tragedy included a provision raising the age for gun ownership to 21.

The NRA has sued in federal court to have the law overturned and also downgraded the rankings of legislators who voted in favor of the new law.