Staff Reports
‘Wave’ year or not, Nelson, Scott have work to do to maximize voter turnout
Four years ago, Republican Gov. Rick Scott, seeking a second term, was up against former Gov. Charlie Crist. While Crist was running his first statewide campaign as a Democrat, Scott was still not a beloved figure even within his own party.
Crist left the governor’s office in 2011 with positive approval ratings. His standing within the black community, critical for a statewide Democratic candidate, was strong enough that former state Rep. Terry Fields dubbed Crist the state’s “first black governor.”
In the end, Scott earned 12 percent of the black vote in 2014 and not enough African Americans turned out for Crist, especially in South Florida, for Crist to overcome Scott’s massive advantage in rural counties and conservative communities. Scott’s 66,000 vote victory in 2014 will give his next opponent something to consider.
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson’s success at earning a fourth term will likely hinge on maximizing minority voter turnout — or at least be more successful than Crist. On the bright side, 2018 seems to be a rare midterm election where Democrats seem eager to vote.
At least that is the case 6 months before early voting begins. With the daily drumbeat of Donald Trump collusion or obstruction of justice starting to ebb (to some extent), Democrats such as Nelson will need positive issues to run on.
Nelson will get positive marks for talking about the criminal justice system and restoring the voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences. His fight against offshore oil drilling and for Puerto Rico and displaced Puerto Ricans will also comprise parts of the stump speech.
The key, according to some political analysts, is to get upward of 95 percent of the black vote. Delray Beach Democrat Alcee Hastings said Nelson needs “to run up the score” in the African-American communities to counter Scott’s areas of strength.
Already, Nelson has enlisted two prominent African-American Senators to help. California’s Kamala Harris sent an email to her supporters asking for their help with Nelson. Cory Booker of New Jersey helped Nelson raise funds in parts of Florida.
While Hastings says Nelson has bona fides in the black community, Crist likely had as many or more. Here was a guy whose standing in the GOP disintegrated partially because the “first black governor” greeted President Obama, the real first black president, with that famous embrace in 2009.
That, and Crist’s record while governor, such as making it easier for felons to earn back their right to vote, did not excite enough black voters to either vote for him or get to the polls.
As Nelson will work to turn out black voters, Scott perhaps has a challenge of his own. More than a few took notice when GOP Sen. Rubio recently said he would not campaign against Nelson.
A less-than-active sitting Senator could send a message to Rubio’s supporters that having Nelson win a fourth term might not be so bad. Rubio tried to mitigate his earlier statement, speaking of his desire to be in the majority, but the original comment got the national headlines it deserved.
No matter the circumstances in the fall, both candidates will have a lot of work to do in getting their voters to the polls.
Scott, Nelson visit Central Florida to talk Puerto Rico
The two opponents for Nelson’s Senate seat both went to Kissimmee Friday afternoon to speak with Puerto Rican residents about their needs. Nelson spent an entire town hall talking with Puerto Rican migrants about their struggle to find suitable housing while Scott’s town hall mostly floated around other issues from small business’ challenges to the safety of children.
Nelson had both good and bad news to deliver. First, the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) agreed Friday to extend their temporary shelter program for displaced Puerto Ricans to May 14, but also that FEMA declined to stretch it into June.
Nelson said that he, Rubio, and Democratic Rep. Darren Soto had requested the further extension of the program to benefit the Puerto Rican families who had children enrolled in school so that they may finish out the school year.
Scott said he, Rubio, and Soto would continue to push FEMA to extend the housing vouchers beyond May 14, but there is no plan for any immediate next-step housing for the migrants. However, he turned the focus to economic development when he was asked about long-term programs to build more affordable housing, particularly in Central Florida.
The governor also noted that Orlando’s growth had added 42,000 jobs in the past year.
“Here’s the issue we’re dealing with right now. This state has been growing so rapidly, it’s causing housing process to go up,” Scott said. “And so, where our problem when I got elected was we had housing that was being foreclosed on; that’s not the issue anymore. Our issue is housing prices have gone up so much, and it’s difficult to stay up with the growth when you have 400,000 or 500,000 people moving here a year.”
Rubio, South Carolina’s Scott tour Miami Opportunity Zones
Two Republican U.S. Senators visited low-income South Florida neighborhoods last week to talk about economic opportunity and the GOP tax cuts passed in December. Marco Rubio and Tim Scott from South Carolina visited Miami Children’s Initiative on the second day of their tour to visit distressed communities and nonprofit organizations working to revitalize low-income neighborhoods in South Florida.
Earlier they visited the Overtown Youth Center in Miami, the Mexican-American Council Parent Resource Center in Homestead, and the Urban League of Miami’s Liberty City. They also touted legislation sponsored by Scott.
Rubio strongly supported Scott’s bill, the Investing in Opportunity Act (IIOA), which Scott secured as part of last year’s tax reform package. The IIOA works to encourage long-term investment in distressed communities across the country, and last week served as the deadline for governors to nominate their state’s Opportunity Zones.
“Work isn’t just about money, it’s about the dignity that comes with being able to provide for your family,” said Senator Rubio. “I greatly enjoyed welcoming Senator Scott to South Florida to visit with folks in low-income neighborhoods that will benefit from tax reform. By incentivizing investments into distressed communities, Senator Scott is leading the way on providing new opportunities for people to rebuild their communities.”
Space Florida backs new NASA leader
It was a grueling confirmation process, but NASA finally got a permanent leader, much to the delight of Florida’s aerospace agency. After the long-delayed confirmation of Oklahoma Republican Rep. Jim Bridenstine, Space Florida officials said they anticipate Bridenstine will reinvigorate the industry, noting that he’s been hands-on in Congress.
“We look forward to working with him as the nation moves to leverage the relationships between government and the private sector and between states and federal agencies,” Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello said in a statement after the Senate confirmed Bridenstine in a vote along party lines.
“His leadership of a NASA focused on research and exploration will be critical to reinvigorating U.S. leadership in space by bringing the true strengths of all facets of American ingenuity together for the expansion of human activity in space,” DiBello added.
Trump’s selection of Bridenstine was controversial, drawing opposition from Nelson, who made a well-known trip in space aboard space shuttle Columbia in January 1986, as well as most fellow Democrats.
NASA’s administrator position has been vacant since Charles Bolden, who was in charge of the agency under President Barack Obama, stepped down in January 2017. The vacancy was the longest the federal agency has gone without an administrator.
RNC reports record fundraising; DNC files lawsuit
Another month, another fundraising record for the Republican National Committee (RNC). On Friday, the RNC posted $13.9 million raised in March, it’s highest ever for the month.
The party raised $39 million over the first quarter of 2018 and nearly $172 million for the cycle. The RNC reports $43 million cash on hand.
“Another month of record-breaking fundraising confirms what many in the mainstream media are ignoring: Americans are doing better under Republican leadership,” said Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. “Our country has more jobs, a growing economy, and higher wages, thanks to President Trump and Republicans in Congress.”
The GOP will likely need every dollar to preserve their majority in the House and two-seat margin in the Senate. The RNC has pledged to invest $250 million for maintaining those majorities.
While individual Democratic candidates and party Congressional and Senate committees have had success this cycle, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has struggled. On Friday, the DNC filed a lawsuit against Russian officials, WikiLeaks, and the Trump campaign, blaming them for lagging contributions.
“Defendants’ conduct resulted in a dramatic drop in donations to the DNC,” according to the lawsuit. “The dissemination of hacked information heightened donors’ concerns that confidential information disclosed through their contributions might be publicly disseminated.”
FEC questions Florida Democrats federal account deficit
The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) is being asked some embarrassing questions when their federal account came up more than $150,000 in the red. In a Jan. 25 letter, Federal Elections Commission (FEC) analyst Nicole Miller asked party officials to itemize incurred debt or obligations that would show why there was a negative balance.
The negative balance suggests “that you have overdrawn your account, made a mathematical error or incurred a debt,” Miller wrote. “Please file an amendment to your report to accurately disclose your financial activities,” the letter states.
The party’s federal account, which is used to support House and Senate candidates, is an important asset as Florida Democrats enter a midterm election year with an expensive U.S. Senate race between Nelson and Scott, along with crucial House races that could help flip control of that chamber from Republicans.
Party officials missed a March deadline to explain the discrepancies in writing. Failure to respond to the FEC questions could trigger an audit.
The party’s federal account, which is used to support House and Senate candidates, is an essential asset as Florida Democrats enter a midterm election year with an expensive U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Nelson and multimillionaire Republican Gov. Scott, and crucial House races that could help yank control of that chamber from Republicans.
The unusual deficit reported to the FEC marks the first time in 16 years that the state Democratic Party enters a midterm election year with a negative balance noted in its federal account, records show. During the same quarter in 2014, the last midterm election, the account reported $267,097 in hand.
The party could face a fine or a lesser administrative penalty if the FEC finds laws or regulations were violated in the handling of its finances, agency spokesman Christian Hilland said.
Florida trio seeks younger voices in GOP leadership
With Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision to not seek re-election, a scramble is developing to become the GOP leader in the House. Many of the names, such as Kevin McCarthy of California and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, are part of the current leadership.
While McCarthy and Scalise are part of the GOP establishment, the sentiment is growing for new blood to come forward. Others, like District One Rep. Matt Gaetz, would like to see younger members have a seat at the table.
“We need some of the millennial members of Congress at the table when the policy decisions are being made that will affect our generation as much as any,” says Gaetz. “There are a lot of the younger members that I’ve had informal discussions with that would like to see a younger person pursue one of the leadership positions.”
Gaetz is not alone among his Republican colleagues from Florida. Also pushing for a youth movement are Brian Mast of Palm City and Carlos Curbelo of Kendall.
“There’s certainly an appetite among the younger members to organize and to kind of figure out what direction we want to see our conference go after the Ryan era,” said Curbelo, who is in a tight race for re-election in District 26.
Gaetz does not describe the effort as one to overturn current leadership, but to get more ideas into the effort.
Dunn’s bill to protect veterans from addiction has hearing
The opioid abuse crisis has crept into nearly every corner of the American lifestyle. That includes hundreds of thousands of military veterans.
Representing a district with significant numbers of veterans, Panama City Republican Neal Dunn has sponsored legislation designed to track prescription drugs. The Veterans Opioid Abuse Prevention Act would have health care providers share prescribing data across a national network of interstate prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs).
Last week, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs held a hearing on Dunn’s bill. A key point of discussion was the VA’s lack of ability to consult a national network of state-based PDMPs that can identify someone from another state who is at high risk for abuse, overdose, and death.
“The opioid epidemic is ravaging this nation, and our military heroes are being hit especially hard. Veterans return from war with both visible and invisible wounds, making them more vulnerable to prescription opioid addiction. Our veterans deserve better,” said Dunn, himself an Army veteran, member of the House VA Committee, and a doctor. “By opening the lines of communication and allowing doctors both at the VA and across the nation to have the tools to identify opioid abuse patterns, we can ensure that no one, especially our nation’s heroes, slips through the cracks.”
Dunn’s bill is supported by Paralyzed Veterans of America, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It has 32 co-sponsors including delegation Republicans John Rutherford of Jacksonville and Ted Yoho of Gainesville.
Soto endorses Richardson in District 27 race
More than a dozen candidates are running to succeed the retiring Miami Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in House District 27. Democratic candidates are leading the fundraising efforts in the district, which is expected to flip in the fall elections.
With several local officials weighing in with endorsements, Orlando Democrat Soto became the first member of the delegation to weigh into the Democratic primary, endorsing State Rep. David Richardson.
“David Richardson is a fighter for the progressive cause. During his years as a State Legislator he fought for social rights and civil liberties for DACA recipients, LGBTQ Americans, and incarcerated Floridians,” Soto said in a statement. “His campaign for Congress has continued this trend with his support for Medicare-for-All, his calls for immediate aid to Puerto Rico, and his demands for gun reform nationwide. As such, I am proud to endorse his campaign for Congress, and look forward to serving with a progressive voice like David’s in Washington, D.C.”
Richardson is well funded to make a serious run at the nomination as well as win the seat in November. He has raised nearly $1.5 million and had more than $1 million cash on hand.
Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary and University of Miami President Donna Shalala have also topped the $1 million mark after recently joining the race. Former Knight Foundation Executive Matt Haggman has also raised more than $1 million.
With the recent withdrawal of State Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, no Hispanic candidate is on the ballot in the majority-Hispanic district.
“I’m deeply honored to receive the support of Congressman Darren Soto,” Richardson said in a statement. “Darren since his days as a State Legislature has become a national leader on progressive issues and has fought tirelessly for the people of Florida. I’m happy to have his support as we approach the Democratic primary election on August 28.”
Pelosi coming to St. Pete for Crist fundraiser
First-term Democrat Charlie Crist from St. Petersburg will be welcoming his party leader in the House for an upcoming fundraiser. Rep. Nancy Pelosi will be counting on re-electing Democrats like Crist and welcome new faces if she is to regain the speaker’s gavel she turned over to former speaker John Boehner in 2011.
Pelosi will be the featured guest at the fundraiser to be held at the home of Kathy and Joe Saunders on May 2. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is arranging the logistics.
In an email to potential attendees, the DCCC’s Mark Mendoza urges Democrats to keep moving forward.
“Right now, we’re on offense holding Donald Trump and congressional Republicans accountable for their reckless agenda. Across the country, Americans of all walks of life are standing up and saying no to the Republican vision,” said Mendoza. “Countless supporters have stepped up to fight back. We have the momentum, and we need to do everything we can to take advantage of it. We will take back the House this year, but we need to make sure we have the resources to do it.”
The event begins at 6 p.m. and is scheduled for 90 minutes.
Delegation members among wealthiest as well as least affluent
If members of the House and Senate represent regular people, who among them meet the same standard? A recent report by Roll Call on the wealthiest members of Congress reveals some members of the Florida delegation are among the wealthiest, while some are among the least affluent.
Longboat Key Republican Vern Buchanan is the most well-heeled among the delegation. He ranks as the eighth-wealthiest member of Congress with a net worth of $73.9 million.
Retiring Republican Tom Rooney of Okeechobee, a member of the family that owns the Pittsburgh Steelers, ranks No. 11 with a net worth of $55.3 million. Naples Republican Francis Rooney, no relation, is No. 26 with a net worth of $22.6 million.
Among the top 25 wealthiest, 15 are Republicans; 10 are Democrats.
On the lower end, Delray Beach Democrat Hastings is No. 529 on the list of 530 lawmakers. He reported a net worth of minus $2.14 million. One spot above Hastings is Weston Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz with a net worth of minus $1.2 million.
Retiring Republican Dennis Ross reported a net worth of minus $600,000, which ranks him at No. 524. Orlando Democrat Val Demings is No. 514, reporting a net worth of minus $500,000.
Among Senators, Republican Rubio ranks 504 with a net worth of minus $400,000. Democrat Nelson is 267 with a net worth of $500,000.
On this date in the headlines
April 24, 2000 — House Majority Whip Tom Delay Sunday promised a prompt Congressional investigation of the armed raid by federal agents who grabbed young Elian Gonzalez to reunite him with his Cuban father. Delay said people “should be held accountable for this.”
U.S. Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder called the raid “totally supported by the law.” Pockets of violence broke out in Miami as news of the raid and photos of the terrified child being taken at gunpoint spread throughout the media.
April 24, 2004 — An NFL star player was killed in Afghanistan near the border with Pakistan, the Army announced. Defensive back Pat Tillman gave up a $3.6 million contract to join his brother and become an Army Ranger.
The Army said Tillman’s unit was ambushed about 50 miles south of Kabul. A subsequent investigation indicated he was killed by friendly fire.
Photo of the week
