Peter Schorsch
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente wants to be a U.S. Senator so badly, he’s running in several states, including Florida. For instance, he’s running in Washington state, which has a primary election today.
Remember: Washington state is entirely vote-by-mail; no precincts are even open on Election Day. Washington is also a ‘Top Two’ primary state, where all candidates run in the August primary, and the Top Two advance to November, regardless of party affiliation.
Ballots are only required to be postmarked today, not received. Counting ballots can go on for two weeks, and often does in close races.
There are no third parties on the November ballot, forcing a choice between the two remaining candidates.
And there are — egads — 29 candidates vying for the Top Two slots in today’s Washington primary, including incumbent Democrat Maria Cantwell, elected with Florida’s Bill Nelson in the Class of 2000.
But there’s another Florida connection here, as always, as Rocky is the lone GOP challenger to Gov. Rick Scott for the Senate nomination.
Will he step down from Florida if he wins in Washington? If he stays and wins the Aug. 28 Florida primary, what will he do?
A request for comment with the De La Fuente campaign is pending.
Evening Reads
“43% of Republicans want to give Donald Trump the power to shut down media” via Sam Stein of The Daily Beast
“Why the Ohio special election won’t tell us much about November” via Charlie Cook of the National Journal
“Closed primary shuts out 3.5 million Florida voters” via Glenna Milberg of ClickOrlando.com
“As federal government eyes shutdown fight, Ron DeSantis backs Donald Trump’s threads” via Emily Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times
“Republican candidates for governor get in dust-up over Clearwater ‘Stand Your Ground’ shooting” via Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times
“Gwen Graham separates from the pack according to new Associated Industries of Florida poll” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics
“Sheriffs slam Frank White in new Ashley Moody ad” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida
“As bouts with killer algae rose, Florida gutted its water quality monitoring network” via Jenny Staletovich of the Miami Herald
“Former Wrigley Co. CEO helps Surterra land $65M for expansion efforts” via Drew Wilson of Florida Politics
“Hurricane Irma’s cost goes river-deep for JaxPort” via David Bauerlein of the Florida Times-Union
“Rising water temperatures have sharks moving north away from Florida” via Joyeeta Biswas of WPLG
Quote of the Day
“Any time he wants to have a contest about pushups or pullups, we’ll see who’s not up to it.” — U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, responding to a question on whether the Rick Scott campaign’s comments about his being ‘out of touch’ and ‘confused’ were its way to telegraph he’s become too old for the job.
Bill Day’s Latest
Breakthrough Insights
Wake Up Early?
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission, which was created by the Legislature after the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 people in Broward County, will start a two-day meeting. That’s at 8:30 a.m., BB&T Center, Chairman’s Club, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise.
The Florida A&M University Board of Trustees will hold a retreat that will include discussion of an assessment of President Larry Robinson and discussion about “key issues facing the university.” That’s at 8:30 a.m., FAMU College of Law, 201 Beggs Ave., Orlando.
Aides to Gov. Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis will meet to discuss issues in advance of an Aug. 14 Cabinet meeting. That’s at 9 a.m., Cabinet meeting room, the Capitol.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist will hold a roundtable discussion with veterans and representatives of the cannabis industry to talk about medical-marijuana issues. That’s at 11 a.m., Surterra Wellness Center, 10761 Ulmerton Road, Largo.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum joins attorney Benjamin Crump and the family of Markeis McGlockton for a rally against Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law. That’s at 11 a.m., Bethel Baptist Church, 224 N Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Tallahassee.
Former state Sen. Jeremy Ring, a Democrat running for state chief financial officer, is slated to speak to the Gold Coast Tiger Bay Club. That’s at 11:30 a.m., City Fish Market, 7940 Glades Road, Boca Raton.
U.S. Sen. Nelson and Congresswoman Kathy Castor, both Democrats, will join the Florida Education Association and American Federation of Teachers for a major campaign announcement. That’s at noon, Hillsborough Teachers Union Hall, 3102 N. Habana Ave., Tampa.
Republican gubernatorial candidates Putnam and Ron DeSantis will hold a final televised debate before the Aug. 28 primary. That’s at 8 p.m., Jacksonville University, Terry Concert Hall, 2800 University Blvd. North, Jacksonville.
