Peter Schorsch
Sunburn – The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics.
By Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel McAuliffe, Jim Rosica, and Drew Wilson.
Mail ballots have been trickling into county supervisor of elections offices since mid-September, and while there’s only evidence of a “blue ripple” so far, the door hasn’t closed on the 2018 election living up to the hype.
As of Monday, more than 450,000 mail ballots had been returned, and registered Republicans lead Democrats by more than 35,000 votes. But more important than how many ballots have completed their round trip is where they’re coming from.
So far, traditionally Republican strongholds in Southwest Florida have been leading the way in returns, helping the GOP rack up that lead while the deep-blue counties in South Florida have only tallied a handful of ballots.
Looking at the numbers, Florida Democrats say everything is pointing to a favorable cycle for them, highlighting stats including a 6-point bump in Democratic returns in Sarasota County as well as smaller boosts in Charlotte and Lee counties.
The party is also pointing touting its turnout lead among young and Hispanic voters, and the Sunshine State’s perennial minority party is holding out hope that the extra 500,000 unreliable Dems who asked for a mail ballot this year follow through at 2014 rates. If they do, they’ll even up the score with the GOP.
Still, Team Blue’s optimism is nothing more than reading tea leaves with nearly three weeks left on the clock. Overall turnout is only at about 3.5 percent so far, and Democrats have come away with egg on their face after touting gains in crimson country — they outperformed in the mail vote in Sarasota County in 2016, too, and nobody needs a refresher course on how turned out.
Except possibly the Florida Democratic Party.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@RealDonaldTrump: Congressman Neal Dunn (@DunnCampaign) of Florida has done an outstanding job at everything having to do with #MAGA. Now working hard on hurricane relief and rebuild. Strong on Crime, strong on Borders, loves our Military and our Vets. Neal has my highest Endorsement!
—@LearyReports: Former Sen. Bob Graham on CNN says Saudi controversy is good reason to bring conclusion to questions about Saudi role in 9/11.
—@TroyKinsey: Dem strategist @steveschale on state of the #flgov & #flsen races on Election Day -20: “Republicans are seeing turnout where they want to see it & Democrats are seeing better overall return rates than four years ago, leading to a much closer margin than existed on day 20 in 2014.”
—@Fineout: Evergreen tweet about debates You say either and I say either, You say neither, and I say neither Either, either neither, neither Let’s call the whole thing off
—@MDixon55: Right now an undecided voter in Pinellas County: “man, I really think candidate x is right on this whole debate date fight. I’m going to vote for them.”
—@PeterSchorschFL: We’ve reached the point in #FlaPol where the Republican Attorney General (@PamBondi) is calling on the Democrat Gov. nominee (@AndrewGillum) to denounce a video from a rapper (@Tip)
—@AshleyDii: At the City Commission meeting this evening, about six people have already gotten up and spoken highly about the city of Tallahassee’s response to #HurricaneMichael.
—@JudyWoodruff: “the mental wounds can often be the tougher thing to deal with,” says Army veteran @RepBrianMast who lost limbs in Afghanistan – talking w/ @NickSchifrin about how prevalent PTSD is @NewsHour tonight
—@SenatorGainer: Comcast has sent the Xfinity “WiFi on Wheels” or “WoW” van to provide free wireless internet service so residents and emergency personnel can stay connected. The vehicle is set up at the Lynn Haven Walmart Supercenter. The customized van is outfitted with six WiFi access points.
—@CraigTimes: You can tell it’s fall in #Florida when the license plates change color.
— LATEST TURNOUT FIGURES —
— DAYS UNTIL —
MLB World Series begins — 5; ‘Before You Vote’ Florida Governor debate — 6; Early voting begins — 9; Halloween — 13; General Election Day — 19; Florida Blue Florida Classic: FAMU vs. BCU — 30; 2019 Legislature Organization Session meetings — 33; Thanksgiving — 35; Black Friday — 36; Florida Chamber Insurance Summit — 40; 2019 Session Interim Committee Meetings begin — 54; ‘Hamilton’ comes to the Straz Center — 117; 2019 Legislative Session starts — 138; ‘Captain Marvel’ release — 141; 2020 General Election — 747.
— TOP STORY —
“Odds are, your next Governor will be a Democrat” via Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight — Democrats Andrew Gillum of Florida and Stacey Abrams of Georgia are striving to become the first African-American governors of their respective states and the first elected anywhere in the South since Douglas Wilder of Virginia in 1989. Gillum has had a small but fairly consistent lead in the polls, and our model gives him a 70 percent chance (about 7 in 10) of winning.
— AFTER MICHAEL —
“‘Flying cow’ brings cell service back to Mexico Beach” via Florida Politics — Telecom giant AT&T is getting Mexico Beach residents back in contact with the outside world thanks to a piece of tech it calls a “Flying COW.” The Flying COW is a specialized drone, not a winged bovine, and the name is an acronym for “Cell on Wings.” Still, measuring in at five feet in length on the broadside, the flyer is considerably larger than a typical drone. The device comes as Mexico Beach residents struggle to get in contact with family and friends in the wake of Hurricane Michael, which hit the Bay County town head on when it made landfall last week … When it’s at its maximum altitude, AT&T says the Flying COW can provide coverage in an area up to 40 square miles.
Gulf Power Co. making progress in power restoration — Some 95 percent of customers in Jackson and Holmes counties had lights on, the company said Wednesday. In its coverage area north of Interstate 10, including Bonifay, Chipley, Campbellton, Caryville, and Graceville, thousands of restoration crew members from 15 state bested the company’s estimates by a full 24 hours. “Restoring power to these storm-devastated areas takes a massive coordinated effort,” vice president for power delivery Adrianne Collins said. “Everyone involved in this restoration has been encouraged by the support they have felt from our customers, and the entire team is humbled to be part of the effort.” Gulf Power hoped to bring customers around Vernon and Caryville online by Thursday night, and in Panama City by Oct. 24. Click here for a map.
“Tallahassee power outages drop below 1,000 customers, now more than 99 percent of city customers have power” via Jeff Burlew of the Tallahassee Democrat — As of 7:40 a.m., the city’s outage map showed 840 customers without power. Hurricane Michael, which made landfall a week ago in Mexico Beach, knocked out power to 114,000 of the city’s 117,000 customers, or some 97 percent. The latest numbers show more than 99 percent of city customers now have power. Meanwhile, Talquin Electric reported this morning that more than 75 percent of its customers in four counties have power. Some 12,690 of Talquin’s 52,033 customers were still without power, according to the cooperative’s outage map.
“’One nail at a time’: Port St. Joe recovery from Hurricane Michael may take years” via Karl Etters of the Tallahassee Democrat — Everywhere you look, people are collecting what possessions the sea didn’t take. Furniture and photo albums washed for blocks in the more than 10-foot storm surge. Neighbors help each other clear trees and debris. The worry is that Port St. Joe will be forgotten amid the intense attention being paid to places such as nearby Mexico Beach, where the Category 4 storm exploded onto land and the well-known tourist destination of Panama City. “They call this a Forgotten Coast for a reason,” said First United Methodist Church of Port St. Joe Pastor Geoffrey Lentz, whose house was destroyed. “But Mexico Beach, St. Joe Beach, Port St. Joe Beach are going to need a lot of help for the long haul. I want the story to be told that we’re here and we’re going to recover.”
Hurricane Michael insurance claims continue to mount — The number has hit 57,850, the Office of Insurance Regulation reported Wednesday. The agency is making carriers report claims data every day as the state responds to the Category 4 storm. Only 1,713 had been closed already — that is, paid. There were 1,062 closed claims — those not paid. Residential property claims accounted for the bulk of the claims, at 45,975. Commercial property claims numbered 1,285, and private flood claims 35.
“Healthy Kids could waive premiums in hard-hit areas” via the News Service of Florida — The Florida Healthy Kids Corp. Board of Directors is expected to consider waiving children’s health-insurance premiums for three months in a dozen counties slammed last week by Hurricane Michael. Gov. Rick Scott, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior are backing the move, which could waive premiums for about 5,600 children in three insurance programs. Most of the children are in subsidized programs in which they qualify for low-cost health insurance because of their family income levels, while about 325 children are in families that pay the full premiums. The proposed premium waiver would be for November, December and January in Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Leon, Wakulla and Taylor counties, according to a letter that Senior sent to Florida Healthy Kids Corp. CEO Rebecca Matthews.
“Amid squalor and debris, Michael’s survivors cling to motel” via Jay Reeves of The Associated Press — Simply getting through the day is a struggle at the American Quality Lodge, a low-rent motel where dozens of people are living in squalor amid the destruction left by Hurricane Michael … winds of as much as 155 mph ripped much of the roof off the two-story redbrick motel, which is just miles from the white sands of Panama City Beach. The place looks absolutely shattered … Rooms reek with the pungent smell of wet clothes and perspiration; windows are missing from many. Long-term residents abandoned blown-out rooms for ones with fewer leaks or doors that will shut. Other people simply showed up from surrounding areas and settled in. Some asked permission; others didn’t. Residents say police and firefighters have been by to make sure the people are safe, but these survivors say they didn’t bother to report any of the lootings at the motel because the first-responders seem so busy.
“Michael’s most vulnerable evacuees make Pasco shelter their new home” via Megan Reeves of the Tampa Bay Times — The state asked Pasco County to open its special needs shelter late Sunday for patients and evacuees from the Panhandle. By Monday, the cots were filled with patients who fled hospitals, medical facilities and their own homes rendered powerless by the monster storm. For many evacuees, this is the third shelter they’ve been in. They brought with them a host of medical complications, anger, fear and questions: When will they be able to return home? And is there anything for them to return home to? Aside from addressing patients’ medical needs, those who staff the shelter are working to make the evacuees feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment, and keep them from focusing on what might await them back home. High stress can exacerbate medical problems, so it’s important that patients “feel our compassion,” said shelter nurse Amy Bowen.
“Florida towns face dark weeks without power. ‘This isn’t a restore. This is a rebuild.’” via Samantha Gross and Elizabeth Koh of the Miami Herald — Major utilities say it will still take weeks to repair downed lines and poles and reconnect customers — and that’s only for the homes and businesses in good enough shape to “take electrical service.” The reality is that mass damage left by Michael — which left a monster 80-mile-wide path of ruin — means it may take even more time to turn the lights back on in damaged structures. Leaders in some counties are warning it could take up to a month to fully restore power to what is still standing and far longer for homes that were leveled and needed to be rebuilt. The utilities also face a daunting challenge reassembling the shattered grid. Gulf Power spokesman Rick DelaHaya said there’s a lot that can’t be salvaged: “This isn’t a restore … this is a rebuild.”
“Remediation contractors insist AOB deals getting bum image” via Florida Politics — Amid post-Hurricane Michael warnings to homeowners against signing any assignment of benefits (AOB) agreements comes a defense of these contracts from the Restoration Association of Florida. “We are extremely concerned about multiple advisories warning homeowners not to sign any contracts containing an assignment of benefits (AOB) language,” association spokeswoman Amanda Prater said. “The assignment of benefits language is perfectly legal and is an extremely common insurance practice. Many homeowners we are meeting with understandably do not have the money to pay out of pocket for emergency services such as water dry-out, mold, tree service, roof repairs, etc. … The AOB language is there to allow covered repairs to be made to one’s property immediately — and the contractors will bill the homeowner’s insurance company directly.”
“Best intentions: When disaster relief brings anything but relief” via CBS News — “Generally after a disaster, people with loving intentions donate things that cannot be used in a disaster response, and in fact may actually be harmful,” said Juanita Rilling, former director of the Center for International Disaster Information in Washington, D.C. “And they have no idea that they’re doing it.” Rilling has spent more than a decade trying to tell well-meaning people to think before they give. “The thinking is that these people have lost everything, so they must NEED everything. So people SEND everything. You know, any donation is crazy if it’s not needed. People have donated prom gowns and wigs and tiger costumes and pumpkins, and frostbite cream to Rwanda, and used tea bags, ’cause you can always get another cup of tea.”
“FSU medical school setup relief fund” via the News Service of Florida — A fund has been established to help medical students, faculty members and staff of the Florida State University College of Medicine who have been left reeling after Hurricane Michael. John P. Fogarty and Alma Littles — the dean and the assistant dean of the college, respectively — sent a memo announcing the creation of the fund. “In the past week, some at the College of Medicine have seen trees slice buildings in two. Some have lost family homes to ferocious winds. Some have gone days without air conditioning or news from the outside world. Some have lost a refrigerator full of food and can’t afford to replace it. More than one person experienced a death in the family,” the memo said.
— GILLUM VS. DESANTIS —
“FPL and Republican PACs are funding misleading anti-Andrew Gillum Facebook ads” via Jerry Iannelli of the Miami New Times — For years, a 501(c)(4) “dark money” nonprofit called Florida Strong has been supporting Democratic candidates across the state. Though the secretive group has been more than deserving of its own criticism over the years, there’s apparently now a second and perhaps even shadier organization called “Florida Strong” funded by right-wingers operating in the state. The new PAC is now running a bunch of awful, anti-Gillum ads that falsely refer to the Tallahassee Mayor as a “socialist,” among other insane attacks. Perhaps most misleadingly, the PAC is also sponsoring Facebook ads asking users to click to see which “award” Gillum recently received. The website redirects to a single page showing a fake award congratulating Gillum for Tallahassee’s high crime rate. The site is clickbait.
SEIU Florida ad buys to support Bill Nelson, Gillum — Instead of traditional TV advertising, SEIU Florida State Council will be launching two separate health-care-related video ad buys supporting Nelson in the U.S. Senate and Gillum for Florida Governor, which will appear on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. The first, “Fight Back,” blasts “Trump’s candidate Ron DeSantis” for putting health care coverage at risk for those with pre-existing conditions. “Protect Health Care” warns voters that Scott will “raise health care premiums and take away coverage for pre-existing conditions.”
To view “Fight Back,” click on the image below:
To view “Protect Health Care,” click on the image below:
“Jeanette Nuñez, Chris King attack roles expand after Hurricane Michael” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — Hurricane Michael has brought out the running mates working double-time in attack mode, as Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gillum took off more than a week to focus on hurricane recovery efforts, and Republican gubernatorial nominee DeSantis turned much of his focus into relief supply drive efforts. “Never in the history in the state of Florida has a candidate for governor run on a platform to increase taxes 40 percent. It is mind-blowing that we could even consider giving Andrew Gillum our vote when all he wants to do is overburden us with more taxes,” Núñez said at a small Spanish-language church, Iglesia Puertas Del Cielo, full of energized Republicans in DeLand. Núñez has sharpened her slicing and dicing skills through eight years in the Florida House. King sharpened his plan in 18 months in a sometimes-nasty Democratic gubernatorial primary. “Ron DeSantis has been running for governor for 261 days. We’re 20 days from the election, and he still doesn’t have a plan for health care! Can you imagine that?”
Assignment editors — Ron DeSantis’ wife Casey will join state Rep. Halsey Beshears of Monticello for a tour of Gulf County: 11 a.m. central time, Gulf County Emergency Operations Center, 1000 Cecil G. Costin, Sr. Blvd, Building 500, Port St. Joe; noon central time, Port St. Joe Middle School/High School, 100 Shark Drive Port, St. Joe.
Assignment editors — DeSantis will speak at the Duval County Victory Dinner, 8 p.m. Eastern time, Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 A Philip Randolph Blvd., Jacksonville.
— SCOTT VS. NELSON —
“Records sought for correspondence between Rick Scott’s official office, campaign” via Danny McAuliffe of Florida Politics — A photo of Gov. Scott acting in his official capacity following Hurricane Michael made its way into an ad for Scott’s U.S. Senate campaign. That’s not sitting well with a liberal Super PAC invested in Florida’s closely watched top-ticket races. American Bridge 21st Century filed a three-pronged public record request with the Governor’s Office. The group wants any email correspondence between the state and the campaign from the past week, along with any mentions of visual materials of Hurricane Michael recovery efforts and a list of any “filming expenses” incurred by Scott’s state office.
“Scott, Nelson fault each other for canceled CNN debate” via Danny McAuliffe of Florida Politics — One of the most bitterly disputed features of Florida’s U.S. Senate race is if or when the candidates will convene to talk about real issues. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Nelson and Republican challenger Gov. Scott have swapped accusations of debate dodging since the summer. The latest development: a canceled CNN forum, prompting more sparks to fly in the debate debacle. Scott’s campaign wanted to reschedule the debate for Oct. 25 and early this week began suggesting Nelson would back out. That’s precisely what Nelson did, according to Scott’s campaign.
“Can Nelson tastefully change the subject from Hurricane Michael? He’s trying.” via Steve Contorno and Steve Bousquet of the Tampa Bay Times — The 76-year-old Democrat said it’s time for voters to hear from him with less than three weeks until all ballots are cast. “I’m going to campaign,” Nelson said. “I’ve spent the last week in the Panhandle in those storm-ravaged counties, and have done everything I can do, and they know to call me if they are getting any hiccups. But in the meantime, I’m going to continue to make my case to the people.” Scott has taken a different approach. Though his U.S. Senate campaign continues to assail Nelson via television airwaves, the 65-year-old Republican governor is bunkering down in North Florida indefinitely to focus on recovery efforts, avoiding traditional events — reporters and other issues, too — for the foreseeable future.
“Super PAC backing Scott’s Senate effort raises $7M” via Matt Dixon of POLITICO Florida — New Republican is headed by longtime Scott adviser Melissa Stone, but can’t coordinate with the official campaign. That, however, has not stopped a long list of big-time Florida GOP donors from giving to the committee, which has raised nearly $17 million this election cycle. The biggest check during the most recent reporting period was $2.5 million from Kenneth Griffin, the billionaire founder of Chicago-based hedge fund Citadel LLC and the super PAC’s finance chairman. Overall this cycle, Griffin has given $7.5 million to the committee. Other large donors during the latest reporting period include: $375,000 from the Alliance for Consumer Protection; $350,000 from the Consumer Policy League; $250,000 each from Christopher and Jude Reyes, brothers and co-chairs of Reyes Holdings, one of the nation’s most extensive beer and food distributors; $250,000 from J.W Chiles, who runs a private equity firm; and $250,000 from Conservatives for Better Leadership, an Alabama-based dark money group.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —
Steve Schale’s take 20 days out — We are 20 days from the start of Florida State basketball season, and since that 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time game tip happens to fall one hour after the midterm polls close in the central time zone in Florida, that means it is election memo time! Compared to this day in the election in 2014, two things stand out: One, far fewer ballots have been returned. At this point, just under 870,000 ballots had been returned. And secondly, the Republicans, while leading now, were leading by considerably more in 2014. The GOP advantage is being driven by very robust return rates in southwest Florida — basically the Fort Myers media market. This is the heart of the Republican base, and it was an area that was both robust for Scott in 2014, and Donald Trump in 2016. Republicans have about a 4 percent edge in all ballots mailed, but about a 5.3 percent edge in ballots returned, however, both parties have seen about a quarter of their ballots returned. Sarasota tends to be an indicator for Democrats of good things. Right now, in Sarasota, Democrats are not only returning ballots faster than Republicans as a percentage — more Democrats have actually voted than Republicans. I will watch this going forward.
Orlando, Tampa and St. Petersburg mayors endorse Sean Shaw — “I can confidently say that he is the most qualified candidate in the Attorney General’s race by leaps and bounds and will build a better future for all Floridians,” said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said: “As Attorney General, I know that Sean Shaw will be a fierce advocate for the rights of all Floridians and vigorously defend our constitution. I look forward to working with Sean to turn our state blue.” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman added: “I have watched firsthand as Sean has fought for the rights of all Tampa Bay residents. I look forward to working with Sean to ensure that every Floridian has access to the American dream.”
“Justices OK ‘bundling,’ amendments will go to voters” via Michael Moline of Florida Politics — The Florida Supreme Court cleared three proposed constitutional amendments for the Nov. 6 ballot, narrowly rejecting a challenge by retired Supreme Court Justice Harry Lee Anstead that they improperly bundled multiple items. In an unsigned opinion, the majority ruled that the Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) was within its authority under state law, and the state and U.S. constitutions, to lump disparate ideas into what became Amendments 7, 9, and 11. The vote was 4-3. Such “logrolling” is improper when done by the Legislature or citizen initiative. But the CRC process “embodies adequate safeguards to protect against logrolling and deception,” the opinion says. The challenge had argued such bundling violates voters’ First Amendment right “to cast a meaningful vote on each independent and unrelated proposal.” The majority said that was “a novel theory with no apparent support in the law.”
“Supreme Court details clash over education ballot measure” via Jim Saunders of the News Service of Florida — After saying last month that it was blocking a controversial education measure from the November ballot, the Florida Supreme Court has released details of the ruling that show sharp differences about a proposal that one justice said would have brought a “monumental” change to the state Constitution. Justices, in a 4-3 decision, said the proposed constitutional amendment had “defective” ballot wording that would not inform voters of the measure’s “true meaning and ramifications.” The ruling centered on how the proposal would have affected the creation of charter schools — a hot-button issue in Florida’s education system. The proposal linked three issues: imposing term limits for school boards, requiring the promotion of civic literacy in schools and changing part of the Constitution that gives school boards the power to operate and control schools in their districts.
— NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, PART 2 —
“Nancy Pelosi is coming to Orlando, but not to campaign for Stephanie Murphy, campaign says” via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel — Republican state Rep. Mike Miller seized on a Washington Post report that Pelosi would be in Central Florida this week, campaigning for Democrats, and presumably his opponent, incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Murphy. Miller’s campaign called Pelosi’s visit a “stealth mission to Central Florida,” alleging she was coming to the region to raise money for Murphy and Democrats. “Why would Stephanie Murphy hide the fact her party’s leader will be in town raising money that will benefit her campaign?” Miller asked in a statement. However, Murphy’s campaign said Pelosi’s visit wasn’t to campaign for the incumbent, adding that Murphy was scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the Seminole County School Administrators Legislative dinner and also had a media event addressing protecting the environment.
“Bill Posey ramps up re-election campaign money in CD 8 race” via Florida Politics — Republican U.S. Rep. Posey had the most significant fundraising drive yet for his re-election campaign during August and September, bringing in $182,000 to fuel his battle with Democratic challenger Sanjay Patel in Florida’s 8th Congressional District … Going into October, Posey had raised $780,000 in this election cycle and spent $642,000 of that, including $170,000 during the Aug. 9-Sept. 30 period, according to campaign finance reports. That left him with $650,000 left to spend in October and early November. Patel brought in $76,000 in August and September. With the $39,000 his campaign raised before the pre-primary Aug. 8 reporting deadline, Patel has managed to attract six-figure contribution money in consecutive quarters. In the second quarter of 2018, he outraised Posey.
“Lauren Baer raises more than $1.7M, besting Brian Mast” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Even by the high standards set by other South Florida Democrats, Baer had an impressive third quarter of fundraising, pulling in more than $1.7 million. That was more than enough to top a strong quarter from her Republican opponent, U.S. Rep. Mast, who earned more than $980,000 in donations. Despite losing the fundraising period to Baer by more than $700,000, he beats her by a similar margin in cash on hand. Mast maintains more than $1.4 million in cash, while Baer has just over $770,000 available.
“Mary Barzee Flores on top in latest CD 25 fundraising” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Another South Florida Democrat has topped a Republican incumbent in fundraising during the third quarter for the 25th Congressional District. Barzee Flores led Mario Diaz-Balart in the latest fundraising reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. Barzee Flores brought in just over $640,000 July 1-Sept. 30. Diaz-Balart came up more than $200,000 short of that, hauling in just over $410,000. While Barzee Flores may be feeling confident about her recent fundraising, she’s still well behind in cash on hand for the remaining few weeks of the campaign. Diaz-Balart has banked more than $1.3 million, while Barzee Flores’ stash sits at just over $410,000.
“Donna Shalala leaves Maria Elvira Salazar in the dust, by more than $400K” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Shalala raked in the dough during the third quarter, hauling in more than $1 million in her bid for Florida’s 27th Congressional District. That puts her well ahead of her Republican opponent, Elvira Salazar, who earned just over $560,000. The latest reports filed with the Federal Election Commission cover the period of July 1 to Sept. 30. Shalala maintains a lead in cash on hand as well. The Democrat has nearly $440,000 available while Salazar is sitting on just over $380,000.
— DOWN BALLOT —
“Bobby Olszewski TV commercial promotes community pride, unity” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics — The 30-second spot features images of Central Florida points of pride including theme parks, the University of Central Florida, Kennedy Space Center, and of happy people, as the freshman Florida House member narrates a message of unity in divisive times. “While there are some who try to divide us, there is so much that can unify us,” Olszewski starts. As he speaks and the images of Central Florida roll through in rapid fire, so do text messages highlighting some of Olszewski’s work, Republican Florida Legislature’s talking points of policy achievements, and other statements, such as “Record K-12 Education Funding,” “Record Tourism Numbers,” “Florida is #1 in Higher Education,” “Florida Records the Largest Net Job Gain in the Nation,” and “Fighting for Our Veterans and Seniors.”
To view the ad, click on the image below:
Happening today — Candidates for two open state House seats will appear at the Sarasota Tiger Bay Club meeting. Democrat Tracy Pratt and Republican Will Robinson are seeking to replace term-limited Rep. Jim Boyd in House District 71. Republican James Buchanan, Democrat Tony Mowry and unaffiliated candidate Robert Kaplan are seeking to replace Rep. Julio Gonzalez in House District 74, noon, Michael’s on East, 1212 East Ave. South, Sarasota.
For what it’s worth: Former Rep. Gonzalez endorses Buchanan — Gonzalez is backing Buchanan to succeed him in state House District 74: “James has the right background and conviction to make him a key player in fashioning policy beneficial to our region. After my numerous discussions with him, I am confident that there can be no better-qualified individual to continue to provide strong conservative representation that will lower taxes, create more jobs, and improve our standard of living.” Buchanan, a local real estate agent and the son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, previously ran in neighboring HD 72 but lost a special election earlier this year to now-Democratic state Rep. Margaret Good. Gonzalez gave up his seat for an unsuccessful run for Congress.
— STATEWIDE —
“Scott seeks backing on medical marijuana appeal” via Dara Kam of the News Service of Florida — With a 5 p.m. Friday deadline looming, Gov. Scott has sought support from legislative leaders before appealing a Tallahassee judge’s order that critics say would create pandemonium in the state’s medical-marijuana industry if allowed to stand. Responding to Scott’s request, House Speaker Richard Corcoran, incoming Speaker Jose Oliva and other Republican House leaders urged the Governor to seek “immediate review by a higher court” of an order by Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson, who ruled this month that a 2017 medical marijuana law was unconstitutional. The impending court deadline — and the Scott administration’s failure to file an appeal thus far — has sparked a buzz within the state’s lucrative and highly restricted medical-cannabis industry, where licenses have sold for upward of $60 million in recent months.
“Appeals court rejects revoking nurse’s license” via the News Service of Florida — An appeals court said the Florida Board of Nursing went too far when it revoked the license of a nurse who took expired medications from a nursing home where she worked. A three-judge panel of the 4th District Court of Appeal said the decision to revoke the license of Marie C. Cadet was a “higher than permissible penalty” and, as a result, violated her due-process rights. The court, in a five-page ruling, sent the case back to the Board of Nursing for reconsideration of the penalty. Cadet, a licensed practical nurse, admitted that she took expired prescription drugs from the nursing home because she could not afford her medications, according to the ruling.
“Despite political winds, Florida Aquarium will keep working with Cuba to save reefs” via Paul Guzzo of the Tampa Bay Times — As human contributions to climate change and U.S. relations with Cuba continue to divide the country, the Florida Aquarium is pushing ahead with a project that cuts across both issues. President and chief executive Roger Germann visited Havana to sign a new memorandum of understanding with Cuba’s National Aquarium enabling them to continue working together on restoring the coral reefs in Caribbean waters. “Every five years we can make adjustments as needed,” Germann said during a news conference at the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa. “The world is changing; the climate is changing; the Gulf of Mexico is changing.” As for working with communist Cuba, Germann said, “The countries may have some odds at times, but this memorandum of understanding is really critical to the benefit of Florida, to the benefit of both countries.”
— OPINIONS —
“Diego Echeverri: DeSantis is the clear choice for Florida’s veterans” via Florida Politics — I first met DeSantis a couple of years ago in his Washington office during a meeting to discuss legislation to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs. Most of the meetings our group had that day were with staff members, but Rep. DeSantis took time out of his schedule to meet with us face to face. DeSantis understands firsthand the sacrifice and service of Florida’s 1.5 million veterans. He is an Iraq War veteran who honorably served in the U.S. Navy as a judge advocate at Guantánamo Bay and alongside Navy SEALs in Fallujah. He served six years on active duty and continues to serve as a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. On Election Day, I urge my fellow Florida veterans and military families to support Ron DeSantis for governor. We will be well-served in Tallahassee, as we have been in Washington, by this proven leader and unwavering champion.
“Florida Supreme Court ruling makes governor’s race more important” via Bill Cotterell of the Tallahassee Democrat — In a terse, unsigned order, it ruled that Democrat Gillum or. Republican DeSantis will appoint three Supreme Court justices. Gov. Scott, whose term expires just as those three jurists will be forced into retirement by the constitution’s age limit, had asserted authority to name their replacements. The governor told the high court’s Judicial Nominating Commission to take applications and interview potential replacements for Justices Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and R. Fred Lewis. The Supreme Court ruled, however, that Scott lacked legal authority to set in motion the selection process, in anticipation of making the appointments before officially leaving office at the stroke of midnight between Jan. 7 and 8. The difference is much bigger than a Cinderella stroke of the clock on Inauguration Day. Pariente, Quince and Lewis make up three-fourths of what is considered the liberal bloc of the seven-member Supreme Court.
— MOVEMENTS —
“Lobby Up: Hurricane cleanup firm AshBritt Environmental hires Ballard Partners” via Florida Politics — AshBritt Environmental, a “rapid-response disaster recovery and special environmental services contractor” in Deerfield Beach, has hired Ballard Partners’ namesake Brian Ballard and its Christina Daly Brodeur. Veteran influencer Ron Book also remains the company’s lobbyist, according to lobbying registration records accessed Wednesday. Daly Brodeur, formerly Secretary of Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice under Gov. Scott, joined Ballard’s firm last month. The new registration comes as the Gulf coast cleans up and starts rebuilding after category 4 Hurricane Michael ravaged it and a swath of North Florida last week.
Leroy Collins Institute renews eight board members — The Institute announced the board members have agreed to serve another three-year term with the nonpartisan statewide organization, “signaling a continued commitment to researching, developing and promoting forward-thinking public policies to solve key issues facing Floridians.” They are Jim Apthorp of Tallahassee, who co-founded the Institute in 1988; Rena Coughlin of Jacksonville; Rick Edmonds of St. Petersburg; Pegeen Hanrahan of Gainesville; Jim Ley of Sarasota; Audrey Moran of Jacksonville; Janet Owen of Orlando and Nicole T. Washington of Miami. “Each individual has contributed a wealth of knowledge, thought-provoking ideas and steadfast dedication to our organization throughout their term, and I am pleased to continue collaborating with them,” said Dr. Carol Weissert, Florida State University political science professor and Leroy Collins Institute director.
New and renewed lobbying registrations:
Lisa Aaron, Lisa Aaron Consulting: Step CG
George Oscar Anderson, Southern Strategy Group: Nucor Corporation, Waymo
Matt Brockelman, Southern Strategy Group: Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center
Carlos Cruz, Converge Government Affairs of Florida: Insikt
Kari Hebrank, Wilson & Associates: Bermont Excavating
Brian Hughes: City of Jacksonville
Kim McDougal, GrayRobinson: Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities
— ALOE —
“Wembley: Shahid Khan withdraws ‘divisive’ offer to buy national stadium from FA” via BBC Sport — Khan had offered £600M ($786M) for the national stadium, with the FA retaining the Club Wembley hospitality rights, valued at £250M to £300M ($327M to $393M). The move was “more divisive than expected,” said FA chief Martin Glenn. Khan has not ruled out making another bid in future if there is more support from FA Council members. The FA had said it would invest the proceeds of the sale into improving grassroots football facilities. Sports Minister Tracey Crouch told the BBC she was “very disappointed” by the decision, calling the offer “a huge opportunity to boost funding into the development and maintenance of artificial and grass pitches up and down the country.”
“Box office: ‘Halloween’ to carve out huge $65 million-plus debut” via Rebecca Rubin of Variety —“Halloween” should keep powering the domestic market as Universal’s R-rated slasher film eyes a massive opening in the $57 million to $65 million range. The studio is cautiously anticipating a $50 million bow, though some industry analysts think it could rocket past $70 million when it debuts in 3,928 theaters. “Halloween” is also releasing in 21 international territories this weekend. Even the lower part of that range would easily shatter records for the best launch in the “Halloween” franchise. The 2007 reboot holds that distinction now with $26 million. “Halloween” also looks to notch one of the best starts for an R-rated horror film, joining the company of “It” ($123 million), “Hannibal ($58 million), and “The Nun” ($53 million). Given its $10 million production budget, the scary sequel is on track to be hugely profitable.
“French steakhouse chain La Boucherie making U.S. debut near Universal Orlando” via Kyle Arnold of the Orlando Sentinel — French casual dining restaurant chain La Boucherie plans to make its American debut in Orlando’s Dr. Phillips neighborhood in November, just blocks from the Universal Orlando Resort theme parks. La Boucherie has about 150 locations in France and 50 outside France but hasn’t yet brought its affordable French steakhouse take to the United States. Phillip Hicks, general manager for the Orlando location, said it should open Nov. 7. La Boucherie is like the Outback Steakhouse of France, if Outback served foie gras and steak tartare.
“Universal adds extra date for Halloween horror nights” via John Gregory of Orlando Rising — The resort has added Tuesday, Oct. 30 as an event date “due to popular demand.” Guests who have already bought Universal’s Frequent Fear Pass, Frequent Fear Plus Pass and the Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass will have access to the park on the newly added night. Universal had previously scheduled the event to last for 36 nights at Universal Studios Florida after the late addition of two Wednesday dates in September. Two recent event dates — Oct. 12 and Oct. 14 — sold out. Universal has created space on its calendar to make the event last longer in 2019.
Happy birthday to GrayRobinson’s Tim Cerio, INFLUENCE 100 alum Marcus Jadotte, state Rep. Amber Mariano and the awesome Monica Rodriguez of Ballard Partners.
