Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, who is running for Governor, was featured on the newest episode of Showtime’s “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth.”
The former Governor sat down with John Heilemann for a one-on-one interview, where he discussed the “culture wars” perpetrated by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Republicans.
Crist said he has “never seen a Governor of Florida this arrogant” and vowed that DeSantis “is not going to win” re-election, saying that he has “more faith in Florida.”
“I think he is so focused on 2024 and the hard-right, Republican primary voter, he’s dreaming about being in the Oval Office and I think he’s intoxicated by it,” Crist said in the interview. “The last Governor’s race, the one he won, was the closest Governor’s race in the history of our state. He won by 0.04 of 1%.”
Though DeSantis is outraising his Democratic competition by orders of magnitude — he has nearly $100 million banked between his campaign and committee — Crist believes Democrats could still pull out a win.
“We’re about a third Republican, a third Independent, a third Democratic — Florida is still purple,” he said.
The interview comes a few months out from the Democratic Primary for Governor, where Crist faces Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Sen. Annette Taddeo, who was Crist’s running mate in the 2014 gubernatorial election.
Of the three, Crist has the momentum. He leads the Democratic field in fundraising, and he recently landed endorsements from Democratic state Sens. Shev Jones, Lori Berman and Tina Polsky. Likewise, prediction markets peg him as the odds-on favorite to secure the nomination.
Evening Reads
“The contractual impossibility of unwinding Disney’s Reedy Creek” via Jacob Schumer of Bloomberg Tax
“The Elon Musk placebo effect” via Kaitlyn Tiffany of The Atlantic
“Ron DeSantis’ fight with Disney helped him break fundraising records” via Emily L. Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times
“Equal Ground hopes courts step in on Gov. DeSantis’ congressional map before the midterms” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
“‘Ron DeSantis Republican’ Chuck Nadd drops out of Agriculture Commissioner race after Governor backs Wilton Simpson” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel
“Two more Senators, Lori Berman and Tina Polsky, line up with Charlie Crist” via Scott Powers of Florida Politics
“Manatee County splits from Sarasota in Florida’s controversial new congressional maps” via Ryan Callihan of the Bradenton Herald
“Roger Stone won’t run against DeSantis for Governor — but says he might challenge ‘RINO’ Marco Rubio” via Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“A day to celebrate? Confederate Memorial Day is still on the books in Florida” via Diane Rado of the Florida Phoenix
“Adios, $1 colada. Why Miami ventanitas had to raise the price on your Cuban coffee” via Carlos Frías of the Miami Herald
Quote of the Day
“While Shannon and I have decided to suspend our campaign based on Gov. DeSantis’ decision to unite the GOP, we remain committed as ever to fighting for clean water, our conservative values, and the Florida freedoms that he has championed.”
— Chuck Nadd, ending his campaign for Agriculture Commissioner and clearing the way for Senate President Wilton Simpson.
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