Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
Attorney General Ashley Moody has been endorsed by 64 out of 66 of the state’s elected Sheriffs, her re-election campaign announced.
“Florida Sheriffs are pillars of our law enforcement community, and we owe a debt of gratitude to these selfless and dedicated leaders who risk their lives each day to protect and defend our state and our nation. Now is the time to defend, not defund, the police, and I am proud to always have their back as together we work to combat human and drug trafficking, opioid addiction, senior scams and more,” Moody said.
“Thank you, Florida Sheriffs, for your endorsement and I look forward to our work together over the next four years as we continue to build a stronger, safer Florida.”
Alongside the bulk endorsement came quotes from three Sheriffs backing Moody, including Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister.
“I am excited to support Attorney General Ashley Moody in her campaign for a second term as Florida’s Attorney General. General Moody has been a tremendous partner in providing law enforcement with the tools and resources we need to keep our Florida communities safe. She continues to lead lifesaving efforts in reducing human trafficking and dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable population. Florida needs Attorney General Ashley Moody,” he said.
The endorsements come two days after the General Election matchup was locked in. Moody, a Republican, will face former State Attorney Aramis Ayala, a Democrat, on Nov. 8.
Moody did not face a challenger in the Primary Election and heads into the General with a substantial cash advantage — she has a combined $6.42 million on hand between her campaign account and political committee, Friends of Ashley Moody. Ayala had just $23,149 between her two accounts as of Aug. 18.
Evening Reads
—”Ron DeSantis rolls eyes at Charlie Crist’s ‘dictator’ charge” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics
—”‘Our plan might have paid off’: How FPL dollars secretly funded a spoiler vs. Daniella Levine Cava” via Nicholas Nehamas, Douglas Hanks, Sarah Blaskey and Mary Ellen Klas of the Miami Herald
—“Election denying primary candidates are crying fraud, win or lose” via Kaleigh Rogers of FiveThirtyEight
—”Actually, canceling student debt will cut inflation” via Joseph E. Stiglitz of The Atlantic
—“Gavin Newsom pledges $100K to deny DeSantis a second term” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics
—“Who is Maxwell Frost, the Gen Z Democratic nominee in Florida?” via David Weigel and Lori Rozsa of The Washington Post
—”Private Florida school that bans LGBTQ students gets $1.6 million in tax dollars” via Leslie Postal and Annie Martin of the Orlando Sentinel
—“Broward schools will hire consultant to review grand jury report and ID any needed fixes” via Shira Moolten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
—”Five takeaways from Tuesday’s elections in Jacksonville” via Andrew Pantazi of The Tributary
—“Developers back out of Florida panther protection proposal” via Craig Pittman of the Florida Phoenix
Quote of the Day
“I think a lot of people who have paid off education debts right now feel like chumps because they did the right thing.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, on Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan.
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