Staff Reports
Last Call — A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott on Thursday poured water on a recent report claiming he was considering a bid for President.
The New York Times report cited two anonymous sources who said the first-term Republican Senator and former Florida Governor was still mulling a run. Scott’s senior adviser, Chris Hartline, quashed the claim hours later.
“It’s flattering that some have mentioned the possibility of Sen. Scott running for President, but as he’s said many times, he’s running for re-election to the Senate,” he told the Miami Herald.
As of this morning, Scott was the only major candidate running for the Senate seat. That changed — kind of — this afternoon when former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson threw his hat into the ring.
Grayson, a Democrat who served two non-consecutive terms in Congress in the 2010s, filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission declaring his candidacy and establishing the “Committee to Elect Alan Grayson.”
Once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, particularly after his “die quickly” rant on the House floor, Grayson’s second stint in the U.S. House ended with few sorry to see him go.
Then-Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid lambasted Grayson in 2016 as having “no moral compass” and saying he wanted Grayson to lose the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate. He ultimately did — then-U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy trounced him 59%-18% in the five-person field.
Grayson has run for public office a few times since, most recently in the 2022 Democratic Primary for Florida’s 10th Congressional District, where he finished in a distant third place behind now-U.S. Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost and former state Sen. Randolph Bracy.
Evening Reads
—”Ron DeSantis claims Florida lockdowns lasted weeks, but some of his own orders lasted months” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics
—”DeSantis won’t say if he’ll support Donald Trump in 2024” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO
—”Gov. DeSantis sues Joe Biden administration, challenging college accreditation agencies” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics
—”Rick Scott says he’s sticking to re-election after report he’s mulling presidential run” via Alex Roarty and Max Greenwood of the Miami Herald
—”Why not Gretchen Whitmer?” via Mark Leibovich of The Atlantic
—”The Supreme Court’s latest opinion means innocent people must remain in prison” via Ian Millhiser of Vox
—”Republicans are torching democracy to deny women abortions” via Tessa Stuart of Rolling Stone
—“Florida Supreme Court rebuffs ex-Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren’s reinstatement bid” via Gray Rohrer of Florida Politics
—”Florida Senate punishes clean water advocate for speaking out” via Craig Pittman of the Florida Phoenix
—”Federal judge orders Florida Medicaid to cover gender-affirming care” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics
—“Capitalism makes strong comeback in Cuba after six decades of socialism. Will it last?” via Nora Gámez Torres of the Miami Herald
Quote of the Day
“When you are saying that (Andrew) Cuomo did better on COVID than Florida did, you are revealing yourself to just be full of it.”
— Gov. Ron DeSantis, rebutting attacks from former President Donald Trump.
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Breakthrough Insights
Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
