Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 11.11.24

Good Monday morning.

Today is a day to honor and thank the millions of military veterans who have dedicated themselves to preserving and furthering this great nation. Several blurbs and links highlighting Florida’s focus on veterans are sprinkled throughout today’s edition.

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With every election, there are clear winners and losers; others prove more elusive to pin down.

Once again, Florida Politics is assembling an (arguably) comprehensive look at the 2024 Florida General Election winners and losers — who was up, who was down, and who fell somewhere between?

We’re almost done with our list, but we ask you, our loyal Sunburn readers, for a hand. Our Winners section is almost at capacity, but our Losers section could use some love.

We have obvious ones covered, so unless you have a particularly fantastic one-liner, don’t tell us to hand an L to Nikki Fried.

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Breaking late Sunday — “Florida State coach Mike Norvell fires both coordinators after blowout loss to No. 10 Notre Dame” via Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports — Florida State is making significant changes to its coaching staff as a disastrous 2024 season mercifully nears its conclusion. Coach Norvell announced Sunday that offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, defensive coordinator Adam Fuller and wide receivers coach Ron Dugans had been fired. Their dismissals come a day after the Seminoles dropped to 1-9 with a 52-3 loss at No. 10 Notre Dame.

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Charlene Zein has been named plan president and Chief Executive Officer at Sunshine Health, Florida’s largest managed care organization.

Zein has nearly two decades of experience in the health care industry. She joined Sunshine Health in 2019 as a senior vice president and held escalating roles of responsibility before being named president and CEO.

Before joining Sunshine Health, she was the Executive Director at Gateway Health, responsible for driving the strategy to deliver high-value services across two Medicaid states. She previously served as Chief of Staff to the CEO and VP of Strategy and Planning, overseeing four departments of crucial business functions, from project management to business strategy and implementation.

Zein began her career in business development with XLHealth in Baltimore, which United Healthcare later acquired.

Zein is committed to Sunshine Health’s role in transforming Floridians’ health care. She focuses on operational efficiencies, fiscal responsibility, and driving value. Her passion for helping those in need led her to work in managed care.

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For anyone in The Process — X (née Twitter) is the social media platform preferred by movers, shakers, and those keeping the pulse on political news in Florida and beyond.

As the 2024 Elections wind down, Florida Politics is updating its X Lists to reflect the new and returning members to Tallahassee and D.C.

Please visit our newly curated Twitter Lists to follow the action of Florida’s elected officials:

— Capitol Hill — U.S. Reps. & Senators

— Florida Senate members

— Florida House members

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@realDonaldTrump: I am very surprised that the Democrats, who fought a hard and valiant fight in the 2020 Presidential Election, raising a record amount of money, didn’t have lots of $’s left over. Now vendors and others are squeezing them. Whatever we can do to help them during this difficult period, I would strongly recommend we, as a Party and for the sake of desperately needed UNITY, do. We have a lot of money left over in that our biggest asset in the campaign was “Earned Media,” and that doesn’t cost very much. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

—@RealDonaldTrump: I will not be inviting former Ambassador Nikki Haley, or former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to join the Trump administration, which is currently in formation. I very much enjoyed and appreciated working with them previously and would like to thank them for their service to our Country. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

—@mrddmia: Dear Trump Job Seekers: Long time, no chat. Before asking me for help, I am going to ask you to provide me specific and concrete evidence of your loyalty to Trump. If you cannot provide a lot of that, stop asking me. Political appointments require both competency and loyalty.

—@NateSilver538: Love to see these (Joe) Biden people talk shit about the hypothetical campaign they would have run when they *actually did run a campaign*, did absolutely none of this, and it was the worst presidential campaign of my lifetime to the point where he had to quit.

—@JohnMorganEsq: .@SusieWiles is the greatest political operative of all time in either Party. She wins consistently and with very different candidates. I would never want to be on her bad side. Congratulations on all that you have accomplished.

—@MarcoRubio: (Chuck) Schumer is not allowing @DaveMcCormickPA to participate in Senate orientation this week because (Bob) Casey refuses to concede the race. What happened to all the demands that our leaders accept the outcome of the elections?

—@MurphyMike: Hate to agree with Marco (Rubio), but he’s right on this one. It’s Trumpian petty of Schumer and McCormick — in his heart — is a grown-up. Yes, he sold out to MAGA to win the seat, but he is fully capable of being a very solid U.S. Senator.

—@TuckerCarlson: What the hell is going on in the U.S. Senate? Hours after Donald Trump wins the most conclusive mandate in 40 years, Mitch McConnell engineers a coup against his agenda by calling early leadership elections in the Senate. Two of the three candidates hate Trump and what he ran on. One of them, John Cornyn, is an angry liberal whose politics are indistinguishable from Liz Cheney’s. The election is Wednesday, it’s by secret ballot, and it will determine whether or not the new administration succeeds. Rick Scott of Florida is the only candidate who agrees with Donald Trump. Call your Senator and demand a public endorsement of Rick Scott. Don’t let McConnell get away with it again.

—@BennyJohnson: A vote for Rick Scott is a vote to END the anti-Trump rot of Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate. McConnell is the single most unpopular politician in America for a reason. This is a moment of American renewal. Thune and Cornyn are a continuation of McConnell’s total failure.

Tweet, tweet:

—@TheCousinSal: We’re actually subjecting Germans to overtime of Carolina/NYG. This is payback for (David) Hasselhoff.

—@BAfromThe904: When Mike Norvell vowed to never again let his program be in a position to get snubbed like last year, I was not in the group that assumed he’d ensure it by losing 9 of the first 10 games this season. Well played, Sir.

— DAYS UNTIL —

Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Landman’ premieres – 5; ‘Dune: Prophecy’ premieres on HBO — 6; News Service of Florida’s Above & Beyond Awards, honoring women in government and public service — 8; Legislature’s 2025 Organizational Session – 10; Las Vegas Grand Prix – 13; ‘Wicked’ premieres — 11; ‘Moana 2’ premieres – 16; ‘Chef’s Table’ returns to Netflix — 16; 2024 Florida Chamber Annual Insurance Summit begins – 22; Florida Chamber 2024 Florida Transportation, Growth & Infrastructure Solution Summit — 22; ‘Interstellar: IMAX Exclusive’ premieres — 25; MLS Cup 2024 – 26; Army-Navy game — 33; ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ premieres – 39; College Football Playoff begins – 39; ‘Squid Game’ season two premieres – 45; Fiesta, Peach, Rose & Sugar Bowls – 51; Orange Bowl – 59; ‘Severance’ season two debuts – 74; Super Bowl LIX — 90; Florida Chamber’s 2025 Legislative Fly-In — 91; ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ premieres – 102; the 2025 Oscars – 111; Florida’s 2025 Legislative Session begins – 113; Tampa Bay Rays season opener — 136; ‘Andor’ season two premieres — 162; 2025 Session ends – 172; ‘Thunderbolts’ premieres – 172; Epic Universe grand opening — 192; ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ premieres — 200; ‘Fantastic Four – First Steps’ premieres – 256; ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ premieres – 403; ‘Avengers 5’ premieres – 540; Untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres – 557; FIFA World Cup 26™ final – 578; FIFA World Cup 26™ final match – 616; ‘The Batman 2’ premieres – 695; Another untitled ‘Star Wars’ movie premieres – 768; ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres – 908; 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Opening Ceremony — 1,341; 2028 U.S. Presidential Election — 1,457; ‘Avatar 4’ premieres – 1,867; ‘Avatar 5’ premieres – 2,588.

— TOP STORY —

“Florida Republicans are thrilled about Susie Wiles — with one big exception” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO — In a flurry of social media posts by Floridians, Sen. Scott called her a “true leader” and a “brilliant tactician.” State Sen. Joe Gruters called Wiles “first class.” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna called her “amazing” and an “absolute 10/10 pick.” Rubio called her a “strong, intelligent woman.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis remained silent. He had a falling out with Wiles after she helped orchestrate his first successful run for Governor in 2018.

And it may stay that way.

While DeSantis did have a rapprochement with Trump after DeSantis’ unsuccessful bid for President, it does not appear to have extended to Wiles.

Now she’s set to be one of the most influential figures in Trump’s second administration after successfully navigating the former President’s campaign — where she helped bulldoze his path back to the White House by, in part, crushing DeSantis’ presidential aspirations.

It’s not clear exactly how Wiles’ position will impact DeSantis — or, more importantly, the state. During Trump’s first term in office, DeSantis and Rep. Matt Gaetz persuaded him to bolster the level of aid being sent to the state after Hurricane Michael. DeSantis was also a frequent visitor to the White House.

After his failed presidential bid, DeSantis worked to repair his relationship with Trump. He fundraised for the former President, and the two golfed together in September, POLITICO previously reported. Yet, between the incoming White House chief and the Republican Governor, things appear to have not cooled.

Still, Florida operatives close to Wiles stressed that it would not hurt the state, even if she and the Governor no longer had a relationship.

“Susie is a pro; she defeated the guy one-on-one,” one veteran Florida political operative said. “It’s not like federal disaster aid is going to be withheld.”

“Why Wiles is so good at managing Donald Trump” via POLITICO — Many people have no idea who Wiles is, much less how or why she has established herself at the very pinnacle of Trump’s ladder of advisers. That she will be Chief of Staff is news in only the most technical sense — because, in reality, it’s simply a continuation of what she’s been to him for the last four years. And in 2016 and 2020, too, she helmed his Florida operation. The fact that last night after the announcement, I saw some chatter on (what used to be known as) Twitter suggesting plenty of people who apparently follow politics didn’t know much about her or had never even heard of her — well, it’s one heck of a testament to this crucial piece of her skill set.

— TRANSITION —

Breaking late Saturday — “Trump wins Arizona, reversing the state’s blue trend” via Kellen Browning of The New York Times

“Trump team expected to accept feds’ help with transition after all” via Hailey Fuchs of POLITICO — Federal transition officials said they expect the Trump team to sign an agreement to accept their help with preparations for the new administration. An agreement has not yet been signed. The move comes after previous reports that the transition explored bucking historical precedent by not seeking support from the General Services Administration for its operations. Experts in presidential transitions expressed concerns about the risks of flouting a traditional system that had proved effective in previous presidential cycles. The Presidential Transition Act provides some funding for the transition, should they reach an agreement with the GSA, and notes that the federal agency must provide facilities and other resources for the President-elect’s team. Those include information technology services, email addresses, and office space.

“Trump may deport hundreds of thousands of migrants whom Joe Biden allowed to legally enter U.S.” via Julia Ainsley, Carol E. Lee and Laura Strickler of NBC News — The exact number of people who could face deportation after arriving in the U.S. legally is not known. Still, it is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands. Trump’s plan to end the two Biden programs comes as the President-elect’s promised plan to carry out mass deportations is taking clearer shape. Trump’s transition team is considering plans designed to maximize the scope of the deportations and prioritize certain immigrants as among the first to be forced to leave. While those who entered under the programs may be eligible for deportation, the first people likely to be targeted are those considered to be threats, possibly including Chinese men who are deemed to be of military age living illegally in the United States, the two sources and a third source familiar with the plan told NBC News. This group would also include convicted criminals who are in the U.S. illegally and those with final orders of deportation, the officials said.

“Some Republicans try to tone down Trump’s mass deportation threats” via Suzanne Gamboa and Nicole Acevedo of NBC News — As Trump doubles down on his mass deportation plan, some Republicans are trying to assuage fears amid growing questions of who will be forced out of the country. The prospect of mass deportations is generating fear and apprehension among families with noncitizen members and businesses that employ undocumented workers. But some Republicans’ readings of Trump’s policy — which he has promised would bring about deportations at a scale never before seen in the U.S. — are more limited in scope. Republicans in immigrant-heavy states have been suggesting he’ll prioritize or only focus on the worst criminals. “I am sure that the Trump administration is not going to be targeting those people who have been here for more than five years that have American kids, that don’t have criminal records, that have been working in the economy and paying taxes,” Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar said in a PBS interview. Her Miami-Dade district is home to about 200,000 undocumented people.

“Trump weighs key personnel choices, schooled by his first-term experience” via Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Charlie Savage of The New York Times — He is most keenly interested, aides and advisers say, in a handful of roles: Attorney General, CIA Director, White House counsel and secretaries of Defense, State and Homeland Security. He has put little focus on who will lead other cabinet departments. However, he has told aides he wants to let Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “do whatever he wants” with the health agencies and perhaps be Secretary of Health and Human Services if the Senate can confirm him. Trump is relying in part on the work done by Howard Lutnick, the billionaire chief executive of the Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, who has spent months overseeing a team that has drawn up lists and done vetting for any red flags. But Trump, a mix of competing impulses, is also doing what he always does: calling friends and associates, asking them who they think he should pick.

—“Scott Bessent, seen as a leading candidate for Treasury Secretary, meets with Trump, sources say” via Steve Holland, Alexandra Ulmer and Lawrence Delevingne of Reuters

—“Talk of Robert Lighthizer return to USTR ‘complete bulls–t,’ says one insider” via Gavin Bade of POLITICO

—“Moderate Trump loyalist Jay Clayton in talks for roles in administration” via Chris Prentice and Svea Herbst-Bayliss of Reuters

“Marco Rubio is at the center of a quiet race for Secretary of State” via Max Greenwood and Michael Wilner of the Miami Herald — A heated race is underway for one of the most coveted positions in Trump’s incoming administration — and Florida Sen. Rubio appears to be on the short list. Sources say that Rubio has made it known to Trump and his inner circle that he is interested in joining the President-elect’s cabinet, adding that Secretary of State is perhaps the most natural fit for the Senator. One person close to Trump noted the process is still playing out and that his newly named White House Chief of Staff, Wiles, a veteran Florida Republican operative, will likely play a crucial role in filling out cabinet appointments. The position is highly competitive, with other top allies of the former and future President — including former U.S. ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell, former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty of Tennessee — jostling for the role.

“Rubio throws weight behind Rick Scott for GOP leader” via Stef W. Kight of Axios — Sen. Rubio is the latest Trump-friendly voice to pledge his vote for Sen. Scott to succeed McConnell as Senate GOP Leader. Scott — who has been viewed as a long-shot candidate — has now racked up four public endorsements from Senate colleagues and a swell of support from influential MAGA voices online. Rubio is a contender for a top administration post, perhaps even Secretary of State. Sen. Bill Hagerty is also a top cabinet candidate and publicly backed Scott on Saturday, joining conservative Sens. Ron Johnson and Rand Paul.

“With Trump tariffs looming, businesses try to ‘run from a moving target’” via Ana Swanson of the Tampa Bay Times — Rick Muskat woke up the morning after the election with an urgent task. He got his agent in China on the phone at 4:30 a.m. Beijing time and pressed him to ask their factory how many more pairs of men’s dress shoes they could make before Chinese New Year, at the end of January. “I told them if they could make an additional 30,000 pairs, we would take that,” Muskat, the co-owner of a shoe company called Deer Stags, said. The impetus was not a sudden jump in shoe demand but the looming threat of steep tariffs on Chinese products. By stockpiling now, Muskat reckoned, his company could avoid at least some of the levies that Trump has promised to impose when he takes office in January. “We’re going to take whatever they can make,” Muskat said.

“Trump has vowed to kill U.S. offshore wind projects. Will he succeed?” via The Associated Press — Opponents of offshore wind energy projects expect Trump to kill an industry he has vowed to end on the first day he returns to the White House. But it might not be that easy. Many of the largest offshore wind companies put a brave face on the election results, pledging to work with Trump and Congress to build power projects and ignoring the incoming President’s oft-stated hostility to them. In campaign appearances, Trump railed against offshore wind and promised to sign an executive order to block such projects.

— EPILOGUE —

“How Kamala Harris — and Joe Biden — lost to Trump and left Democrats in shambles” via Ashley Parker, Tyler Pager, Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer of The Washington Post — Regardless of who was at the top of the ticket and who was running the show, it was the voter who got lost in the process. The American people had been crystal clear for months, as voters in other countries had been in the face of post-COVID inflation. By a steep margin, Americans did not approve of Biden’s presidency. By an even steeper margin, they thought the country was heading in the wrong direction. They were demanding a new direction that Democrats never figured out how to offer. Like any losing campaign, the finger-pointing and gripes have already begun leaking into public view. Many Democrats view the original sin as Biden’s decision to run for a second term, as well as his and his insular inner circle’s outright dismissal of anyone who raised alarms about his dwindling political prospects. “Joe Biden is reason one, two and three why we lost,” a Harris aide said, noting that he was “totally underwater” in the polls when Harris replaced him at the top of the ticket.

“The voter shift that should alarm Democrats most” via Youyou Zhou and Heather Long of The Washington Post — While Trump is known for his appeal in left-behind parts of America, in this election, voters in the wealthiest places made the most significant shift toward Republicans. Democrats lost 3.7% of American voters overall compared with 2020, and they lost 4.2% of those who live in areas where the median household income is over $105,000. These include urban and suburban places such as San Francisco, San Jose (Santa Clara County) in California, Seattle (King County) in Washington, and Long Island in New York. What happened? In large part, the shift reflects how much voters hate inflation. Across all income groups, they registered their frustration with the economy under Biden.

“Florida Hispanics drawn to Trump despite race-baiting, deportation threats” via Jeffrey Schweers and Natalia Jaramillo of the Orlando Sentinel — Calling immigrants rapists and “bloodthirsty criminals,” talking of massive deportations on Day One and joking about Puerto Rico as a floating garbage island didn’t stop many Hispanics from voting to reelect Trump. On the contrary. This election saw Hispanic voters drifting toward Trump and his promise of a better economy and border security, both nationally and in Florida, exit polls and vote analyses conducted by national media outlets indicate. Trump won the national popular vote by 50.7% to 47.7% or by 4.4 million voters. Harris still won the Hispanic vote — 53% to Trump’s 45%. But that’s a considerable drop from the 66% of the Hispanic vote Biden received in 2020, which was on par with Hillary Clinton’s Hispanic support in 2016.

—“Rubio: Democrats should fire pollsters who ‘don’t know jack’ about reaching the Hispanic vote” via Fox News

“Amendment 4 needed 60% to pass. Why? Blame the pigs.” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — One reason Amendment 3 and Amendment 4 failed to legalize recreational marijuana and protect abortion rights in Tuesday’s election? Blame pregnant sows. Most voters supported both ballot initiatives, but not enough to propel them past the 60% approval rate to pass. Florida makes it harder than most states to pass a constitutional amendment. With a few exceptions (like Colorado, which has a 55% approval rate), most states require measures to get at least 50.1% of the vote to win. The story of what makes Florida so tough begins in 1996 when Republicans took control of the Legislature for the first time in a hundred years. They never let it go.

“Leonard Leo group gave $2 million to Florida GOP amid abortion battle” via Jason Garcia of Seeking Rents — The eleventh-hour gift from The Concord Fund — part of an opaque network of groups linked to Leo, the conservative legal scholar who helped orchestrate the overturn of Roe v. Wade — came as the state Republican Party was paying for ads attacking Amendment 4, the ballot initiative that would have overturned Florida’s near-total abortion ban. Because the $2 million was routed through the state GOP, there’s no way to say for sure that the donation was specifically for the campaign to keep abortion banned in Florida. The Republican Party was simultaneously funding ads opposing another measure on the ballot: Amendment 3, which would have legalized marijuana in Florida. But the donation came around the same time that Leo’s Concord Fund put $1 million in last-minute money into a campaign opposing a similar abortion-rights ballot measure in Missouri, according to the Missouri Independent.

“Miami-Dade’s Democratic Mayor saw all her candidates lose to Republicans. What’s next?” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava walked right into her new political reality on Election Night when the county’s leading Democrat was stopped in her tracks while trying to join the stage for a victory speech with the county’s newly elected Republican Sheriff. Multiple people there recounted seeing the Mayor being stopped by security as she tried to join a mostly Republican crowd of supporters behind the winning Sheriff candidate Levine Cava had tried to defeat, Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz. At first, the Mayor thought security didn’t recognize her. But she was quickly assured otherwise. “They said: ‘We know who you are.’”

“After disappointing night for Florida Dems, has Osceola County gone red forever?” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — For years, Florida’s I-4 corridor stood out as one of America’s great bellwether regions. And even as the state has taken a decisive rightward shift lately, Central Florida seemed defiantly blue. That may be changing. Osceola County voters on Tuesday evening dashed any hopes the most optimistic Democrats in Florida held that this would be a salvageable night in the Sunshine State. While Biden had carried the heavily Hispanic County by 14 percentage points in 2020, Trump narrowly won the county on Tuesday night. The President-elect’s margin of victory was only around 2,500 votes over Democrat Harris, but the impact seemed heavier than that.

— STATEWIDE —

“Ron DeSantis to go on weeklong trade mission to Italy” via Gary Fineout of POLITICO — DeSantis is heading to Italy next week for a trade mission including stops in Rome, Florence, Turin and Milan. The Governor’s office announced the trip on Friday. Still, it did not say whether DeSantis would be meeting with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister with whom DeSantis has previously forged ties. However, DeSantis said that Meloni had encouraged the visit. “Italy and Florida share a special relationship as peninsular entities with many shared industries, and I was grateful that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni invited our Florida delegation to visit,” said DeSantis. “This mission will strengthen ties between our state and their nation and bring new and increased opportunities and investments to Florida.”

“DeSantis names three Panhandle attorneys to fill three open judgeships, one Treasure Coast seat” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — DeSantis is bolstering some Panhandle courts with his judicial picks along with another to align the Treasure Coast with his judicial philosophy. DeSantis announced four new appointments to judicial seats last week, ranging from circuit courts to county courts. Three of the four will wear the judge’s robe in the Panhandle. DeSantis named two appointees on the 1st Judicial Circuit Court bench, which serves Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. One of the Circuit Court judicial appointments went to an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Florida. Ryan Love has been a federal prosecutor for that district since 2008. Before that, Love was a longtime prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office for that judicial circuit.

“Once a retirement haven, Florida’s condo crisis is pricing seniors out” via Rebecca Liebson of the Tampa Bay Times — For decades, seniors seeking a slice of the Sunshine State on a budget have flocked to condos. But skyrocketing insurance rates and regulations passed after 2021′s deadly Surfside building collapse that dictate how much condo associations must save and spend on repairs have spiked costs and upended the real estate market. Even though inspectors found no structural issues at Drimmer’s building, monthly maintenance fees for its 70 owners could climb by more than a third in the next year. That’s on top of an estimated 21% increase in insurance and a $500,000 special assessment to replace the roof. The price will be much higher for condo towers that require significant repairs. Those who can’t afford to pay may be forced to sell — if they can find a buyer.

“FEMA employee fired after telling relief team to skip houses with Trump signs following Florida hurricane” via Mary Kay Mallonee of CNN — A Federal Emergency Management Agency employee has been fired after they advised their disaster relief team to avoid homes with signs supporting Trump while canvassing in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, the agency’s administrator said Saturday. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell called the employee’s actions “reprehensible” and said they were terminated from their role. “More than 22,000 FEMA employees every day adhere to FEMA’s core values and are dedicated to helping people before, during and after disasters, often sacrificing time with their own families to help disaster survivors,” Criswell wrote in a post on X before describing the employee’s actions. “This is a clear violation of FEMA’s core values & principles to help people regardless of their political affiliation.”

“Duke Energy Florida gets regulatory approval to lower rates for customers in Sunshine State” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — Duke Energy Florida has received the green light from Florida regulators to lower its energy rates for customers in the state. This week, the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Duke’s request to reduce customer’s energy bills in the Sunshine State. The decrease in energy bills will begin in January. “Duke Energy Florida is thankful for the opportunity to offer our customers this much-needed break after recent hurricanes devastated many of their homes, businesses and communities,” said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. “While we’re still assessing costs of the company’s response to those storms, we want to remind our customers that we’ll always prioritize affordability – even as we work to develop a smarter, stronger electric grid – and maintain the same high level of service they expect and deserve.”

— LOCAL: S. FL —

“Why South Florida’s Hispanic voters backed Trump: ‘We’re very traditional, we’re very conservative’” via Abigail Hasebrook of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — More Hispanic voters across the country voted for Trump than in any other recent election where he was a candidate, and South Florida — with a hub of Hispanic voters — was no exception. Tony Figueroa, 31, president of the Miami Young Republicans, said he believes that having the economy under Trump again was a primary factor in what brought droves of Hispanic men and women to the polls in ways not seen before. Many people within the Miami Young Republicans are young professionals either “starting out in our careers” or “growing in our careers,” Figueroa said, and they want to do that within a strong economy. Miami-Dade County, a longtime Democratic stronghold with a large Hispanic population, favored Trump in this election, with 55% of voters casting a ballot for him. Exit polls demonstrated an increase in the percentage of votes for Trump from Hispanic communities in this year’s election in comparison to the 2020 and 2016 Elections.

“‘We have to be overqualified’: Harris’ loss stings for many Black women in South Florida” via Raisa Habersham of the Miami Herald — Before Tuesday’s Presidential Election race was even called, Florida State Rep. Ashley Gantt decided to go to bed. “I went home and did not watch anything. I would rather have a last moment of peace,” she said. She went to sleep Tuesday night, hoping for a win for Harris. On Thursday, when she spoke to the Miami Herald, she was still numb from the loss. For many Black women in South Florida, Harris’ defeat was a painful reminder of how Black women are treated in society. They see her as another case of an overqualified Black woman being overlooked for a position and lament what they see as a continued lack of progress for women in general and Black women specifically.

“Jared Moskowitz says his name was on ‘target’ list of suspect arrested near his home” via Angie DiMichele of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — South Florida Congressman Moskowitz said in a statement Friday that a man who was recently arrested in South Florida had his name on a “target list” and that there was a “potential plot on (his) life.” Lt. Michael Druzbik, a Margate Police spokesperson, said he could not confirm or release any details about any alleged specific threats to the Congressman. However, the department responded to a request for information about Moskowitz’s post with a release about the Nov. 2 arrest of John Lapinski, 41, of Margate. There is no specific mention of a list or of Moskowitz in the probable cause affidavit for Lapinski’s arrest on firearm-related charges, including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

“Ex-Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio angles for release after Trump win” via Naomi Feinstein of The Miami New Times — As former and now future President Trump is set to return to the White House in 2025, one-time Proud Boy leader and Miami native Tarrio has joined the long line of Jan. 6 insurrectionists angling for presidential pardons. Tarrio’s lawyer, Nayib Hassan, applauded the election results in a statement on November 6. “While we continue to diligently work on the appeal process for our client, we want to make it clear that we will explore every possible avenue to seek the release from custody,” Hassan wrote. “We are committed to pursuing all legal options available and that justice is served.” Hassan emphasized that he and Tarrio are excited about “what the future holds, both in terms of the judicial process for our client and the broader political landscape under the new administration.”

“DeSantis era ends on the Broward School Board. What will that mean?” via Scott Travis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — The DeSantis era is ending for the Broward County School Board, as a Board of all elected members will soon start shaping the future for the challenged School District. Newly elected Board members Maura Bulman, who represents District 1 in southeast Broward, and Rebecca Thompson, who represents District 2 in southwest Broward, will be sworn in Nov. 19, replacing two appointees of DeSantis. It will mark the first time in 2 1/2 years that the Board will include no one chosen by the Governor. Some see the change as a fresh start to focus on education rather than political battles. Board members have gotten into heated debates over culture war issues, such as whether to recognize LGBTQ and Muslim students and prayer in School Board proclamations. Some Board members and their allies have also sought investigations of their political rivals. “I don’t think politics should be involved in how we run our School District,” said Thompson, who defeated DeSantis appointee Torey Alston in an August election.

“Miami judge’s venomous texts come back to bite her in crumbling death penalty case” via Brittany Wallman and Charles Rabin of the Miami Herald — An appellate judge at the center of one of Miami’s biggest criminal cases is facing intense scrutiny after text messages were released showing her pressuring Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle about how to handle the case, denigrating defense attorneys and bad-mouthing local judges. Ironically, the text messages sent by Judge Bronwyn Miller — who rose from prosecutor to circuit judge to her current position on the 3rd District Court of Appeal — were partly meant to protect her reputation. She worried it was being tarnished in hearings to reconsider the capital murder conviction she obtained 20 years ago of Corey Smith, the reputed leader of the violent John Doe gang of Liberty City. Miller’s handling of that case in 2004 is at issue now, and she is a state’s witness as Smith attempts to avoid the death penalty. With the prosecution’s handling of the case under fire, the State Attorney’s Office announced Sunday it will waive the death penalty and will attempt to negotiate a lesser sentence.

— LOCAL: C. FL —

“‘No plans to begin looking for work’: Orlando’s chief assistant state attorney emails staff after Monique Worrell’s election win” via Bea Lunardini of The Tributary — Just hours after Worrell reclaimed her position as Orlando’s 9th Judicial Circuit state attorney, her one-time political opponent and bitter rival, current Chief Assistant State Attorney Ryan Williams, sent a defiant email to the office’s staff. Williams, who had risen to second-in-command under DeSantis’ appointee, Andrew Bain, declared that “the leaders of this office have no plans to begin looking for work elsewhere.” Bain lost to Worrell by an overwhelming 15-point margin. Worrell will reassume office in January, less than two years after DeSantis suspended her in August 2023 for neglect of duty and incompetence, stating her policies “allowed violent criminals to escape the full consequences of their criminal conduct.” Williams, who lost to Worrell in the 2020 Democratic Primary before becoming second-in-command after DeSantis removed her, sent an all-staff email that lauded how “we have made amazing progress these last 14 months” ever since Worrell’s removal and said the office’s staff still had “a long way to go and much more to do.”

“UCF keeps records hidden after instructor investigated for inappropriate relationship” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics — Hello Kitty coloring book pages appeared recently on a University of Central Florida adjunct instructor’s office door. The hand-drawn pictures wished the lecturer a happy birthday, calling him “daddie.” Soon, the lecturer was gone from UCF. Travis Meade’s departure generated internet rumors his teacher’s assistant drew the pictures that ended his UCF career. Meade was fired from his $75,000-a-year job last month after he was investigated for having an inappropriate relationship with a student, the school confirmed, saying it had received more than one anonymous complaint this year. However, the details of the anonymous complaints about Meade and the school’s probe are unknown because the school refuses to release the investigation into the taxpayer-funded employee.

— LOCAL: TB —

“Adam Anderson ‘humbled’ by North Pinellas voters’ trust after easy win in HD 57” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics — Rep. Anderson scored an easy victory this week, defeating Democratic challenger Kelly Johnson with nearly 59% of the vote in House District 57. Anderson’s victory comes as little surprise — 42% of the electorate is Republican, compared to just 26% who are registered Democrats, according to L2 voter data. And money was overwhelmingly on Anderson’s side. Johnson raised less than $15,000 while Anderson’s campaign brought in more than $170,000. Anderson left nearly $50,000 in the bank at the end of the campaign, as of the end of October. And that’s not counting access to outside spending. An independent candidate, Bob Arthur Larrivee, secured less than 3% of the vote after raising just over $1,500.

— LOCAL: N. FL —

—”Veterans Day 2024 parades and events in Okaloosa County and Walton County” via Collin Bestor of the Northwest Florida Daily News

“Donna Deegan’s pursuit of federal grants becomes tougher with Harris losing to Trump” via David Bauerlein of The Florida Times-Union — Deegan’s quest for bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants to Jacksonville suffered a setback when Harris lost to Trump. Whether the change in power is a speed bump or a roadblock for Deegan will determine how much federal support she can gain for her own agenda. Deegan, who made pursuing federal grants a core part of her campaign for Mayor, had forged ties with Harris during appearances at Jacksonville events. Deegan joined the Vice President during two of her trips to Jacksonville and also endorsed her in the presidential race. Trump’s win means when January rolls around, Republicans will control the White House and the executive branch of the federal government for the next four years, just as the GOP does at the state level with DeSantis.

“UF coach Todd Golden under Title IX investigation for stalking, sexual harassment” via Edgar Thompson of the Orlando Sentinel — Florida Gators men’s basketball coach Golden is under investigation by the school’s Title IX office for allegations of stalking, cyberstalking, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation by multiple women, including UF students. An alleged copy of the notice of the complaint filed Sept. 27, but unverifiable by the Orlando Sentinel, appeared online on Friday and detailed allegations of activities during the previous 12 months. The Alligator obtained Title IX documents alleging the violations of UF’s Gender Equity Policy. Golden, 39 and in his third season at UF, agreed to a two-year contract extension with a $1 million raise in March after he led the Gators to their first NCAA tournament berth since 2021.

— LOCAL: SW FL —

“Alfie Oakes faces potential property seizure by Farm Credit after foreclosing on $4.5M loans” via Kate Cimini, Amy Bennett Williams, and Tomas Rodriguez of the Naples Daily News — Local MAGA firebrand, organic farmer and grocery store owner Oakes is facing potential seizure of his farms after a lawsuit claims he failed to repay Farm Credit loans totaling millions of dollars. Oakes took out two loans totaling about $4.5 million in December 2019 from the Farm Credit of Florida, a Farm Credit Association that offers farm and agricultural financing, according to the 37-page suit filed in Collier County in mid-October. The suit claims Oakes still owes less than $2.8 million on loans after he filed a forbearance agreement in May 2024, saying his company would not repay the loan in full.

— TOP OPINION —

“A rigged system efficiently stops amendments” via the Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial boards — Florida requires 60% voter approval to pass amendments to the Constitution. That means a minority of 41% can block anything. Eight other states also demand more than a majority.

In Florida, the political class proposed this high hurdle, and a simple majority of voters passed it in 2006. It worked to perfection Tuesday, stopping citizen initiatives to protect reproductive freedom and allow recreational use of marijuana. Both fell short at 57% and 56% of the vote.

In Florida, the majority doesn’t rule.

The 60% bar was an overreaction to the passage in 2002 of the humane “pregnant pigs” amendment, which resulted in a public perception that it was too easy to change the Constitution.

We actually agree with former state Sen. Alan Hays (who is now Lake County Supervisor of Elections but voted to put the 60% threshold on the 2006 ballot) that the Constitution should be difficult to change. But when all the barriers to voters’ ability to propose substantive changes that the Legislature has enacted over the years are combined, it’s clear that the deck is so stacked against citizens’ initiatives that it seems unlikely a voter-backed process will ever again pass in Florida.

The pendulum has swung too far, especially since lawmakers have clearly abused their own ability to clutter the ballot with questions designed to pull conservative voters to the polls or carry out some kind of hidden agenda for special interest groups.

There was a small silver lining here. The 60% rule did take down two other Legislature-proposed amendments on this year’s ballot, including a badly misguided attempt to restore partisan School Board elections, which failed with 55% approval, and to abolish public matching money in races for Governor and Cabinet, which drew 50.4%.

— OPINIONS —

“Can Trump be the new Reagan?” via Matthew Kaminski of POLITICO — One of America’s perceived weaknesses is our “polarized” and “dysfunctional” politics. I’ve not heard those words since the election was called early for Trump. The manner of his victory — a comfortable sweep of the swing states, the popular vote and what could be a majority in both houses of Congress — neuters the charge that for all of America’s huge advantages over any other rival, what dooms us to be a fading giant is our messy internal politics. This political comeback gives Trump credibility and freedom on the world stage, which he didn’t have in 2017. That’s not to say he will be more “presidential,” not by conventional standards. “Unpredictable,” Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the other Donald this week. I’m not suggesting it means the U.S. is bound to be stronger. Trump’s isolationism, his thing for Vladimir Putin, and trade protectionism are red flags from a now-long public life.

“The Democratic blind spot that wrecked 2024” via Ezra Klein of The New York Times — Looking back, the seeds of Democrats’ 2024 wipeout were planted in the quasi-victory of 2022. Three things happened in the aftermath. The pressure on Biden not to run for re-election and the possibility of a serious Primary challenge if he did run evaporated. Democrats persuaded themselves of a theory of the electorate that proved mistaken. As a result, the Biden-Harris administration avoided the kind of hard, post-defeat pivot that both the Clinton and Obama administrations were forced to make after the midterm defeats of 1994 and 2010. In 2020, Democrats had worried over Biden’s age but were comforted, in part, by the soft signals he sent that he would serve only one term. “Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else,” he said in 2020. By mid-2022, the Party grew alarmed as Biden signaled his intention to run again. In June of that year, The Times interviewed nearly 50 Democratic officials and found that among “nearly all the Democrats interviewed, the President’s age — 79 now, 82 by the time the winner of the 2024 Election is inaugurated — is a deep concern about his political viability.”

“Democrats and the case of mistaken identity politics” via Maureen Dowd of The New York Times — Some Democrats are finally waking up and realizing that woke is broke. Trump won a majority of white women and remarkable numbers of Black and Latino voters and young men. Democratic insiders thought people would vote for Harris, even if they didn’t like her, to get rid of Trump. However, more people voted for Trump, even though many didn’t like him because they liked the Democratic Party less. I have often talked about how my dad stayed up all night on the night Harry Truman was elected because he was so excited. And my brother stayed up all night the first time Trump was elected because he was so excited. And I felt that Democrats would never recover that kind of excitement until they could figure out why they had turned off so many working-class voters over the decades and why they had developed such disdain toward their once loyal base.

“Stop obsessing about the election and start talking to fellow citizens,” via Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post — Indeed, part of the failure of media coverage and today’s political system is excessive nationalization of every aspect of policy and focus on the exclusion of so much else, on Washington. Indeed, the federal government has grown in power, scope and importance over the past century. Yet much of governing and certainly the large majority of American life goes on beyond Washington and outside the purview of national media coverage. It, therefore, seems appropriate for the media, politicians, think tanks, and the whole political ecosystem to take a more nuanced approach to U.S. politics. It begins with examining the results of national decisions on individual lives and communities. Abstract measures erected on a tower of empty rhetoric could not withstand the close examination of those bans’ effect on individual women, their families, communities, and workplaces, or on medical schools and the medical profession more generally. That information and analysis does not come in a 30-second sound bite on cable news.

“In Florida, the majority loses. On abortion, marijuana, more” via Scott Maxwell of the Orlando Sentinel — A majority voted to protect abortion rights — and yet lost. That’s not normally how democracy works. Usually, the campaign with the most votes wins. But in Florida, the rules are different. They’ve been rigged by big business and politicians to gum up the only direct pipeline to democracy citizens have left — the constitutional amendment process. So, on Tuesday, when 57% of residents in conservative Montana decided that politicians have no right to dictate health care decisions for women, the measure passed. But the measure failed when 57% of Floridians voted for a similar law here. A spokesperson for the opposition claimed: “Florida’s voters again had the choice — do we want to be like California? Their answer was ‘NO.’” Actually, their answer was yes — by a sizable margin. But the campaign against this amendment never let facts get in the way. But damn the facts. All the opponents had to do was convince 40.01% of Floridians to oppose the amendment, and the losers would win.

— INSTAGRAM OF THE DAY —

— ALOE —

What Jason Pizzo is reading — “Multiple law enforcement agencies shut down large-scale illegal drag racing in Tampa” via Drew Dixon of Florida Politics — Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers say they were able to foil a planned “street takeover” with plans for drag racing overnight in Tampa. Working on multiple tips, state troopers homed in on areas of Temple Terrace U.S. Highway 301, where a Winn-Dixie grocery store is located, Fletcher Avenue and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Busch Boulevard and Florida Avenue in Tampa late Saturday night into Sunday morning. Those tips led troopers to believe a large-scale and illegal drag racing event was about to begin. “Each scene involved large groups of individuals and vehicles mingling. At both the Temple Terrace Winn-Dixie and the Busch and Florida Ave. locations, law enforcement prevented the event from beginning before any street racing or dangerous driving behavior occurred,” an FHP press release said.

“PortMiami’s record year keeps Port Canaveral at No. 2 for cruises” via Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel — PortMiami saw a record 8.2 million cruise passenger movements in the last fiscal year, which solidified its place as the “cruise capital of the world” besting the record numbers Port Canaveral released last month. The port announced it had 8,233,056 multiday cruise travelers from Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024, which topped the 7,592,535 multiday passengers tallied at Port Canaveral, keeping the two ports 1-2 in the world for cruise traffic. Port Everglades came in third in the state, announcing it had 4,010,919 during the same period. Port Canaveral has only topped PortMiami once for cruise traffic, and that was in 2022, the first full year back from the COVID-19 pandemic, as it became a popular drive-in market for cruise travel. Miami and Fort Lauderdale’s customer bases rely more on air travel to the ports.

— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —

Celebrating today are former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, former Pinellas Commissioner Pat Gerard, Florida connoisseur Craig Pittman, Pierce Schuessler, and journalist TaMaryn Waters.

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Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Daniel Dean, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, and Drew Wilson.