Staff Reports
Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.
First Shot
The Florida Sheriffs Association is turning to one of its most seasoned leaders to guide the organization into 2026.
Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma has been elected President of the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA), the nation’s largest law enforcement group representing every elected Sheriff throughout the state.
A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and FBI National Academy graduate, Lemma has served in Seminole County since 2017 and brings more than three decades of law enforcement experience to the role.
“It is a great honor to serve as President of the Florida Sheriffs Association,” Lemma said. “Leadership, at its core, is rooted in service, and I remain fully committed to supporting my fellow sheriffs and the citizens of Florida with integrity and purpose.”
Lemma’s résumé reflects a steady climb through nearly every rank in his home agency, and his influence extends far beyond Seminole County. He chaired both Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Opioid Abuse Working Group and First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Drug Abuse Prevention Panel. Nationally, he served on the President’s Commission on Law Enforcement and led the Major County Sheriffs of America from 2022 to 2024.
At FSA, Lemma previously served as Vice President under Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell, who now moves into the Immediate Past President role.
FSA Executive Director Matt Dunagan said Lemma’s leadership “positions the Association well to advance our vision of a safer, stronger Florida—driven by innovation, collaboration, and the unwavering commitment of our state’s sheriffs.”
Rounding out the newly elected board: Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods as Vice President; Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly as Secretary; Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach as Treasurer; Franklin County Sheriff A.J. Smith as Chair; and Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers as Vice Chair.
Evening Reads
—”As MAGA storm over Jeffrey Epstein calms, White House plans next steps” via Natalie Allison of The Washington Post
—“Migrants freed from El Salvador prison allege torture” via Nikki McCann Ramirez of Rolling Stone
—“Donald Trump’s explosive new claim about Epstein at odds with past statements” via Judd Legum of Popular Information
—”Trump tax megalaw upends charitable giving” via Richard Rubin and Juliet Chang of The Wall Street Journal
—”The Trump-crypto honeymoon is over” via Jake Lahut of WIRED
—”To see how America unraveled, go back five years” via Thomas Chatterton Williams of The Atlantic
—”Substack sent a push alert promoting a Nazi blog” via Taylor Lorenz of User Mag
—”The Washington Post’s collapse is just the beginning” via Chris Cillizza of So What
—”The short-lived plan to produce a Trump-themed instant pot” via David A. Fahrenthold and Ben Protess of The New York Times
—”Does the Florida Kidcare program comply with Trump’s new ‘Big Beautiful’ law?” via Christine Sexton of the Florida Phoenix
Quote of the Day
“I spent more years on the streets of Florida, patrolling our streets as a law enforcement officer than he’s been alive.”
— Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, on Attorney General James Uthmeier’s threat to suspend him from office.
Put it on the Tab
Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.
Demings, a former Orlando Police Chief and Orange County Sheriff before becoming Orange County Mayor, just served Uthmeier a Sloe Your Roll.
The best government-created mascot ever gets his namesake, a Smokey Bear, for posing with a “dumb criminal” who stole some of his signs — and grab Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson one, too.
We won’t rub it in too hard, but now that a federal judge has tossed a hastily filed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ lawsuit, the environmental groups behind it are getting one of these Rejected Cocktails.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Messi returns for Inter Miami
After sitting out Inter Miami’s last game under a suspension from Major League Soccer, Lionel Messi is expected back on the pitch as his club opens play in the Leagues Cup against Liga MX club Atlas FC (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+).
The Leagues Cup was launched as a competition between MLS and Liga MX sides in 2019. Initially, the competition included four teams from each league. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the matches were held as exhibitions. In 2023, the competition was expanded to include all teams in each league. That was the year Messi arrived in MLS and led Inter Miami to a championship over Nashville SC in the finals.
Last season, the Columbus Crew topped Los Angeles FC for the title.
Messi has been his usual dominant self in the competition. He has scored 10 goals in two seasons of the Leagues Cup. Only LAFC’s Deni Buoanga has scored more.
Messi’s MLS suspension, a one-game ban for Miami’s match with FC Cincinnati, stemmed from him skipping the MLS All-Star game. Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said at a news conference on Friday that Messi was “extremely upset” about the suspension. Inter Miami and FC Cincinnati played to a 0-0 draw without Messi on the pitch.
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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.
