News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Another blue-state governor looks to hit DeSantis

Wednesday, July 13, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Another blue-state governor looks to hit DeSantis

Jul 13, 2022

Hello and welcome to Wednesday.

Flying south — Well, look who's headed to Florida — a blue-state governor who's emerging as a potential presidential contender.

Prime position — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who is running for reelection this year, will be the keynote speaker at the annual Leadership Blue Gala that Florida Democrats will hold this Saturday in Tampa.

On the rise — Pritzker's appearance comes nearly two weeks after the mass shooting in Highland Park thrust him into the national spotlight. Pritzker's reaction — where he said he was angry and furious about gun violence in the nation — was seen by some as an illustration of the type of passion Democrats need heading into the midterms and 2024.

Here to help — Pritzker's decision visit to Florida will also be sure to stoke longrunning whispers about a possible presidential bid, especially since he's spending time in the home state of Gov. Ron DeSantis, himself a potential GOP presidential candidate. "Florida is in dire need of a pro-choice, Democratic governor, and Governor Pritzker is proud to support the Florida Democratic Party in their efforts to flip the state blue," campaign spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein said in a statement sent to Shia Kapos, author of POLITICO's Illinois Playbook.

Since you're here — Pritzker, a billionaire with a second home in Florida, is visiting when Florida Democrats are bracing for a bad election season as they grapple with President Joe Biden's poor polling numbers, a growing GOP voter registration edge and a lack of resources. (Wonder if they can convince the wealthy heir to leave a substantial check behind.)

Fringe benefit — Oh, and there's that whole Ken Griffin dynamic as well. The hedge fund billionaire, who had already relocated to Florida, announced last month he was moving the headquarters of his company from Chicago to Miami. Griffin has feuded with Pritzker for years and bankrolled a campaign to defeat a tax proposal the governor pushed. Griffin, who spent tens of millions of dollars in the GOP primary for governor for Illinois, has also been a major donor to DeSantis.

Response — Pritzker's keynote speech will come on the heels of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's splashy decision to air ads bashing DeSantis and urging Floridians to move to his state. In that case, DeSantis has fired back and is now even fundraising off Newsom's attacks. Expect his campaign team to fashion their own greeting for Pritzker.

— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROE BEING OVERTURNED? JOIN WOMEN RULE ON 7/21: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , abortion policy is in the hands of the states and, ultimately, voters. Join POLITICO national political correspondent Elena Schneider for a Women Rule "ask me anything" conversation featuring a panel of reporters from our politics and health care teams who will answer your questions about how the court's decision could play out in different states, its impact on the midterms and what it means for reproductive rights in the U.S. going forward. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND REGISTER HERE.

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

SUNSHINE STATE CONNECTION — "Jan. 6 hearing highlights coordination by Florida Oath Keepers, Proud Boys leaders," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson and Palm Beach Post's Antonio Fins: "Florida leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys extremist groups coordinated their activities in advance of storming the U.S. Capitol and were in contact with prominent allies of former President Donald Trump, including Florida residents Roger Stone and Michael Flynn, according to evidence presented Tuesday by the congressional committee investigating the events of Jan. 6, 2021. The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol focused Tuesday on the activities leading up to Jan. 6, including an extraordinary Dec. 18 meeting at the White House attended by Flynn and fellow Sarasota County resident Patrick Byrne, and the coordinated planning by pro-Trump extremists, many based in Florida."

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 12: Stephen Ayres (C), who entered the U.S. Capitol illegally on January 6, 2021, greets former Washington Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone at the conclusion of the seventh hearing by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building on July 12, 2022 in Washington, DC. The bipartisan committee, which has been gathering evidence for almost a year related to the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol, is presenting its findings in a series of televised hearings. On January 6, 2021, supporters of former President Donald Trump attacked the U.S. Capitol Building during an attempt to disrupt a congressional vote to confirm the electoral college win for President Joe Biden. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

LAYING IT OUT — 'His own choices': Select panel says Trump — not his advisers — set Jan. 6 in motion, by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Nicholas Wu: The Jan. 6 select committee's Tuesday hearing, ostensibly focused on extremism, drove clearly toward a subtle goal: Stripping away doubt that Donald Trump was anything but a full participant in a plot to subvert the 2020 election. The former president wasn't duped into disbelieving his own loss by fringe lawyers and advisers, select committee members argued. Rather, he assembled that squad of enablers, overrode his more sober-minded staff and forged the path that led to the chaos engulfing the Capitol, they contended during their nearly three-hour seventh hearing.

CAMPAIGN MODE

STILL OUT IN FRONT (FOR NOW?) — "Half of G.O.P. voters ready to leave Trump behind, poll finds," by The New York Times' Michael C. Bender: "Overall, [former President Donald] Trump maintains his primacy in the party: In a hypothetical matchup against five other potential Republican presidential rivals, 49 percent of primary voters said they would support him for a third nomination. The greatest threat to usurp Mr. Trump within the party is Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who was the second choice with 25 percent and the only other contender with double-digit support. Among primary voters, Mr. DeSantis was the top choice of younger Republicans, those with a college degree and those who said they voted for President Biden in 2020."

CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP — The next round of federal fundraising reports are due later this week, but some campaigns are beginning to release their numbers.

… Rep. Val Demings said that she took in $12.2 million for the second quarter of 2022. She's raised nearly $42 million since jumping into the race against Sen. Marco Rubio and she has more than $12.5 million cash on hand.

… State Rep. Kelli Stargel, one of the candidates for Florida's 15th Congressional District, has raised nearly $254,000. That means Stargel has met the threshold needed to participate in the congressional debates that will be held at the Republican Party of Florida's Sunshine Summit later this month.

… Ken Russell, the Miami city commissioner running in the Democratic primary for Florida's 27th Congressional District, said he's raised $513,000 in the second quarter and that he has $475,000 in cash on hand.

… Florida Professional Firefighters endorsed DeSantis on Tuesday, marking the first time the group has backed a Republican governor in 20 years, according to the DeSantis campaign. Wayne Bernoska , president of the organization, called DeSantis "a man of action" whose "steadfast leadership and support of Florida's firefighters and paramedics has earned the respect of our members." DeSantis for the past two years has successfully pushed for $1,000 bonus payments to first responders.

… Americans for Prosperity Action-Florida endorsed former Secretary of State Laurel Lee for Florida's 15th Congressional District, which has a crowded Republican primary.

… Florida Education Association endorsed state Sen. Janet Cruz for reelection. "Senator Cruz has delivered for Florida students and their families in Tallahassee and knows firsthand the importance of a fully-funded public education system that positions students for success in the classroom and in life," FEA President Andrew Spar said in a statement.

… Giffords PAC, the gun safety organization founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, endorsed state Sen. Annette Taddeo for Florida's 27th.

… Associated Builders and Contractors of Florida endorsed Attorney General Ashley Moody for re-election.

PUBLIC POLL NO. 1 — "Poll: Majority of Floridians oppose overturning Roe v. Wade, support gun safety bill," by Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson: "A majority of Floridians oppose the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the Roe v. Wade decision protecting abortion rights, according to a new poll that also shows strong support in Florida for the gun violence prevention law recently signed by President Joe Biden. However, Floridians give Biden lower marks than Gov. Ron DeSantis on everything from his handling of the economy to COVID-19 and race relations. Just 34% of Floridians approve of Biden's economic stewardship, according to the survey by the University of South Florida and Florida International University, compared with 50% who think DeSantis is doing a good job with the economy."

PUBLIC POLL NO. 2 — Florida Republicans prefer DeSantis over former President Donald Trump, according to a poll released on Monday by Blueprint Polling, a self-described "progressive firm that regularly surveys in battleground races around the country to market our capabilities," according to senior partner Brad Chism.

The poll found that 47.6 percent of GOP voters in the state would support DeSantis for president versus 33.2 percent that would still back Trump. About 19 percent said they were unsure. Worth noting: In a follow-up question asking if they had to decide today, 28 percent said Trump, 17.3 percent said DeSantis and nearly 55 percent were unsure. The survey of 656 voters was conducted this month and has a margin of error of +/- 3.82 percent.

The poll also found that two-thirds (65.8 percent) of Florida Republicans who were surveyed said they agreed that "election fraud cost Trump the election" versus 23 percent who said they were unsure.

RHETORIC RISING OVER DEBATES — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has been complaining about the dearth of full-on debates with Democratic primary opponent Rep. Charlie Crist for weeks now. But Fried's ratcheted up her criticism on Tuesday by lambasting Crist over a gubernatorial debate at the Bethune Cookman University that got scrapped because Crist isn't participating.

Fried's team: Crist is a coward — Fried and her team said that Crist was "chickening out" and was "cowardly," in an fundraising email, and said in a statement that the congressman had "backed out." Fried also called it "insulting" as well as disrespectful to voters, especially Black voters, since the debate was being planned to be held at the historic Black university. She even went further by noting Crist's past record as a Republican, when he was known as "chain gang Charlie" and pushed for minimum sentencing laws when he was in the Legislature. "He pretends like he's finished using Black people as political tools, but clearly he's not," Fried stated.

Crist's team: Fried is lying — Crist's team, however, blasted back at Fried and called her assertions a lie and note that Crist never agreed to appear at the proposed debate. Sam Ramirez with Crist's campaign said in an email that "Fried's false attacks only hurt Democrats and do Ron DeSantis's dirty work for him. It's a sign of a flailing, losing campaign. Nikki isn't being truthful about the fact there is a debate scheduled for next week and that our campaign has already participated in seven forums together. She will say anything to try and change the fact Charlie has an overwhelming lead in this primary — because Florida Democrats across the state, in all demographics, know he's the best candidate to defeat Ron DeSantis."

— "In run for governor, Nikki Fried talks about abortion and marijuana, Crist and DeSantis," by Miami Herald's Bianca Padró Ocasio

— " Disney World's Reedy Creek firefighters endorse DeSantis despite district's abolishment," by Orlando Sentinel's Skyler Swisher

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DATELINE D.C.

SILENT RICK SCOTT — It's going to be a big day for Florida as the statue of famed educator Mary McLeod Bethune is going to be unveiled in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Bethune will represent the state in the National Statuary Hall Statue Collection and becomes the first Black person to represent any state.

The dedication ceremony is expected to draw in top congressional leaders, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Several Florida politicians are expected to speak at the ceremony including Reps. Kathy Castor, Frederica Wilson and Michael Waltz.

The only senator, however, that will speak will be Sen. Marco Rubio, not Sen. Rick Scott even though Scott signed the legislation in 2018 that authorized Bethune to take the place of Confederate general Edmund Kirby Smith. (Each state is permitted to contribute two statues to the Capitol collection. Florida's other statue is of John Gorrie.) The Legislature passed the bill sponsored by then-state Sen. Perry Thurston along bipartisan lines.

Scott's office confirmed he will attend the ceremony, but when asked if he was speaking a spokesman said no and said to ask Pelosi's office why he was not on the schedule.

Drew Hammill, a spokesperson for Pelosi, explained in an email that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell "gave up his spot to allow the senior senator from the state to speak. That is Senator Rubio." McKinley Lewis, the Scott spokesman, said they did not understand why only one senator was allowed to speak.

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

THE DESANTIS WAY — "A culture warrior goes quiet: DeSantis dodges questions on abortion plans," by The New York Times' Maggie Haberman, Patricia Mazzei and Michael C. Bender: "But while other Republican leaders vowed to charge ahead with new restrictions — or near-total bans — [Gov. Ron] DeSantis offered only a vague promise to 'work to expand pro-life protections.' More than two weeks later, he has yet to explain what that means. Mr. DeSantis, a favorite among those Republicans who want to move on from the Trump era, is rarely a reluctant partisan warrior. But his hesitance to detail his plans for abortion policy reflects the new and, in some states, difficult political terrain for Republicans in the post-Roe v. Wade era, as Democrats grasp for advantage on the issue in an otherwise largely hostile midterm election year."

HMM — "Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried takes aim at law on guns, medical marijuana," by News Service of Florida's Dara Kam: "Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is relying on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to support arguments in a challenge to federal regulations that make it illegal for medical-marijuana patients to buy guns…Fried's lawyers on Friday filed an amended complaint focusing heavily on a Supreme Court ruling that struck down a New York law that placed strict limits on carrying concealed weapons in public. Gun-control advocates have expressed concerns the decision could severely restrict states' ability to regulate guns."

RECOMMENDATION — " Florida should bring back parole, conservative policy study says," by Tampa Bay Times' Dan Sullivan: "A recent study published by a conservative criminal justice reform organization concludes that Florida should bring back parole. Right on Crime, a project of the Texas Public Policy Institute, a conservative think tank, released the study last month. It concluded a moderate and gradual reinstatement of parole would improve public safety and save taxpayer money. 'As Floridians, we should demand more for our public safety,' the study concludes. 'Parole has far too many benefits, and Florida's criminal justice system has far too many problems for policymakers to keep ignoring this potentially valuable tool.'"

STAYING IN PLACE — Florida judge declines to issue second stay on state's new abortion ban, by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: Florida's new law banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy will remain in effect while a state appeals court decides if the case is best heard by the Supreme Court, a lower court judge has ruled. In a ruling handed down Tuesday, Leon County Circuit Court Judge John C. Cooper wrote that abortions-rights groups that sued the state over the law in June had already met three requirements needed for the court to grant a temporary injunction on the 15-week ban. But whether the injunction remains in effect while it's under appellate review is up to the 1st District Court of Appeal.

— "State seeks to scuttle challenge to insurance law," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders

— "$3.1 billion Florida state employee health insurance plan is up for bid," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

'WE HAVE GOT TO GET AHEAD OF THIS' — "Demand is high as monkeypox vaccines arrived in Broward," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Cindy Krischer Goodman: "Monkeypox vaccines finally arrived in Broward County on Tuesday to high demand as residents rushed to receive a dose. Robert Boo, chief executive officer of The Pride Center for Equality in Wilton Manors, said 864 appointments for the vaccine filled up overnight after slots became available. On Tuesday, Boo became one of the first to receive a dose of Jynneos. 'The vaccine is highly sought after,' Boo said. 'Spread within the community is definitely here. We have got to get ahead of this big rolling ball.'"

'IT'S GRAVE' — "Scores are dead, others are injured as gang violence erupts in Haitian capital's largest slum," by Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles: "Dozens of people have been killed and more than a hundred injured in a new round of deadly violence in Haiti's largest slum that is aggravating fuel shortages, raising transportation costs and making an already troubling humanitarian crisis even worse. Local humanitarian and human-rights activists say it's still unclear how many people have been killed in the latest carnage, but Joël Janéus, the interim mayor of Cité Soleil, told the Miami Herald that at least 52 people have been killed and 110 injured since Friday."

— " Miami's $1B Venezuelan money-laundering case grows. New charges against 2 financial execs," by Miami Herald's Jay Weaver

— " AP exclusive: Venezuela jails 3 Americans amid US outreach," by Associated Press' Joshua Goodman

— "Mehmet Oz bragged about hunting in Florida, but he's never held a license ," by Florida Politics' Jacob Ogles

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

BIRTHDAYS: Former U.S. Ambassador to Singapore Kirk Wagar … Sun Sentinel's Dan Sweeney

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