News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: How Republican candidates are using DeSantis

Monday, August 1, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: How Republican candidates are using DeSantis

Aug 01, 2022

Hello and welcome to Monday.

Already Gone — When state Rep. Anthony Sabatini gave his closing remarks at last month's Sunshine Summit congressional debate held by the Republican Party of Florida, he emphatically told the crowd that "We don't have 435 Ron DeSantis' in Congress. We only have a few." State Sen. Aaron Bean said at his debate that "together we can take the DeSantis doctrine of freedom across the USA."

New Kid In Town — Yes, former President Donald Trump's endorsement still has a lot of currency among the GOP faithful but many of those running in Republican congressional primaries in Florida are doing their best to cling as tightly as possible to another conservative rock star who is seen as a likely presidential contender.

Take It To The Limit — DeSantis' name is showing up in television ads, and mailers and name-checked at every opportunity. Former Secretary of State Laurel Lee, who resigned from her post and then mounted a campaign for Florida's 15th Congressional District, had pictures of her with the governor in her first television ad. The ad starts out by saying "for Congress, there's just one candidate trusted by Gov. DeSantis to secure our elections: Laurel Lee."

Peaceful Easy Feeling — When asked about it, Lee said "it's part of everyone's pitch to voters, but in my case it isn't fiction."

Take It Easy — Here's your reminder, however, that DeSantis — who has endorsed 29 school board candidates across the state and made his opinion clear in many key legislative races — has not yet endorsed any Republicans running in several newly created and open congressional seats. He obviously has a keen interest in the outcome since it was DeSantis who pushed for the party to hold congressional debates and even helped with the questions in a couple of them.

The Long Run — So far, only one campaign has gotten called out. The governor's reelection campaign sent a letter to the head of a political committee supporting a Miami-Dade School Board member and complained that a "false representation" had been created in a mailer that DeSantis had endorsed Marta Perez. The governor had already endorsed Perez's opponent. The DeSantis campaign, in response to several questions from POLITICO, said that "voters shouldn't be subjected to deceitful tactics that create a faux appearance of an endorsement." Meanwhile, GOP voters may need to read the fine print ahead of the primary.

— 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

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today .

The Campaign Trail

THE NAME GAME — Florida Republicans tether themselves to DeSantis — even without his support, by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: James Blair, a Republican consultant who is working on the congressional campaigns of Anna Paulina Luna and Cory Mills, said GOP voters want to know whether candidates stand with both DeSantis and Trump. Both Florida men are considered leaders of the party. "Republican primary voters overwhelmingly approve of both President Trump and Gov. DeSantis and it certainly is important whether they are aligned with them," Blair said. "That is a meaningful question the voters need answered."

VOTERS ARE VOTING — So far, 459,871 vote-by-mail ballots have been cast for the Aug. 23 primary, according to the latest information on the state Division of Elections website. Of those, 182,822 have come from Republicans and 197,497 have come from registered Democrats. Overall, there are more than 3.6 million mail ballots that have been requested but not yet returned. Of those, more than 1.6 million are held by Democrats and nearly 1.14 million are with Republicans.

BY THE NUMBERS — Here's the breakdown for the weekly fundraising totals in the governor's race: DeSantis raised more than $1.67 million during the period from July 16 to July 22, while Rep. Charlie Crist brought in more than $1.18 million and Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried raised nearly $52,000. The totals include money raised for campaign accounts and for political committees controlled by the candidates.

Following the money — There's a big caveat with this week's reported numbers however. Crist included public matching money he received on July 22 — nearly $965,000 — while DeSantis and Fried did not include it in their weekly reports. DeSantis' largest contribution for this week was $200,000 from a political committee, Conservatives for Principled Leadership, that is run by incoming House Speaker Paul Renner.

In the bank — DeSantis has slightly more than $128 million unspent, according to state reports (which don't reflect any future planned expenditures) while Crist has more than $7.21 million and Fried has more than over $2.79 million. DeSantis' campaign had its biggest spending week as it reported that more than $2.2 million was spent on a canvassing firm. Blitz Canvassing, that bills itself as "the preeminent center-right door to door voter contact firm."

RESPONSE — ' The battle continues to grow': Deep-pocketed education group targets contested states , by POLITICO's Juan Perez Jr.: A new organization linked to some of the biggest money movers in Democratic politics is setting out plans to resist the country's cultural divides in education. The Campaign for Our Shared Future has a new executive director who says the group has already raised $9 million and holds ambitions to secure millions more. Its strategists have identified 15 states — including the home turf of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — where the organization is preparing to operate during the midterms, fast-approaching school year and 2024 campaign season.

COURT BATTLE — " Judge will rule Tampa Bay congressional candidate Jerry Torres ineligible, " by Tampa Bay Times Romy Ellenbogen: "A Tallahassee judge said Friday he will rule that Republican Jerry Torres is ineligible for the August primary race for Tampa Bay's 14th Congressional District seat. But attorneys for Torres said they plan to appeal and have already filed a motion to stay Circuit Judge John Cooper's ruling, which does not go into effect until the judge signs a written order. Democrats sued to keep Torres off the ballot, claiming that his candidate oath wasn't valid. Democrats argued that Torres' oath couldn't be valid because he was in Africa at the time."

CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP — Fried is releasing online this morning her first broadcast television ad that is scheduled to start airing a week from now. The campaign says it has placed a $1.5 million buy that includes markets such as Miami, Orlando, Fort Myers, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville and Tallahassee. The campaign also distributed a photo of Fried walking alongside mannequins, an image that caused a bit of a Twitterstorm.

… Fried's Democratic primary rival, Crist, released a "100 days from election day" memo where campaign manager Austin Durrer insisted that Crist is "mounting the only campaign capable of hitting the ground running" after the Aug. 23 primary to take on DeSantis. The memo notes Crist's fundraising edge and the number of endorsements he has received from Democratic elected officials.

… Rep. Val Demings will launch on Monday her "100 Days Tour" in Miami. Demings, who is challenging Sen. Marco Rubio, plans to travel across the state to rally voters against her Republican opponent. Demings' first two stops include a tour of a Haitian neighborhood center and a meeting with local Haitian leaders.

… The Republican National Committee will mark 100 days until Election Day by hosting a roundtable discussion at the RNC Jewish American Center in Boca Raton highlighting what the GOP is calling its "pro-parent agenda." The roundtable will include state Rep. Randy Fine and Moms for Liberty national outreach director Catalina Stubbe . During this year's session, Fine championed a plan to shift some state funding away from school districts that enacted mask mandates in defiance of DeSantis' ban on mask requirements. But DeSantis ultimately ordered the Department of Education to block Fine's plan.

FOREIGN INFLUENCE — DOJ accuses Russian operative of conspiring with U.S. groups to push propaganda , by POLITICO's Hannah Farrow: The Justice Department on Friday unsealed an indictment in Tampa charging a Russian operative with conspiring to influence unnamed groups in Florida, California and Georgia to interfere with U.S. elections and further Russian propaganda. The Justice Department accused Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov of working for at least seven years on behalf of the Kremlin to recruit and pay American groups to "publish pro-Russian propaganda." Ionov is not currently in custody.

St. Pete connection — Ionov allegedly orchestrated a brazen influence campaign, turning U.S. political groups and U.S. citizens into instruments of the Russian government," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division in a news release. Authorities say Ionov worked with one group in St. Petersburg, Fla., and is alleged to have sent the leader of the unidentified group to Russia — once for a conference sponsored by the organization Ionov founded, the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia.

— " What to know about possible Russian ties to St. Petersburg's Uhurus ," by Tampa Bay Times' Juan Carlos Chavez

— " Intrigue grows in Florida's 'ghost' candidate case as prosecutors seek more info ," by Miami Herald's Ana Ceballos

— " Florida Republican returns $1,000 campaign donation from his family's charity ," by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson

— "' Women against Matt Gaetz' hold protest outside campaign rally in Niceville ," by WEAR's Kelsey Coffey and Al Showers

— " Republican candidates for House seat based in Clearwater: No, you're a RINO! " by Tampa Bay Times' William March

— " Nikki Fried rejects 'chauvinistic criticisms' of Matt Gaetz association ," by Florida Politics A.G. Gancarski

Meanwhile, In Washington...

FLORIDA MEN — " Hot mic captured Gaetz assuring Stone of pardon, discussing Mueller redactions, " by Washington Post's Jon Swaine and Dalton Bennett: "As Roger Stone prepared to stand trial in 2019, complaining he was under pressure from federal prosecutors to incriminate Donald Trump, a close ally of the president repeatedly assured Stone that "the boss" would likely grant him clemency if he were convicted, a recording shows. At an event at a Trump property that October, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) predicted that Stone would be found guilty at his trial in Washington the following month but would not "do a day" in prison. Gaetz was apparently unaware they were being recorded by documentary filmmakers following Stone, whom special counsel Robert S. Mueller III had charged with obstruction of a congressional investigation."

— " Republicans split on proposed law to guarantee gay marriage as Rubio calls it a 'stupid waste of time ,'" by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man

— " Ethics committee finds no intentional violations by Rutherford in disclosure of stock trades, " by Florida Times-Union's David Bauerlein

— Vice President Kamala Harris, along with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Richard Spinrad will travel to Miami today, where Harris will speak on climate resilience.

INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY .

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

VANISHING ACT — " Fox News, once home to Trump, now often ignores him ," by The New York Times' Jeremy W. Peters : "It's been more than 100 days since Donald J. Trump was interviewed on Fox News. The network, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch and boosted Mr. Trump's ascension from real estate developer and reality television star to the White House, is now often bypassing him in favor of showcasing other Republicans. In the former president's view, according to two people who have spoken to him recently, Fox's ignoring him is an affront far worse than running stories and commentary that he has complained are 'too negative.'"

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

POINT COUNTERPOINT — Fried fires back at FLDOE in simmering Title IX dispute , by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury : State agencies in Florida are feuding over how to respond to recent guidance from the Biden administration that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation as federal funding for school meals could hang in the balance. Florida Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Friday slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. for encouraging schools across the state to flout the federal Title IX gender equity law policies, claiming that the state's top education official "overstepped his role."

— " Fried calls DeSantis, other GOP leaders 'creepy' for bringing culture wars to Florida schools ," by Tallahassee Democrat's Ana Goni-Lessan

ON NOTICE — Florida starts enforcing new abortion law amid ongoing legal challenge , by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: Florida health care regulators have started implementing the state's new abortion law, warning that any clinic that violates the ban on performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy "will be held accountable." The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration late Thursday alerted all 54 licensed abortion clinics that the agency's inspectors will begin visiting to ensure compliance with the law. "The Agency will begin surveying for compliance with the law," the memo states. "As with all licensed facilities, abortion clinics found in violation of the law will be held accountable."

— " Economist warns 'growth recession' could keep Medicaid enrollment high ," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton

THE GUNSHINE STATE

POWERFUL IMAGES — " Parkland trial a rare, curtailed look at mass shooting gore ," by The Associated Press' Terry Spencer: "Few Americans outside law enforcement and government ever see the most graphic videos or photos from the nation's worst mass shootings — in most states, such evidence is only displayed at trial and most such killers die during or immediately after their attacks. They never make it to court. That has made the penalty trial of Florida school shooter Nikolas Cruz for his 2018 murder of 17 people at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School unusual.

Debate — "But they are not shown in the gallery, where parents and spouses sit, or to the general public watching on TV. Some online believe that should change — that to have an informed debate on gun violence, the public should see the carnage mass shooters like Cruz cause, often with high-velocity bullets fired from AR-15 semiautomatic rifles and similar weapons."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

'A DISREGARD FOR THE SCIENCE' — " Conservatives skeptical of coronavirus vaccines battle lead a hospital ," by Washington Post's Tim Craig: "Now a year later, [Victor] Rohe is part of a slate of four conservative candidates trying to take over control of the board that oversees Sarasota's flagship public hospital, highlighting how once-obscure offices are emerging as a new front in the political and societal battles that have intensified across the country since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Although the contenders are considered underdogs to win on Aug. 23, health policy experts say the campaign is a troubling sign of how ideological divisions are spilling into the world of medical care as fights over abortion, the coronavirus and vaccines increasingly fall across party lines — alarming doctors, hospital administrators and medical experts."

— " Despite DeSantis, it's business as usual at R House drag brunch. Just a little less skin, " by Miami Herald's Alex Harris

ZAPPED — Investment firm downgrades Florida Power & Light's parent company 'amid' media scrutiny , by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: An investment firm has downgraded its view of NextEra Energy, an assessment that comes amid "growing media scrutiny" of its subsidiary Florida Power & Light, one of Florida's most politically powerful companies. Reporting, largely led by the Miami Herald, Orlando Sentinel and Floodlight, has outlined Florida Power & Light's role in efforts to covertly impact state and local elections, attempts to gobble up local newspapers to turn them into "ghost operations," use pay-to-play news sites to advance political agendas and hammer political opponents.

Drip, drip, drip — "We worry that the growing media scrutiny of FPL could lead to formal legal, political and/or regulatory inquiries into this regulatory utility, at a time when FPL's 2021 rate case settlement is being challenged at the FL Supreme Court and NEE's stock trades at a hefty P/E premium to peers," wrote Seaport Global senior analyst Angie Storozynski. Seaport downgraded NextEra from a "buy" to a "neutral" rating. The downgrade was first reported by the Miami Herald.

FALLOUT — " Florida teachers race to remake lessons as DeSantis laws take effect ," by Washington Post's Lori Rozsa: "The first day of school in Florida is less than two weeks away, but officials are still plagued by confusion and uncertainty about what a raft of new laws championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will mean. The measures — aimed at eliminating what DeSantis calls 'woke ideology' in public schools — have parents, teachers, and students scrambling to figure out how to follow them and to also keep from being targeted by Floridians newly empowered to sue school boards."

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

BIRTHDAYS: Former state Rep. Jennifer Sullivan, former state Sen. Garrett Richter.

Follow us on Twitter