| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Friday. COUNTING THEM DOWN — With just five days left before Tuesday's primary, here's a list of the 10 top races to watch next Tuesday. This list is focused on statewide, congressional and legislative races in Florida. There is no question that there's a lot of notable local races as well, including the push to win school board seats by Gov. Ron DeSantis as the well as the brawl between progressive and moderate Democrats that is the biggest political story going on right now in Tallahassee.
The first half — Today's list will focus on races 6-10, with the rest of the list will be rolled out in Monday's Playbook. And yes, there will be those who disagree with the rankings. So be it.
No. 10 — Florida's 23rd congressional district. The winner of the Democratic primary will be heavily favored to succeed outgoing South Florida Rep. Ted Deutch in November. Among the six Democrats are Jared Moskowitz, the former state legislator who was picked by DeSantis to be the state's emergency management director, and Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Ben Sorensen. No. 9 — Florida's 1st congressional district. Why? Because it's Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Republican firebrand and staunch ally of former President Donald Trump. And because his GOP primary opponent Mark Lombardo has spent close to a half a million on television ads airing in this Panhandle district. Gaetz appears to be taking the challenge seriously because he's spent more than $600,000 on ads, including on negative ads against Lombardo. He's also brought in well-known MAGA celebrities to join him on the campaign trail. No. 8 — State House District 109. Why? A long line of Florida Democrats are lining up behind attorney Ashley Gantt in her bid to oust Democratic incumbent Rep. James Bush from this South Florida seat due to Bush's habit of constantly crossing party lines to back controversial Republican legislation. State Sen. Jason Pizzo's quip of calling Bush the "governor's little bitch" created a firestorm that prompted Bush to hold a press conference this past week where he said the comment was a throwback to "the days of Jim Crow-ism." (There are several other legislative races that also have created a similar type of party schism including House District 44 and House District 66.) No. 7 — Florida's 20th congressional district. Incumbent Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick won this South Florida seat in a 2021 special election by just five votes over former Broward County Mayor Dale Holness. Holness is back for a rematch and the Democratic primary has gotten so vicious that Cherfilus-McCormick filed a libel lawsuit against Holness. (There is a third Democrat – State Rep. Anika Omphroy – who is also running in the primary.) No. 6 — Florida's 15th congressional district. Newly-created during redistricting this central Florida seat just east of Tampa is expected to be won by Republicans. It has attracted several GOP candidates including former Secretary of State Laurel Lee, State Sen. Kelli Stargel and State Rep. Jackie Toledo. The race has its share of interesting campaign finance maneuvers as well as blistering broadsides – some of which have come courtesy of super PACs. More than $1.12 million has been spent on television ads in the race.
— WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Girard, Ohio for "Unite and Win" rallies being held on behalf of Doug Mastriano, the Republican candidate for governor in Pennsylvania and J.D. Vance, the GOP Senate nominee in Ohio.
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. | | | | | |  | Election Security | | Creating a buzz — Gov. Ron DeSantis billed his press conference in Broward County on Thursday as a "major announcement." That suggestion would drive rumors and speculation, with some – including Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried – incorrectly suggesting that the Republican governor was going to oust the Democrat that runs the Broward elections office. Warning shot — That wasn't the case. Instead DeSantis launched what he called the "opening salvo" in a crackdown on voter fraud being led by the state's new elections police – which as the governor reminded everyone – was put into place by the Florida Legislature at his urging. This initial crackdown resulted in charges being brought against 20 people who the governor said voted illegally in the 2020 election because they were ineligible to vote. The charges — Law-enforcement authorities later released a list of 17 people from five urban counties who they said had already been arrested. DeSantis said that each of those who were charged were convicted felons who had either been charged with murder or sex offenses and therefore were ineligible to vote even under the terms of Amendment 4. Amendment 4 was the citizen initiative approved by voters in 2018 that wiped out Florida's lifetime ban on voting for most convicted felons. Not the first — A few items to place this in context: There have already been similar charges pursued in several other counties, including Alachua, for the same type of activity outlined by the governor and other high-ranking state officials on Thursday. There were suggestions that more charges and arrests were coming and Pete Antonacci, the head of the new Office of Election Crimes and Security, said they would be watching how the voting goes in next week's primary. What happened? — But left unanswered after the press conference is how exactly did this happen? It's the job of the Department of State – which reports to the governor – to flag ineligible voters to local supervisors and present them with evidence on why someone should be removed from the rolls. The local supervisor is ultimately responsible for removing the voter. Reminder — It's important to remember there was a large amount of confusion in the aftermath of Amendment 4 and the subsequent law implementing it that made it clear that voters remained ineligible if they also owed restitution, fines or fees. At the time, officials working for DeSantis said they were flagging sex offenders and murderers and notifying local supervisors but they initially held back from flagging other registered voters because of the initial legal challenges over the law enacted by the Florida Legislature. Response — Democrats on Thursday decried DeSantis' event as a political theater and called it an attempt at voter suppression. But Desmond Meade of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition – and who was a driving force for Amendment 4 – said the arrests are a "clear indication that the state system is broken. These individuals should have never gotten to this point." THE START — " DeSantis announces 20 arrests tied to voter fraud charges," by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: [Gov. Ron] DeSantis said those arrested were convicted of crimes like murder and sexual assault, but provided no details about the defendants. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement later provided the names of the 20 individuals, who are facing third degree felony charges related to voting violations. "This is just the first step. There are many more in the pipeline," DeSantis said. "We are not just going to turn a blind eye to this. The days of that happening in Florida are over." DeSantis said that the office is actively investigating people who have voted in two states and undocumented immigrants who he says may have voted illegally in Florida. He provided no specific details about those ongoing investigations.
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | ON OFFENSE — "Val Demings' big TV spending may pay dividends, but she's playing catchup with Rubio," by McClatchy D.C.'s Alex Roarty: "It's not often high-profile incumbent candidates fall behind in the political ad wars early on in their campaigns. But that's exactly what's happened to GOP Sen. Marco Rubio. Since the spring, the Florida Republican's TV and radio ad campaign has been far smaller than that of his presumed Democratic opponent, Rep. Val Demings, according to data provided by two sources tracking political advertising in the state." | 
Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., participates in a roundtable discussion about Congress passing the inflation bill and the high cost of prescription drugs, Monday, Aug. 15, 2022, at the Borinquen Medical Center in Miami. Demings is running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) | AP |
WHAT'S GOING ON? — "Mystery attack texts, letter taped to door heat up this race," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello: "The Democratic primary race to succeed U.S. Rep. Val Demings in Congress turned even nastier Thursday, with Maxwell Frost targeted by several mysterious texts and Alan Grayson warning of 'consequences' for Frost's ads against him. One text accused Frost of sexually harassing co-workers. The text was 'not true' and 'a big lie,' Frost said. Another was aimed at another candidate for the seat, Sen. Randolph Bracy, that accused him of 'lies to the voters.'"
KEEPING TRACK — Crist receives another big environmental endorsement, by POLITICO's Bruce Ritchie: Florida Conservation Voters on Thursday endorsed Charlie Crist for governor, giving the Democratic congressman the bulk of environmental endorsements heading into the Aug. 23 primary. FCV, a nonpartisan environmental group, endorsed Crist through the general election on a Zoom "rally" with environmentalists following earlier backing by Sierra Club and Vote Water. — "Rallying Orlando voters, Nikki Fried vows to make DeSantis a 'one-term governor and a zero-term president,'" by Orlando Sentinel's Skyler Swisher — " Without primary foe, Rubio rips FBI, IRS, gay marriage law," by Orlando Sentinel's Steven Lemongello — " Charlie Crist says he'd seek alternatives to Glades sugar cane burning as governor," by WLRN's Gerard Albert III — "Independents surge in Brevard, other counties ," by Florida Today's Dave Berman and Rick Neale — "Ryan Morales fires comms director after 'insensitive' 'Nazi' tweets about J.R. Gaillot," by Florida Politics' Renzo Downey — "Fried gets $1 million from big business, 'dark money' groups," by Orlando Sentinel's Jeffrey Schweers | | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
THE 'UPSIDE DOWN' — Federal judge temporarily blocks DeSantis 'Stop-WOKE' law, by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: A federal judge on Thursday blocked Florida from enforcing a key aspect of the state's new law restricting what Gov. Ron DeSantis calls "woke" workplace trainings about race. In a 44-page decision, Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker slammed Florida's "Stop-WOKE" Act, criticizing its policies as "bordering on unintelligible" as he granted a temporary injunction on the grounds the law violates the First Amendment.
Quite the metaphor — The ruling was heralded as a "major victory for free speech" by the group of businesses who sued the state, but that win could be short lived with the DeSantis administration sure to appeal. "In the popular television series Stranger Things, the 'upside down' describes a parallel dimension containing a distorted version of our world," Walker, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, wrote. "Recently, Florida has seemed like a First Amendment upside down." LET IT ROLL — Biden administration tries to save DeSantis' gambling deal, by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: The Biden administration is trying to convince a federal appeals court to salvage Florida's $2.5 billion gambling deal negotiated by Gov. Ron DeSantis with the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Despite DeSantis' ongoing antipathy toward President Joe Biden — and his insistence that the administration constantly takes actions against Florida — the Department of Interior late Wednesday filed a lengthy 75-page brief in defense of the agreement. FOLLOW THE MONEY — " DeSantis' proposed new rules for pension investments push Florida into fight against Wall Street," by CNN's Steve Contorno: "As soon as next week, Florida pension fund managers could be barred from considering the social impact of their financial decisions as Gov. Ron DeSantis opens a new front in his anti-"woke" crusade, this time focused on Wall Street and corporate CEOs. In new draft rules posted Monday on the website of the agency that oversees Florida's pension fund, state investment managers can weigh only the risk or return of an investment when directing the state's $200 billion in assets. The directive is DeSantis' initial salvo against what he has called "ideological corporate power," and it follows efforts by other GOP state leaders that are targeting companies that venture into the political arena." — Senate to pause considering of removing Warren from office as legal process plays out, by POLITICO's Matt Dixon | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | |
NOT GOING AWAY — Trump's legal woes enter yet another protracted phase , by POLITICO's Nicholas Wu, Andrew Desiderio, Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein: Donald Trump entered Thursday demanding answers about the basis for the FBI search of his private residence and calling for a swift end to the investigation. Instead, the former president got few new details about the probe and a piece of unwelcome news to boot: the feds are just getting started.
'Early stages' — That was the message from top Justice Department prosecutors during an hour-long federal court hearing Thursday over whether to publicly release elements of the probable-cause affidavit that led to the unprecedented search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. And it's the latest sign that the Trump legal controversies that have clouded Washington for years may be entering a new protracted chapter. COURTROOM DISPATCH — " Judge may release affidavit in Trump search, but only after redaction," by New York Times' Patricia Mazzei and Alan Feuer: "A federal judge ordered the government on Thursday to propose redactions to the highly sensitive affidavit that was used to justify a search warrant executed by the F.B.I. last week at former President Donald J. Trump's private home and club, saying he was inclined to unseal parts of it. Ruling from the bench, the judge, Bruce E. Reinhart, said it was 'very important' that the public have as 'much information' as it can about the historic search at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump's Florida residence. He noted later in a written order that the government 'had not met its burden of showing that the entire affidavit should remain sealed.'" DO TELL — "Another Trump mystery: Why did he resist returning the government's documents?" by New York Times' Maggie Haberman: " Mr. Trump, a pack rat who for decades showed off knickknacks in his overstuffed Trump Tower office — including a giant shoe that once belonged to the basketball player Shaquille O'Neal — treated the nation's secrets as similar trinkets to brandish. White House aides described how excited he was to show off all the material he had access to, including letters from the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which he routinely waved at visitors, alarming his advisers. Some of those letters were among the trove that Mr. Trump had with him at Mar-a-Lago." — "Since Trump won the presidency, Mar-a-Lago was always a national security red flag," by Palm Beach Post's Antonio Fins — Top Trump executive pleads guilty to fraud in New York, by POLITICO's Erin Durkin | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
THE FLORIDA ANGLE — "FBI arrests man in Ocala in connection with 2018 beating death of mobster Whitey Bulger ," by Ocala Star-Banner's Jonathan Tully: "A man was arrested in Ocala in connection with the beating death of organized crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger in 2018 in a West Virginia federal prison, according to federal law enforcement officials. Sean McKinnon, 36, was arrested by special agents from FBI Jacksonville, along with two other men. Paul DeCologero, 48, and Fotios "Freddy" Geas, 55, were also arrested Thursday. All three men were charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. Bulger died at the United States Penitentiary Hazelton in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, on Oct. 30, 2018, at the age of 89."
IT'S YOUR FAULT — "USF 'ineptitude' allowed millions to be stolen, lawsuit defendant says," by Tampa Bay Times' Divya Kumar: "An adult website involved in a scheme to embezzle $12.8 million from the University of South Florida says it shouldn't be forced to reimburse the school, arguing USF was too inept to know the money was being stolen. The site, MyGirlFund, is asking to be dismissed from a USF lawsuit in Hillsborough County demanding that it return a portion of the money. Ralph Puglisi, an accounting manager who has pleaded guilty to stealing the money, frequented the site as a way to divert funds." — " Escambia County teen denied abortion highlights hurdles to care, advocates say," by Pensacola News Journal's Jim Little — " Florida backs Tampa's Cambridge Christian School in pregame prayer case," by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
— "Attorney for OnlyFans model facing Miami murder charge wants evidence kept secret," by Miami Herald's David Ovalle: "A defense attorney for the OnlyFans and Instagram model accused of murdering her boyfriend in Miami wants evidence in her case kept secret and for an outside medical expert to inspect the man's corpse — a request that would require digging up his grave."
BIRTHDAYS: Tallahassee Democrat executive editor William Hatfield ... Mark Seibel , technology policy editor at The Washington Post and former managing editor for news at the Miami Herald ... Administrative law judge John D.C Newton II … (Saturday) Rep. Kathy Castor … Former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth … former Rep. Don Fuqua … (Sunday) Washington Post's Manuel Roig-Franzia
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