News: POLITICO Florida Playbook: Crist loses campaign manager as Election Day nears

Thursday, October 20, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: Crist loses campaign manager as Election Day nears

Oct 20, 2022

Hello and welcome to Thursday.

Farewell — Charlie Crist's campaign for governor announced that campaign manager Austin Durrer was leaving with less than three weeks to go before Election Day.

Changeover — The campaign said that Durrer was departing to "focus on a family matter" and that Sydney Throop, who has been handling day-to-day operations, will be "leading the campaign into the final 20 days." Those inside the campaign — while declining to go into detail — called it unfortunate timing but repeated that it was a family emergency that led to Durrer's exit.

Trendlines — Even so, Crist's campaign is heading into a final stretch without a great deal of momentum. Crist is — and has been — behind in the polls. Republicans have continued to increase their overall voter registration edge over Democrats and the GOP now has a voter edge of more than 300,000, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Airwaves — The television gap is stunning. An analysis by tracking firm AdImpact shows that as of the start of this week DeSantis and the Republican Party has spent roughly $44 million, compared to $11.3 million spent by Crist and the Florida Democratic Party. But a decent chunk of Crist's spending was done ahead of the August primary, then Crist was off the air for about three weeks following his win over Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.

Promises, promises — Back in early August, the Crist campaign told one D.C. media outlet that it was preparing a $20 million ad blitz between September and November. Yeah, well, that never materialized, likely because the campaign has not received any huge infusions of cash from donors outside of Florida. The campaign itself had less than $3 million left in the bank (as of Oct. 7). (Side note: The political committee website that is supposed to list contributions has been blank since the end of September.) So it goes.

— WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the Alachua County Republican Party Ronald Reagan Black Tie and Blue Jeans BBQ.

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CAMPAIGN MODE

SHH — " What are Ron DeSantis' plans on abortion in Florida? He's not saying as Election Day nears ," by USA Today Network-Florida's John Kennedy and Kathryn Varn: "Now, the Republican governor is widely expected to seek a stricter ban, a so-called heartbeat bill prohibiting most abortions after six weeks. But as he campaigns for a second term, he's not talking about it. Instead, inflation, the economy, security at the southern border and the state's recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian are what DeSantis and many Florida Republican lawmakers are eager to address, frustrating Democrats intent on shifting the election's focus toward the future of abortion in the nation's third largest state."

— " 3 reasons Ron DeSantis is going to win in November and 3 reasons he'll lose, " by Tampa Bay Times' Kirby Wilson and Emily L. Mahoney

BY THE NUMBERS — Nearly 838,000 people have voted by mail ahead of the Nov. 8 election, according to the latest information on the state Division of Elections website. Of those, 349,906 have come from Democrats and 321,920 have come from registered Republicans. Overall, there are nearly 3.38 million mail ballots that have been requested but not yet returned. Of those, more nearly 1.5 million are held by Democrats and more than 1.06 million are with Republicans.

'A HUMAN FACE' — " Felon advocates demand DeSantis fix 'broken system' after voter fraud arrests ," by Tampa Bay Times' Lawrence Mower: "A Florida voting rights group is calling on state officials to fix what it says is a 'broken' Florida voting system after videos of felons being arrested on charges related to voting illegally in 2020 went viral this week. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which led the 2018 effort to allow Floridians with felony convictions to vote, is also urging people to sign a petition for state and local prosecutors to 'immediately stop arrests' of people with felonies on their records for voting. 'What we see with these videos is a human face on a broken system,' the organization's deputy director, Neil Volz, said during a Wednesday news conference."

'DEEPLY DIVISIVE' — " Citing his own ads, consultant wants prosecutor removed in 'ghost' candidate case ," by Orlando Sentinel's Jeff Weiner: "Eric Foglesong, the political consultant accused of falsifying records to help a 'ghost' candidate in 2020, wants State Attorney Phil Archer's office removed from the case — citing attack mailers he produced against the prosecutor while working for a rival's campaign. Foglesong, 45, was campaign manager for Democrat Ryan Vescio in 2012 when Vescio sought election as state attorney for the 18th Judicial Circuit, losing to Archer, a Republican, in the general election."

GRUTERS WEIGHS IN — " Florida Republican Party chair condemns 'hate speech' remarks by Indialantic candidate ," by Florida Today's Rick Neale: "Florida Rep. Randy Fine is calling for state and Brevard County Republican officials to drop their support of Indialantic Town Council candidate Mel Chang, citing antisemitic remarks Chang wrote in emails and on Facebook. In a Monday letter to Republican Party of Florida Chairman Joe Gruters, Fine referenced written remarks where Chang called Indialantic Mayor Dave Berkman 'Mayor Jew Berkman,' a 'Jew piece of (expletive),' called the town 'Jewlantic,' and called other Town Council members Jews. Chang said he was repeating terminology that Berkman, who is Jewish, previously said to him in emails years ago — and the topic is only resurfacing as a political issue because of the upcoming general election."

CAMPAIGN ROUNDUP — Equal Ground, which is involved in a legal challenge to Florida's congressional map, is launching three digital ads reminding voters that five state Supreme Court justices will be on the Nov. 8 ballot along with races for governor and U.S. Senate. The justices — including two appointed by DeSantis and three appointed by Crist — will be up for an up or down merit retention vote. The video in one ad reminds voters that these "justices could decide the future of our democracy" and another asks voters to make sure they go down the ballot and weigh in on these races. The campaign will be targeted toward more than 150,000 minority voters in nine congressional districts. …

— " Congressional District 9: Incumbent Soto runs on record; Moore touts 'America first' agenda ," by Orlando Sentinel's Ryan Gillespie

— " Bernie Sanders plans Orlando stop to boost Maxwell Frost, energize progressive voters ," by Florida Politics' Jesse Scheckner

— " With boosting teacher pay on ballot, Miami-Dade teachers union president takes back seat ," by Miami Herald's Sommer Brugal

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

MEMO TO JUDGE — DeSantis administration agrees to release Martha's Vineyard records by December , by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration this week pushed back against a lawsuit seeking the immediate release of all records related to the flights of migrants from Texas to Massachusetts but agreed to provide them no later than Dec. 1. Lawyers for the Republican governor filed a nine-page response late Tuesday to a demand from the open government group Florida Center for Government Accountability for records, including phone and text logs from DeSantis' chief of staff, James Uthmeier, as well as any communication between Florida and Texas officials.

Men and women line up next to an airplane with its door open.

A photo released from Gov. Ron DeSantis' office shows migrants lined up appearing to be preparing to board a flight. | Florida governor's office.

...HURRICANE HOLE...

AFTERMATH — " Collier County has a housing crisis "times two" thanks to Hurricane Ian ," by Naples Daily News' Laura Layden: "[Joe Trachtenberg] understands thousands of others are in the same situation — or worse — with homes that are unlivable or even gone across Southwest Florida. He feels for those who are still struggling to find temporary or replacement housing due to Ian. There are still residents staying at county-operated shelters, including one at North Collier Regional Park — and at a former Publix in North Fort Myers. Some are living in mold-infested conditions in their storm-ravaged homes and apartments. Others have left town to stay with friends or relatives. They may never return. Evictions are on the rise — and so are the demands on homeless shelters."

— " How did Sanibel Causeway open early? 4,000 tons of asphalt and an 'ambitious road map ,'" by Miami Herald's Howard Cohen

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

THE AGENDA — Florida approves new rules enacting 'Don't Say Gay' and anti-woke laws in schools , by POLITICO's Andrew Attebury: Florida's Board of Education approved new rules Wednesday to carry out several high-profile laws passed by state Republicans this year, including the parental rights law labeled as "Don't Say Gay" by opponents and a separate one requiring schools to notify parents if bathrooms aren't separated by biological sex. Under the "Don't Say Gay" rule, teachers now run the risk of losing their educator credentials for leading instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity to students in kindergarten through grade 3, as well as certain lessons on race encapsulated in the "Stop WOKE" Act proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

MOUSETRAP — " How DeSantis used Disney's missteps to wage war on corporate America ," by Washington Post's Michael Kranish: "A reconstruction of the events by The Washington Post through interviews with key players, documents and other sources reveals how Disney's missteps set the stage for the conflict, as its army of 38 lobbyists in Tallahassee failed to change or halt the bill, and [Disney CEO Robert] Chapek declined for weeks to speak publicly about it. Chapek later apologized for his actions, which led to internal protests and a public backlash, saying employees had helped him understand 'how painful our silence was.' The conflict also highlights the careful political calculus of [Gov. Ron] DeSantis, who had previously said little publicly about gay rights issues."

— " As demand for medical marijuana increases, Florida regulators request more staff, money to keep pace ," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

FOR YOUR RADAR — Judge: Trump signed court document that knowingly included false voter fraud stats , by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein: Former President Donald Trump signed legal documents describing evidence of election fraud that he knew were false, a federal judge indicated on Wednesday. U.S. District Court Judge David Carter wrote in an 18-page opinion that emails from attorney John Eastman, an architect of Trump's last-ditch effort to subvert the 2020 election, needed to be turned over to the Jan. 6 select committee. Those emails, Carter wrote, "show that President Trump knew that the specific numbers of voter fraud were wrong but continued to tout those numbers, both in court and to the public."

REACTION — Trump's Mar-a-Lago fundraising boost came with big costs , by POLITICO's Jessica Piper: Fundraising by former President Donald Trump's primary political group briefly quadrupled for a few days after the FBI searched his South Florida property in August. But the group also reported a significant increase in fundraising expenses during the third quarter, according to a POLITICO analysis of new campaign finance filings. The data provides further evidence of how law enforcement's decision to seize classified documents from Trump's resort energized the former president's base. And it shows how the former president's political operation is churning through the GOP's small-donor pool at an accelerating pace as a potential comeback campaign draws near.

WELCOME BACK? — " Trump considers allowing federal investigators to search Mar-a-Lago again ," by CNN's Sara Murray, Kristen Holmes and Gabby Orr: "Donald Trump's legal team is weighing whether to allow federal agents to return to the former President's Florida residence, and potentially conduct a supervised search, to satisfy the Justice Department's demands that all sensitive government documents are returned, sources tell CNN. In private discussions with Trump's team as well as court filings, the Justice Department has made clear that it believes Trump failed to comply with a May subpoena ordering the return of all documents marked as classified and that more government records remain missing."

"GUILTY — " Florida man sent 'Disciples of Democracy' death threats to Capitol rioters ," by Tampa Bay Times' Christopher Spata: "Marilyn Fassell asked a judge last month to let her carry a gun while she and her husband await sentencing for their part in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Fassell's reason: fear stoked by an expletive-laden death threat mailed to her Largo home from what seemed to be a group planning to assassinate Jan. 6 defendants. Prosecutors' response: The culprit had already been caught. Denis Bass, a 67-year-old retired Broward County firefighter, pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami on Tuesday."

— " Charged in U.S. Capitol riot, lawyers says First Coast man was entrapped after phone stolen ," by Florida Times-Union's Steve Patterson

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

VIEWPOINT — " FDA chief on Ladapo's vaccine advice, 'losing the battle' against misinformation ," by Orlando Sentinel's Caroline Catherman: "In the aftermath of Florida's recommendation against mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for men 18-39, Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf is calling attention to the impact of vaccine hesitancy and misinformation as it relates to health care, particularly in the southern U.S. 'The health care system is losing the battle [against misinformation],' Califf said. While Califf wouldn't label as misinformation Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's recommendation against mRNA vaccines issued on Oct. 7, he did say it seemed flawed."

Joseph A. Ladapo, left, speaks at a news conference with Ron DeSantis, right.

Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, left, speaks at a news conference with Ron DeSantis. | Wilfredo Lee/AP Photo

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

SOMETHING TO WATCH — " Is Broward schools chief's job in jeopardy? DeSantis' 'reform board' is weighing her future ," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Lisa J. Huriash: "The future of the Broward schools superintendent may now be in jeopardy, on the heels of a preliminary job evaluation that had deemed her an 'effective' leader. With only a year on the job, Broward Schools Superintendent Vickie Cartwright took a tongue-lashing Tuesday from School Board members appointed this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The five voted as a block to not support the 'process' of the recent evaluation."

TO COURT — " Family of woman, grandson slain at Publix files wrongful death lawsuit against grocery chain ," by Palm Beach Post's Jane Musgrave: "More than a year after a 69-year-old Royal Palm Beach woman and her nearly 2-year-old grandson were gunned down by a mentally disturbed man in Publix, their grieving family on Wednesday sued the grocery giant, claiming it could have prevented the tragedy. A gunman shot and killed Litha Varona and her grandson, Sam, at a Publix Super Market in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, June 10, 2021. Disputing the notion that the June 2021 deaths of Litha Varone and her grandson, Samuel, were simply random acts of violence, the family said that the chain had plenty of warning that its customers were at risk. 'Publix ignored every red flag that placed the safety of their customers in jeopardy,' the Varone family said in a statement."

STRANGE THINGS ARE AFOOT AT THE CIRCLE K — " Weed will soon be sold at some Florida gas stations — a new step in popularizing Mary Jane ," by Miami Herald's Devoun Cetoute: "Ganja could soon be coming to a Florida gas station near you — in a new initiative to bring the hotly debated psychoactive flower buds to a larger audience. No, Florida has not fully legalized Mary Jane and it remains illegal on the federal level. However, Green Thumb Industries Inc., a U.S. cannabis producer, is partnering with Circle K gas stations to start selling licensed marijuana products to registered cardholders in 2023. Only 10 of Circle K's 600 gas stations in Florida will see new dispensaries, called "RISE Express," adjacent to the stores."

— " After backing Israel in Congress, Ted Deutch ready to do so full-time as AJC chief ," by The Times of Israel's Jacob Magid

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Anthony Sabatini … Tom Flanigan, program director for news at WFSU Public Media … Russell W. Galbut, attorney and real estate developer