News : POLITICO Florida Playbook: DeSantis fires up post-Ian campaigning

Monday, October 17, 2022

POLITICO Florida Playbook: DeSantis fires up post-Ian campaigning

Oct 17, 2022

Hello and welcome to Monday.

Countdown underway — The final campaign push to Election Day is underway, and Gov. Ron DeSantis hit the trail over the weekend, holding events across the state, including stops in The Villages, Tampa and Broward County.

Hold lifted — DeSantis had paused his campaign activities — though not his avalanche of campaign ads — in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, which slammed into the state late last month.

Also on the trail — His Democratic rival for governor, Charlie Crist, had already resumed campaigning after also shifting downward in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Over the weekend Crist — along with Rep. Val Demings — appeared in Orlando with Jill Biden. Crist also attended a rally in Palm Beach Gardens.

Staying on script — The closing messages from both campaigns remains basically the same as it has ever been. DeSantis did note the response to Hurricane Ian during his campaign stops but he spent most of his time touting his record as the conservative warrior who battles the left, the Biden administration, the media and woke corporations, while Crist blames DeSantis for the state's affordability crisis and blasts him over abortion restrictions.

Red wave — DeSantis remained highly confident that he's going to win any election pegged as a referendum on his time as governor. In a Sunday afternoon visit to The Villages, DeSantis predicted that 2022 will feature the biggest turnout of Republicans in state history and he said that the GOP voter registration edge over Democrats continues to grow.

Coming soon — President Joe Biden, who had previously scheduled campaign visits to Florida only to have them scrapped, is planning to come to the state on Nov. 1 for a rally with Crist in Fort Lauderdale. The visits by the president and the first lady mark some level of outside support but Crist finds himself trailing in the polls and being vastly outspent on television.

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

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CAMPAIGN MODE

ON THE TRAIL — " DeSantis draws big crowd as he campaigns in heavily Democratic Broward ," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered both a traditional election-season campaign pitch on Sunday, promising tax cuts, and touted the conservative social messaging — on gender, education and immigration — that have become hallmarks of his time in office. The crowd, hundreds of people gathered in Broward, the most Democratic county in the state, liked what it heard."

JILL BIDEN PITCHES IN — "' Leaving no person behind': Crist, Demings pledge equal rights fight during first lady's visit to Orlando ," by Orlando Sentinel: "First lady Jill Biden made a stop in Orlando to campaign for U.S. Rep. Val Demings and former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, pledging a vigorous push for equal rights just weeks before Election Day. In a rally of hundreds of supporters outside Orlando City Hall on Saturday, Demings and Crist vowed to fight back against the continuing culture wars waged by Republicans relating to LGBTQ protections and abortion rights."

— " Democrats in tight races turn to Jill Biden on the campaign trail ," by The New York Times' Katie Rogers

THE VOTES ARE COMING IN — More than 602,000 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, 250,170 have come from Democrats and 231,953 have come from registered Republicans. Overall, there are more than 3.58 million mail ballots that have been requested but not yet returned. Of those, more nearly 1.59 million are held by Democrats and more than 1.14 million are with Republicans.

FRIED'S NEW PC WEIGHS IN — Won't Back Down, the newly-formed political committee created by Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried to support female candidates to support abortion rights, announced a slate of 20 federal, state and local candidates the organization is endorsing. "Won't Back Down will work tirelessly to ensure that the next line of qualified candidates aren't left behind, and that they have the organizational support willing to step up and make sure that they are competitive and successful," Fried said in a statement.

On the list — The group said it plans to provide "financial and earned media" support to the endorsed candidates, which includes Rep. Val Demings, Aramis Ayala, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, Naomi Blemur , the Democratic nominee for agriculture commissioner as well as 12 legislative candidates such as state Sens. Loranne Ausley and Janet Cruz and local candidates like Donna Deegan, who is running for Jacksonville mayor.

BY THE NUMBERS — The latest campaign finance filings show that Charlie Crist raised more than $1.14 million during the time period of Oct. 1 to Oct. 7, while DeSantis raised more than $1.07 million. The total includes money raised for campaign accounts and for political committees controlled by the candidates.

Following the money — The weekly total for Crist includes more than $281,000 in public matching money and $50,000 from the Searcy Denney law firm and $50,000 from the political committee of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. DeSantis received more than $211,000 in taxpayer funding and $50,000 from data marketing company CEO John Hamlin as well as $50,000 from a political committee led by Associated Industries of Florida president and CEO Brewster Bevis.

In the bank — DeSantis has more than $102 million unspent while Crist has nearly $2.9 million, according to state reports (which don't reflect any future planned expenditures).

HMM — Parent company of crypto exchange being probed by Treasury donates $100K to DeSantis , by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: A cryptocurrency exchange whose co-founder who has been accused of creating a "hateful" work environment and publicly said he would consider breaking the law if it was best for his company, last month gave $100,000 to Gov. Ron DeSantis' re-election bid. The contribution came from Payward, the parent company of Kraken, a California-based cryptocurrency exchange valued at nearly $11 billion.

— " Crist faced cost-of-living crisis as governor. He responded differently than DeSantis ," by USA Today Network-Florida's Zac Anderson

— "' It's wrong': Charlie Crist blasts Gov. DeSantis, PSC for punting on utility rate hikes until after the election ," by Florida Politics' Jesse Scheckner

— " Joe Biden to visit South Florida one week before Election Day to raise money for Crist ," by Miami Herald's Bianca Padró Ocasio

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

DETAILS EMERGE — Documents show top DeSantis officials were personally involved in Martha's Vineyard flights , by POLITICO's Matt Dixon: Newly released documents show that top staffers for Gov. Ron DeSantis — including his chief of staff — were directly involved in the state's program to send migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard. In the two weeks leading up to the Sept. 14 transport of almost 50 Venezuelan migrants to the island, DeSantis' chief of staff, James Uthmeier, sent text messages and had phone calls with Larry Keefe, a former Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney who is now DeSantis' hand-picked public safety czar. The messages make clear that Keefe was in Texas helping coordinate the flights and had the full support of the governor's chief of staff, according to records released by the governor's administration late Friday.

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.

MORE TO COME — " Florida spent almost $1 million for two more migrant flights ," by Associated Press' Brendan Farrington: "Florida has paid nearly $1 million to arrange two sets of flights to transport about 100 migrants who entered the country illegally to Delaware and Illinois, according to documents released Friday by the Florida Department of Transportation. … The two additional sets of flights originally were scheduled for some time before Oct. 3 but apparently were halted or postponed. The contractor hired by Florida later extended the window for the trips until Dec. 1, according to memos released by the state Department of Transportation."

— "' We're all dispersed.' Migrants sent to Martha's Vineyard have now settled throughout Eastern Mass .," by The Boston Globe's Mike Damiano

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 .

...HURRICANE HOLE...

CLOSER LOOK — " Hour by hour analysis shows toll of county's delay before Hurricane Ian ," by Washington Post's Antonio Olivo, Derek Hawkins, Samuel Oakford and Scott Dance: "A Washington Post analysis of weather advisories, emergency notifications and interviews with local residents paints a stark picture of confusion on the ground as Ian approached. It shows how Lee County officials, focused on predictions that the storm would hit farther north, delayed acting on repeated forecasts from the National Weather Service that the county's barrier islands and coastal areas could experience life-threatening flooding."

— " After Hurricane Ian, Florida citrus and agriculture struggle ," by The Associated Press' Curt Anderson

DIRTY WATER — " Hurricane Ian left millions of gallons of spilled wastewater, dirty runoff in its wake ," by Tampa Bay Times' Max Chesnes: "The release of at least 17 million gallons of wastewater into Manatee County waters in the first 24 hours after Hurricane Ian would normally be a standout event for those who keep a close eye on water quality. But it's just one of many pieces in the pollution puzzle after Ian clobbered Florida. 'It's not good — but it's been dwarfed by all the rainfall we've gotten,' said Dave Tomasko, executive director of the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program."

FALLOUT — " Thanks to Ian, we're all going to pay more for insurance next year, " by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Ron Hurtibise: "The bad news is that numerous insurance experts predict that the state legislature will need to take more action to shore up the industry before the 2023 hurricane season, possibly by pledging more public funding to ensure companies can maintain required funding levels. Ian is still expected to be one of the nation's costliest storms ever and will increase costs of reinsurance — that is insurance that insurers buy — before the next two rounds of reinsurance renewals on Jan. 1 and June 1."

— " Big hurricane relief donors include some top DeSantis campaign contributors ," by USA Today Network-Florida's Zac Anderson and Douglas Soule

— " Citizens scales back post-Hurricane Ian claims projection ," by News Service of Florida

— " Lessons from Hurricane Michael applied to Ian recovery ," by The Associated Press' Jay Reeves

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

BACK TO COLLEGE — How DeSantis and Florida Republicans are reshaping higher education , by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and conservative state lawmakers are frequent critics of Florida's higher education system. They say universities are offering degrees in "zombie studies" and label campuses "socialism factories." But they are doing more than just lambasting universities and colleges for perceived liberal bias.

All of the above — DeSantis and Florida Republicans, in an attempt to reshape the state's 40 colleges and universities, installed GOP allies in top university posts and pushed legislation that could change tenure, limit how university professors can teach lessons on race and even how Florida higher education institutions are accredited. Most recently, the governor's chief of staff helped Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) navigate the University of Florida presidential selection process, ultimately assisting the senator in becoming the sole finalist to lead the state's flagship university, a move that caused hundreds of University of Florida students this week to protest.

— " Faculty members are perplexed on how Ben Sasse plans to lead the University of Florida ," by The Gainesville Sun's Gershon Harrell

LONG SHOT — " DeSantis doesn't want to be deposed on why he ousted Hillsborough's state attorney ," by Tampa Bay Times' Sue Carlton: "As attorneys prepare for the Nov. 29 trial in Tallahassee, court filings show Warren's lawyer wants to depose the governor beforehand. Depositions are a routine pretrial part of what's called discovery — the formal process of exchanging information between the two sides about the witnesses and evidence they plan to present at trial. Warren's lawyers intend to call DeSantis to the stand during the trial. But court documents indicate the governor will assert what's called the apex doctrine. That's a rule that can protect high-level corporate executives and government officials — those at the apex of an organization —from the risk of unduly burdensome or even harassing depositions."

— " Rick Scott says property insurance rates 'skyrocketed' in Ron DeSantis era ," by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

TRUMP INC. — " Co-founder of Trump's media company details Truth Social's bitter infighting, " by Washington Post's Drew Harwell: "Will Wilkerson, then an executive at former president Donald Trump's start-up Trump Media & Technology Group, was at a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., coffee shop with company co-founder Andy Litinsky last October when Trump called Litinsky with a question: Would he give up some of his shares to Trump's wife, Melania?

Response? — "Five months later, Litinsky, who first met Trump in 2004 as a contestant on the TV show "The Apprentice," was abruptly removed from the company's board. Wilkerson said he believes it was payback for his refusal to turn over a small fortune to the former president's wife. Litinsky thought so, too, according to an email Wilkerson and his attorneys shared with The Washington Post and the Securities and Exchange Commission."

— " FBI seeks additional information from two Trump aides about Mar-a-Lago records ," by Wall Street Journal's Sadie Gurman and Alex Leary

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

FOR YOUR RADAR — " Biden turning to Trump-era rule to expel Venezuelan migrants ," by The Associated Press' Colleen Long and Zeke Miller: "Two years ago, candidate Joe Biden loudly denounced President Donald Trump for immigration policies that inflicted "cruelty and exclusion at every turn," including toward those fleeing the "brutal" government of socialist Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Now, with increasing numbers of Venezuelans arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border as the Nov. 8 election nears, Biden has turned to an unlikely source for a solution: his predecessor's playbook."

NEXT STEPS — " Jacksonville City Council appeals racial gerrymandering ruling in redistricting case ," by The Tributary's Andrew Pantazi: "The Jacksonville City Council has decided to appeal a federal court order that found the city had likely racially gerrymandered its district lines. While waiting on the appeal, the council will try to draw a new map to comply with the court order. Council President Terrance Freeman said the council "disagrees with the outcome of the Court order. Therefore, we have directed the Office of General Counsel to appeal the decision. While we await the appeal, the Council will begin a new redistricting process immediately given the court order and the short window established by the District Court."

— " Jill Biden visits breast cancer survivors in Broward, urging people to get screened ," by Miami Herald's Devoun Cetoute

— " Jacksonville has 'need for concern' for health of St. Johns River, scientists' report says ," by Florida Times-Union's Steve Patterson

— " Broward deputies can speak with Cruz juror. But it won't affect killer's life sentence ," by Miami Herald's Charles Rabin

— " Andrew Gillum corruption case: Mysterious Individual B revealed; co-defendant seeks separate trial ," by Tallahassee Democrat's Jeff Burlew

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— " UM fraternity brothers apologize for 'misogynistic' chant, dispute rumors of drugged drinks ," by Miami Herald's Jimena Tavel and Linda Robertson: "A week after a fraternity got kicked off the University of Miami campus for chanting at a pool party about having sex with a dead woman, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers apologized Friday for the misogynistic lyrics and denied allegations of drugged drinks. 'The brothers of the former Florida Gamma Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon are deeply sorry for the chant prior to the October 1st event,' they said in a statement provided to the Herald about the Oct. 1 pool party that led to the national board suspending the UM chapter last Friday. 'Repeating this chant was wholly inappropriate, reprehensible, and does not represent who we are.'"

BIRTHDAYS: Ellyn Bogdanoff, former legislator and shareholder with Becker & Poliakoff ... Scott Randolph, Orange County tax collector and former legislator … Stu Loeser & Co.'s founding principal Stu Loeser … Mark Hollis, associate state director communications and outreach at AARP Texas and former communications director for Florida House Democrats.