News: A peek into Florida's most competitive state Senate race

Wednesday, October 16, 2024

A peek into Florida's most competitive state Senate race

Oct 16, 2024

Debate between Democrat Daryl Parks and Republican state Sen. Corey Simon.

Christina Johnson/On 3 Public Relations

Good morning from Tallahassee and welcome to Wednesday. In the weeks ahead, Playbook will be featuring key legislative races leading up to the election. Up first: Senate District 3.

One of the most competitive legislative races this election is the district surrounding Florida’s capital, where Republican state Sen. Corey Simon is facing Democrat Daryl Parks.

Florida’s District 3 is the only state Senate seat of 17 total legislative races that Florida Democrats have targeted as having a clear path to flip as part of its "Take Back Florida Distinction" program, promising extra fundraising and organizing support for Parks. Republicans are just as determined to keep the seat, with Senate President-designate Ben Albritton saying the party will do “ whatever it takes” financially.

Simon, a former professional football player for the Philadelphia Eagles whom Gov. Ron DeSantis later appointed CEO of Volunteer Florida, flipped the seat two years ago, after a century of Democratic control. This year, voter turnout is expected to be far higher given that it’s a presidential election cycle.

On Tuesday, POLITICO’s Gary Fineout moderated the lone debate between Simon and Parks, a civil rights attorney, at the Capital Tiger Bay Club. Here were some key takeaways:

— The candidates tangled on property insurance. During his opening remarks, Parks promised if elected that addressing property insurance would be his “No. 1 priority.” He then spent much of the debate hammering Simon over legislation he supported that makes it harder for homeowners to sue insurers. As a result, Parks said, a large number of claims have been denied. If given the opportunity, he would want to undo some of the litigation changes, but in the debate he didn’t offer up new proposals to help fix high premiums.

Simon said he voted for the litigation reforms because companies were leaving and stressed that it was important for the Legislature to do more. He also pointed to a $400 million disaster relief bill he supported and said it would be important during the next session to address ways to make buildings more resilient. He floated a measure that would make it easier for private insurers to obtain backup coverage from the state-run Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, a move which could lead to lower premiums.

Simon urged constituents to reach out to his office if they have problems with their claims, to which Parks fired back that if he were senator: “I will be mindful and I will react. I will not wait for your call.”

— The abortion amendment puts Simon in a bind. Simon didn’t vote for Florida’s current abortion ban, which makes the procedure illegal in most cases after six weeks of pregnancy. He instead supports a 15-week limit. “I drew a line in the sand in terms of where I was on abortion … I think most people, when they look at the abortion laws in the state, and they look at my voting record, they said, ‘He's been pretty moderate in his approach.’”

That restriction, however, is not an option for voters as they get ready to decide on Amendment 4 in November. Instead, they’ll have to decide between keeping the six-week ban or extending abortion’s legality to roughly 24 weeks, with health exceptions for abortions later in a pregnancy. Simon said he’ll be voting “no” on the amendment because it has few regulations.

Parks, in contrast, said he was voting “yes” on Amendment 4 because he thinks discussions about the issue should be “private and intimate” between patients and doctors. Parks has been running ads against Simon on abortion, and the two went back and forth over it because Simon accused Parks of misrepresenting his voting record. Parks pointed to instances in which Simon voted down amendments that would have softened the six-week ban. “He is talking about bills that didn’t pass, on amendments that didn’t go anywhere,” Simon said.

After the debate, Parks’ campaign sent a press release to reporters blasting Simon for how he planned to vote “no” on Amendment 4.

— Neither candidate identified regulations on cannabis if Amendment 3 passes. Simon is a “hard no” on Amendment 3, the ballot measure that would legalize cannabis for recreational use for people ages 21 and older. Simon said it’s too pungent in cities that have legalized it and, “I don’t think more drugs in our society is a good thing.” He also questioned some of the amendment’s language, saying it had few regulations. Asked to suggest some, he replied: “We'll start to walk down that line as we take a look at the legislation. I just hope that it doesn’t pass.”

Parker called himself a “soft yes” on the amendment, saying that it was a waste of resources to arrest people on marijuana charges. He also said he’d want the amendment implemented as the voters passed it, and that he didn’t think lawmakers should try to overrule voters’ will.

The group backing the amendment, called Smart & Safe Florida, has said repeatedly that it would support regulating cannabis, including placing restrictions on where it can be ingested.

FOLLOW ALONG — We’re less than three weeks away from Election Day. Keep up with all the action in our new live blog. We’ll cover the latest — plus tell you who’s winning the day, bring you exclusive Q&As and provide expert analysis. Stay with us at politico.com/2024.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget in the campaign reporting that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.

...HURRICANE HOLE...

IN MEMORIAM — “Identities released of six killed in Wednesday's tornado at Spanish Lakes Country Club,” reports Treasure Coast Newspapers’ Melissa E. Holsman . “The three men and three women who died Wednesday, Oct. 9 at the Spanish Lakes Country Club Village are: William Cutlip, 82, Mary Vilamantez, 70, Alejandro Alonso, 66, Roger Ammon, 85, Sandra McDonald, 84 [and] Deborah Kennedy, 66.”

$11.7 MILLION IN AID — “More than 430,000 Milton survivors already registered for FEMA aid,” reports Central Florida Public Media’s Joe Byrnes . “As of Sunday, FEMA had received about 437,000 registrations for individual assistance for that storm and approved $11.7 million dollars in aid. All the Central Florida counties are included in the Major Disaster Declaration approved by President Joe Biden on Saturday. So area residents could get money for temporary housing and home repair, loans to cover uninsured losses, and programs to help individuals and businesses recover.”

BUT ANOTHER FUND HAS RUN OUT — “Disaster loan program fully ‘exhausted’ with Congress still out of town,” reports POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes and Caitlin Emma . “The nation’s loan program for disaster survivors has fully exhausted its funding, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. And lawmakers, the only ones who can greenlight more funding, are slated to be out until after Election Day. Without congressional action, the Small Business Administration can’t make new loan offers to people trying to rebuild businesses and homes hit by disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton.”

Adam Carstensen, left, and Brian Malone take down a tree that fell during Hurricane Milton outside a neighbor's home Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Tampa, Fla.

Adam Carstensen, left, and Brian Malone take down a tree that fell during Hurricane Milton outside a neighbor's home Sunday, Oct. 13, 2024, in Tampa, Fla. | Chris O'Meara/AP Photo

RAPID RECOVERY — “DeSantis praises Milton recovery efforts as rising flood waters persist in Florida,” from The Associated Press . “‘President [Ronald] Reagan used to say the most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ There’s a lot of wisdom in that, but I don’t think The Gipper ever saw Florida respond to a natural disaster, because we get after it and we do make a difference,’ DeSantis said at a news conference in front of a flooded road in Zephyrhills.”

… More than 4 million homes and businesses had their power restored, reported POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “DeSantis said many of the remaining customers without power are with Tampa Electric Co. in Hillsborough County.”

— “Wilton Simpson urges farmers impacted by Milton to use bridge loan program,” reports Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles

— “DeSantis praises arrest after dog found tied to fence ahead of Milton,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Dan Sullivan.

INFECTION SPIKE — “Flesh-eating bacteria cases in Florida more than double since Hurricane Helene, Milton, FDOH says,” reports USA Today Network — Florida’s C.A. Bridges. “Vibrio vulnificusa, a naturally occurring but potentially fatal bacterial infection, thrives in warm floodwaters when hurricanes and tropical storms push brackish water along the coast and into rivers and canals, filling them and low-lying areas with rainwater, pollutants, sewage and debris. There have been 37 cases and four deaths reported just since mid-September, according to FDOH data.”

... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

‘PRETTY SERIOUS HOSTILITY' — “Environmentalists mull next steps after Florida Supreme Court rejects conservation spending challenge,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie . “A lawyer representing environmental groups said Tuesday that his clients could file a new challenge to how Florida is spending dollars intended for conservation, but have not yet decided whether to do so amid ‘pretty serious hostility' from the courts in a long-running legal battle in the state. Environmentalists criticized a Florida Supreme Court decision on Monday declining to review their challenge to conservation spending in the 2015-16 state budget, which came after a 2014 ballot measure directed funding from an excise tax on documents to a trust to ‘acquire, restore, improve, and manage conservation lands.’"

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

‘COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED’ — “Human rights group says Haitian government inaction to blame for latest gang massacre,” reports Miami Herald’s Jacqueline Charles . “Even though more than 100 people were killed in the Pont-Sondé attack, ‘no state official took responsibility,’ the Fondasyon Je Klere/Eyes Wide Open Foundation report said. ‘Neither the minister of the Interior, nor the minister of justice, nor the director general of the police felt guilty. None offered their resignation to the nation.’”

BANKRUPT — “South Florida-based health care network files for Chapter 11, announces sale to Humana,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ron Hurtibise . “The company that filed for Chapter 11, Clinical Care Medical Centers, is headquartered in Miami and operates 26 medical centers in eight Florida counties: Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Orange, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk. The company employs more than 800 mostly bilingual employees and independent contractors who serve 35,000 patients, most of who qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, are non-English speaking and live in economically disadvantaged and minority communities, according to the company’s Sunday filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Miami.”

CAMPAIGN MODE

Then-Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantis speak with guests following a campaign event at Refuge City Church on October 08, 2023 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and his wife Casey DeSantis speak with guests following a campaign event at Refuge City Church on October 08, 2023 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. | Scott Olson/Getty Images

EYES EMOJI — Never Back Down, the super PAC that backed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential run, has donated most of its remaining funds to RON PAC, which is the governor’s primary federal war chest, according to the Federal Election Commission. The filing shows a donation of nearly $5.3 million. The committee has sent out several fundraising text messages since August, including in support of former President Donald Trump and GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy in Montana.

MEMO — The campaign for Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel Powell sent out a memo on Tuesday aiming to make the case for the national party to make a “significant cash infusion [into the race] over the last three weeks.” The memo, from campaign manager Ben Waldon, argues that the amendments on abortion and cannabis will help bring out voters in November and points to the high number of non-party affiliated voters in the state as gettable for Democrats. The memo also raises some close polling and the unfavorability numbers of Mucarsel-Powell’s Republican opponent, Sen. Rick Scott. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recently announced millions of dollars toward TV ads Florida (though the exact amount hasn’t been publicized ) given that they’re staring down losing control of the Senate. “What once may have been a $200 million investment for the Democratic Party earlier in the cycle has shrunk potentially tenfold,” Waldon writes in the memo, calling for a focus on media markets in Miami, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm.

WHO HAS MORE MONEY — “Group backing recreational pot measure raises $100M-plus, but an opposing campaign has more cash on hand,” reports Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles. “A political committee behind this year’s recreational pot amendment has officially raised more than $100 million in contributions. But Smart & Safe Florida burned through most of that before heading into the final month of the campaign, starting that period with less cash on hand than a Vote No on 3 effort. The Smart & Safe campaign raised nearly $100.8 million through Oct. 4, put over the top by about $1,400 in small donations over a one-week period.”

THE YOUTH VOTE — “Is Gen Z the key to passing Florida’s abortion amendment?” reports Central Florida Public Media’s Joe Mario Pedersen . “While young voters famously have a low voter turnout rate, [State Rep. Anna] Eskamani and her team have found that Amendment 4 is striking a chord with the Gen-Z crowd. ‘The numbers that we're getting on voter registration at UCF and on campuses across the Sunshine State have been three to four times what we usually get in a day,’ Eskamani said. ‘That enthusiasm has been exciting to see.”

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

STAY-AWAY ORDER — “After Trump commutation, Esformes arrested on domestic violence-related charges in Miami Beach,” reports the Miami Herald’s Jay Weaver . “A convicted South Florida healthcare executive whose 20-year prison sentence for Medicare fraud had been commuted by former President Donald Trump was arrested on domestic violence-related charges in Miami Beach over the weekend. Philip Esformes was booked Sunday — his 56th birthday — on charges of tampering with a victim or witness and criminal mischief involving property damage of $1,000 or more, according to Miami-Dade Circuit Court records. Both felony charges are related to domestic violence, records show.”

DATELINE D.C.

MEDICARE OPEN ENROLLMENT HAS STARTED — “Some insurers are dumping plans, trimming popular offerings like dental coverage and increasing charges such as deductibles in response to new federal government requirements and to improve profits,” reports The Wall Street Journal’s Anna Wilde Mathews. “Because of the changes, about 1.5 million people will see their Medicare Advantage plans eliminated next year, while a further 3.5 million are losing their current Medicare drug policies, known as Part D plans.”

— “Costly mistakes to avoid when choosing a Medicare Advantage plan,” reports South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Cindy Krischer Goodman.

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

ALIVE AND WELL — “Safe! Florida Aquarium’s stingrays ride out Milton in MLB Rays’ ballpark tank,” reports The Associated Press . “The stingrays, named for their cow-shaped snouts, were relocated Monday from the ballpark after last week’s storm, the Tampa-based aquarium said in a news release. Although Tropicana Field’s fabric roof was shredded by Milton’s winds, the stingrays were unharmed.”

DESTROYED OR DAMAGED — “Sunnier Palms Nudist Park likely closed for months after tornado, Hurricane Milton,” reports Treasure Coast Newspapers’ Will Greenlee. “[Julene] Martin-Morganelli, 71, estimated nearly every home in the park was destroyed or damaged. She said 38 lots are ‘full resident’ lots, but some are only seasonal residents. There are a variety of camping options at the facility, which Martin-Morganelli said typically is booked December through March. Now, she estimates it will take three to four months to re-open.”

BIRTHDAYS: Former state Sen. Loranne Ausley … Beth Switzer, former executive director at WFSU-TV/The Florida Channel ... Mark Maxwell, partner SCG Governmental Affairs