| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard and Kierra Frazier | |  Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (right) speaks during a debate in New York with Sen. JD Vance on Oct. 1, 2024. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. Democrats gathered for a vice presidential debate watch party in South Florida on Tuesday expected Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be prepared to face Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz — but they ultimately came away from the event elated at their side’s performance. The watch party, hosted by the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus at the Sports Grill Kendall, was rowdy. One attendee wore a hat that read, “Make America Normal Again” while another wore a T-shirt printed with, “Kamala and the coach,” referring to Walz’s time as an assistant football coach and teacher before entering politics. The grill had already transformed the room into a Halloween-themed extravaganza, and throughout the night the organizers had to shush those gathered to be able to hear. About 70 Democrats turned out into the small space but roughly half left after the first commercial break and more slowly trickled out after the second. The crowd often groaned and buzzed among each other when Vance spoke and cheered at Walz’s most forceful comments, including when the governor blamed economic troubles on how former President Donald Trump handled Covid and said people should “mind your own business” on abortion. Walz’s performance hasn’t received universal praise. POLITICO colleagues in Washington thought Vance was the winner, and a snap poll of debate watchers from CBS News, Tuesday night’s network host, found a split decision. But the energy of supporters in Florida has noticeably changed. The first Democratic debate watch party Playbook attended, back in June, quickly turned somber when President Joe Biden struggled to answer questions right out the gate. That night, even the party faithful agreed Biden was the clear loser. On Tuesday, there were gasps and “oohs” when Walz quoted a Bible verse — then applause. The biggest “boo” of the night came when Vance said Trump had “peacefully” given over power on January 20, 2021, in reference to Inauguration Day, when asked to address the violence that broke out on January 6. Some attendees thought Walz’s most forceful retort came then. “He has had many good moments, but I think that was key,” said Macarena Iglesias, campaign director for Laura Kelley, a Democratic state House candidate. Others were relieved that Walz performed better than they’d expected. Ahead of the debate, the Harris campaign downplayed its importance. Miguel Sahid, chairman of the Florida Grassroots Coalition, said that before Tuesday night he hadn’t thought of Walz as a “typical debater” because of his background — he said he pictured him more as a coach who was pumping up the team, someone who was relatable. He acknowledged Walz appeared visibly uncomfortable when the moderators asked him about comments he’d made falsely saying he’d been in Hong Kong during the turbulence surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. But Sahid added that he appreciated how the governor tied in what he learned from the experience and said he ultimately thought his response was good. Juan Cuba, president of the Miami-Dade Democratic Hispanic Caucus, said ahead of the debate that he was looking forward to hearing about housing affordability, fighting inflation and growing the economy. He predicted Vance would be “more disciplined” than Trump but dismissed him as “slick politician” and having a “certain fakeness.” “Walz is the opposite,” Cuba said. “He’s someone who is genuine, who didn't get in for power but to help people.” Vance’s calm demeanor didn’t go unnoticed. Iglesias said she thought Vance engaged in a “very tame” and “civilized” way especially in comparison to Trump. “He has come across as someone more conciliatory,” she said, though added that she thought he “can’t make the case because the case he’s trying to make is based on fiction and lies.” 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... | | STATE OF ELECTION — Hurricane Helene damaged the “voting infrastructure” in 10 counties, according to a letter sent Tuesday to Secretary of State Cord Byrd and the state’s election division director from the association that represents the state’s local election supervisors. Supervisors are asking that Gov. Ron DeSantis issue an executive order that would allow them to make changes involving polling places, drop boxes and vote-by-mail ballots ahead of the Nov. 5 election. They also want to waive a requirement that poll workers be a registered voter in the county where they are working. “Hurricane Helene devastated counties in many parts of Florida,” reads the letter signed by David Ramba, the executive director of the Florida Supervisors of Elections. “Hurricane Helene has displaced countless voters and poll workers from their homes in a number of impacted counties. The Supervisor of Elections in each of these counties wants to continue to provide its voters with the best possible voting experience.” Pinellas County Supervisor of Election Julie Marcus, in her own correspondence to Byrd and the state’s election division director, said a preliminary evaluation showed that up to 40 polling locations in her county sustained damage and may need to be relocated. Taylor County Supervisor of Elections Dana Southerland said she would likely need to move two polling places in the southern part of her county where Helene came ashore. It's not clear what or when state officials will respond, although Florida has previously made changes to elections after a natural disaster. Back in 2022 DeSantis used his emergency power to let three southwest Florida counties consolidate polling places and extend early voting days. The Republican governor also let election officials in those areas make it easier to send mail ballots to voters to an address that is not listed in voting records. Some of the changes sought by some of the supervisors – such as creating super voting centers – have been rejected by the Florida Legislature in the past. In recent years Republican legislators have tightened laws involving drop boxes and vote-by-mail ballots amid unfounded allegations of widespread voter fraud pushed by former President Donald Trump. — Gary Fineout
|  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Florida, on September 26, 2024. | Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images | NO NEED FOR A TALLY SPECIAL — The losses associated with Hurricane Helene, which ravaged the entire Southeastern U.S. including Florida, continue to mount. But Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the state has enough resources for now to cope with the disaster. The latest figures show that insurers have reported nearly $657 million in losses in the Sunshine State. Florida state government has already withdrawn $100 million from a special emergency account to pay for its response efforts, a figure that is likely to go up. The governor said as of right now there’s no need to call legislators back to town to appropriate more money or take immediate action in the aftermath of the deadly storm. “We don’t have plans to do it now because we haven’t been presented with the need to do it now,” DeSantis said during a visit to Horseshoe Beach, one of the areas battered by the storm. DeSantis had previously floated the idea of holding a special session between now and the end of the year to fix the condominium law that legislators passed in the aftermath of the Surfside collapse that left 98 people dead. — Gary Fineout NOW IN EFFECT — “New Florida law requires real estate sellers to disclose a property’s flood risk,” by Central Florida Public Media’s Lillian Hernández Caraballo. “Before HB-1049, property owners and real estate agents selling homes in Florida didn’t have to tell buyers about a property’s risk for flooding. The new law changes that, and requires sellers to disclose if a property has had any filed insurance claims for flood damage and whether federal assistance has been granted before due to flooding. The language of the law outlines a definition for what constitutes a flood.” SEWAGE DUMPS — “Hurricane Helene wrecked sewage systems all over Tampa Bay,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Colleen Wright, Paul Guzzo and Olivia George. “Tampa reported discharging 8.5 million gallons of sewage from ten overflows. Tampa spokesperson Kathlyn Fitzpatrick said each overflow happened along the Hillsborough River and the south Tampa coastline. She said signs were placed in all areas where overflows happened to advise residents not to fish or swim in the area.” TIGER DAMS — “Could inflatable dams protect Florida homes in hurricane floods? DeSantis floats plan,” reports Bradenton Herald’s Michael Moore Jr. “During a Bradenton news conference Monday, DeSantis discussed the successful use of a ‘Tiger Dam’ — a flexible, inflatable flood barrier that was installed around the perimeter of Manatee Memorial Hospital before the Category 4 hurricane barreled past the area in the Gulf of Mexico. DeSantis said the dam successfully prevented Helene’s powerful storm surge from affecting the waterside hospital and could be used to protect residential buildings during future hurricane seasons.” CONTROLLING THE WEATHER — “Helene prompts new wave of punchlines about Florida State MagLab repelling hurricanes,” reports Tallahassee Democrat’s Jeff Burlew. “The MagLab, a cutting-edge facility in Innovation Park that houses the biggest and most powerful magnets on planet Earth, has done more than merely advance science over the years. It has launched countless punchlines and memes and made more than a few believers about its much-touted but entirely fictional weather-control powers.”
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | WORK STOPPAGE — “What could be impacted by dockworkers strike in South Florida? Lots of containers,” reports WLRN’s Tom Hudson. “[City Furniture] imports two-thirds of its items from overseas. Much of that comes through PortMiami on container ships. Dock workers who help unload those container ships will strike early Tuesday morning. The members of the International Longshoremen’s Association are stopping work at 36 ports from Texas to Maine, including PortMiami and Port Everglades in South Florida.” POSSIBLE RIPPLE EFFECT — “Abortion access is opening up in the South after Georgia Judge’s ruling,” reports Florida Politics’ Gabrielle Russon. “Floridians could get more access to abortion after a Georgia judge knocked down the state’s six-week abortion ban and ruled it unconstitutional. Abortion rights advocates say women are traveling hundreds of miles to access treatment after Florida’s own six-week abortion ban went into effect in May. Georgia lawmakers passed the Living Infants and Fairness Equality Act, which criminalized most abortions starting at about six weeks. … However, with Monday’s court ruling, Judge Robert McBurney struck down the law in Fulton County Superior Court.”
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | ‘UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATION’ — “Muslim group sues Parkland, Broward hotel over canceled conference, citing ‘racist’ campaign,” reports Miami Herald’s Lauren Costantino. “The lawsuit brought by the South Florida Muslim Federation, which represents over 30 of the region’s mosques, Islamic schools and community organizations, comes nine months after the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Coral Springs Hotel & Convention Center canceled the group’s conference in January. The hotel, according to the federal lawsuit, cited ‘significant undesirable interest’ for the move, which followed public and political pressure and an internet campaign labeling the group ‘Hamas sympathizers.’” BETS GONE BAD — “Empty rentals burn vacation-home owners near Florida’s Disney World,” reports Bloomberg’s Prashant Gopal. “[Kissimmee] has over 30,000 Airbnbs and other short-term rentals, more than any other city in the US, according to industry tracker AirDNA. Now some of those real estate bets are going bad. Homeowners purchased mansions on the assumption they could easily charge hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars per night to support big mortgages. Instead, rental income is falling, and home listings are piling up, just as the growth in domestic travel slows.” LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SLEEP — “It’s now illegal to sleep in public in Florida. What happens to Miami’s homeless?” by Miami Herald’s Max Klaver. “Unsure of what’s to come, [Ileana] Napoleoni hopes for the best. Like many people who regularly sleep on the street, she’ll sleep where she can and try to stay out of sight, likely finding a new resting spot every few nights. One thing is for certain — after several unsettling stints at some of the county’s shelters, Napoleoni said she’ll do anything to avoid making a return.”
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | | 
Florida Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell during a campaign event Tuesday in Miami. | Marta Lavandier/AP | FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell’s campaign is out with a new ad today blaming her opponent, Republican Sen. Rick Scott, for the changing climate and property insurance costs. The ad is part of an ongoing seven-figure TV buy. … The ad comes after POLITICO’s E&E News reported how Democrats are starting to open up a line of attack on the issue against Scott, in a piece by Emma Dumain and Kimberly Leonard. “Florida Sen. Rick Scott has been everywhere in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene — on the ground surveying the storm's wreckage and on the airwaves calling for a new infusion of federal disaster relief funding. But when it comes to confronting climate change and its role in exacerbating the extreme weather causing irreversible damage to his state, Scott's critics say the Republican lawmaker is nowhere to be found.” VOTING HAS STARTED — “Ballots in the mail for presidential election. Floridians can begin voting immediately,” by Anthony Man of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It’s already begun for more than 400,000 people in Broward and Palm Beach counties who’ve requested vote-by-mail ballots.” CONGRESSIONAL RACE — “Newcomer Barbie Harden Hall faces tough road against incumbent Dan Webster,” by Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello. “[Barbie Harden] faces a major challenge in a district rated by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report as having an 8-point Republican advantage. District 11 includes parts of Orange, Lake, Polk and Sumter counties and includes much of The Villages, the sprawling senior citizen community that has become one of the biggest GOP strongholds in the state.” LACKING LATINO SUPPORT — “Poll: Recreational pot amendment falling short with Latino voters, with Cubans especially opposed,” reports Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski. “A new NBCUniversal Local Telemundo Station Group poll of 625 registered voters, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy between Sept. 23 and Sept. 25, shows that only 50% of Hispanic voters back the Adult Personal Use of Marijuana amendment on November’s ballot. With 44 percent of the sample opposed and 6 percent undecided, the pot push looks poised to fall short of the 60 percent needed for passage within the Latino community.” — “Poll: Cuban voters like Rick Scott, but Puerto Ricans prefer Debbie Mucarsel-Powell,” by Florida Politics’ A.G. Gancarski. — “Trump holds 7-point lead over Harris among Florida Latino voters: Survey,” by The Hill’s Rafael Bernal.
| | DATELINE D.C. | | ‘ESCALATION’ — “Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio, Rick Scott back Israel amid Iranian attacks,” by A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics. “Florida’s three most high-profile Republicans are in lockstep regarding the conflict in the Middle East. As 181 ballistic missiles hit Israeli cities from Iran, Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are riled up and promising unstinting support for the Benjamin Netanyahu regime ahead of a likely retaliation.” $15 BILLION FOR HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF — Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz introduced a bill Tuesday to send $15 billion to FEMA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund Hurricane Helene relief efforts. The bill allocates $10 billion for FEMA and $5 billion for HUD. FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell said Sunday that it’s “going to be a really complicated recovery in each of these five states that have had these impacts.” INFORMING PARENTS — Moskowitz also introduced legislation Tuesday that would require school districts to develop emergency response and parental notification procedures for certain threats and emergencies. Moskowitz said that as a graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, he “know[s] all too well the anxiety that parents feel when they send their kids to school” and that the bill is one of his “primary objectives in Congress.”
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | CATCHING SNAKES — “New Florida tourist thrill: Hunt, and maybe catch, a python. ‘No experience necessary,’” reports Florida Keys News’ Ashley Miznazi. “Business, [snake stalker Amy Siewe] says, is booming. This summer, she’s been out five nights a week in a specially equipped Ford Bronco outfitted with LED lights and an elevated stand that towers above the cab of the truck, helping her clients better survey the landscape. The truck is wrapped with snake print and a ‘python huntress’ logo printed on the side.” HONORING JIMMY BUFFETT — “Hey Jimmy Buffett fans, Margaritaville license plates go on presale Tuesday. How to get one,” by USA Today Network - Florida’s C.A. Bridges. “Presales begin Tuesday, Oct. 1. But the [Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles] has to get at least 3,000 orders before they start making any, so availability will depend on how big the demand is. As of Friday, Sept. 27, there are 29 specialty plates already approved in the last couple of years that still haven't hit the threshold yet.” | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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