| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard and Kierra Frazier | | Presented by |  | | | |  Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks out with Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4 in Coral Gables, Florida, on Oct. 21, 2024. | Lynne Sladky/AP | Good morning and happy Friday. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis have spent the first week of early voting crisscrossing the state to urge Floridians to oppose constitutional amendments on marijuana and abortion. Ron DeSantis carried his message to Fox News and at public events, where he stood alongside doctors who had moral objections to abortion. Casey DeSantis appeared alongside sheriffs and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo to speak out against the marijuana amendment, which would legalize pot products recreationally for adults 21 and older. Next week is expected to play out similarly for the duo. The blitz comes after the governor spent several weeks focusing on Florida’s hurricane preparation and recovery efforts, which took him off the campaign trail and away from fundraising on the amendments and other issues. It also follows actions Ron DeSantis took to leverage state government power against the abortion amendment, including an investigation into its petition drive. All of the amendment events this week have been noticed to reporters through the governor’s official channels rather than through political accounts — and often with far more advanced notice than is typical, suggesting they really wanted to get the press’ attention. Recent polling has indicated both amendments are hovering near the 60 percent voter threshold needed for passage, though several GOP lawmakers told Playbook this week they believed the governor speaking out on them could make a difference. The acceleration of public events for the DeSantises shows just how important defeating the amendments is to the governor, both personally and in terms of defending his conservative “Florida Blueprint” for the state. The outcome could contribute to his gubernatorial legacy and shape his political prospects. Having Casey DeSantis headline her own separate events also underscores the influence of the first lady, who has proved instrumental in her husband’s political success and crafting his image throughout his political career. During DeSantis’ 2022 reelection campaign, she appeared in what was arguably the most memorable and emotional ad of the cycle by talking about how her husband supported her while she was receiving treatment for breast cancer. Her appearances this week showcased the messaging skills she polished during her former career as a Jacksonville TV anchor. And she stressed repeatedly that she objected to legalizing marijuana not just as a first lady, but as a mom. “I know there’s a lot of mamas out there — our heads are constantly on a swivel,” she said Thursday in Jacksonville. “You want nothing more than for your children to be protected, to be safe, to be healthy, to live up to their God-given potential.” Florida Republicans have largely been in lockstep on opposing the abortion amendment, in contrast to GOP politicians in other states who often try to hide from the issue or distance themselves from it. But the issue has also helped Democrats in other states perform better than expected in past elections, and Florida Democrats are leaning into reproductive rights as a key issue to try to break the GOP supermajority in the Legislature. As for the marijuana amendment, it has the added obstacle of having the backing of former President Donald Trump, who is also a Florida resident and — unlike Ron DeSantis — is actually on the ballot this year. And this morning, the DeSantises are getting some counter-messaging on the marijuana amendment, with a virtual press conference featuring Republican state Sen. Joe Gruters, Democratic megadonor and potential 2026 gubernatorial candidate John Morgan and Democratic state Sen. Jason Pizzo. WHERE’S RON? Gov. DeSantis will be at a press conference with Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapo at 10 a.m. Central in Pensacola. 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.
| | | | A message from Uber: Thank You, Florida Uber Drivers For stepping up during Hurricanes Milton and Helene by helping thousands of Floridians get to shelters and support centers. Your efforts helped keep our communities safe. Learn how Uber drivers stepped up. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | $21 MILLION LEFTOVER — “DCF wants Hope Florida to distribute money from uncashed Covid-relief checks,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Jeffrey Schweers . “The money is what remains from one of the largest rental assistance programs the state has ever administered, and mainly comes from uncashed checks that didn’t find their way to intended recipients. … The department has a history of delaying food stamp and other benefits, [Rep. Anna] Eskamani said, which makes her wonder how the fledgling Hope Florida, which is part of DCF, will perform.” 11 MORE DAYS — “Doctors, patients watch and worry as decision day nears for Florida abortion Amendment 4,” reports USA Today Network-Florida’s Ana Goñi-Lessan. “If it doesn’t pass, providers told the USA TODAY Network-Florida that women will take dangerous risks to end their pregnancies. How do they know? Because it's already happening, they say.” LOOPHOLE — “HOA tensions rise over anti-abortion signs in front of DeSantis aide's Tallahassee home,” reports USA Today Network-Florida’s James Call. “Email exchanges shared with a reporter show that the Killearn Homes Association was prepared in September to impose several hundreds of dollars in fines for violating the restriction on political signage, but [Anastasios] Kamoutsas exploited a loophole to escape the penalty. He removed the signs before the KHA September meeting and escaped the financial penalty. The next day the signs reappeared, according to neighbors. They represented a new violation, which requires a board meeting to impose a fine or other sanction.” TECO RATE HIKE — “Public counsel calls TECO rate hike request a ‘callous’ effort to save Canadian parent company,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie. “The state office representing customers on utility issues this week stepped up its criticism of Tampa Electric Co.'s three-year, $445.8-million rate hike request pending before state regulators. The Office of Public Counsel wrote in a post-hearing brief filed this week that Canadian parent company Emera's financial needs are driving Tampa Electric's request for a rate hike in Florida.
| | | ...HURRICANE HOLE... | | | |  President Joe Biden walks with Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), during a tour of an area affected by Hurricane Helene in Keaton Beach, Florida, on Oct. 3, 2024. | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images | CLIMATE POLITICS — “Hurricanes raise climate change as Senate race issue — but not by much,” reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie . "’Protecting Florida's environmental treasures is one of the few areas where there's bipartisan agreement in our state, so it’s sad to see Debbie and the Democrats try to politicize this in the midst of a crisis in our state,’ [GOP Sen. Rick] Scott spokesperson McKinley Lewis said in a statement earlier this month … [Democratic challenger Debbie] Mucarsel-Powell told POLITICO that Florida needs to look at ways to transition to greener energy and supports programs to reduce emissions from natural gas. — “Rick Scott mentions recent storms when asked why he opted not to debate his Democratic opponent,” reports Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix. GETTING ASSISTANCE — “Need food help after Hurricanes Helene, Milton? We break down steps to apply for D-SNAP,” reports USA Today Network-Florida’s Cheryl McCloud. “More than 400,000 households across Florida impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton may be eligible for federal help with grocery expenses. Known as D-SNAP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is available for homeowners in 24 Florida counties.”
| | | | A message from Uber:   | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | |  Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers discusses the medical marijuana company's product and packaging safety standards at an event in support of Amendment 3 at a Trulieve medical cannabis dispensary in Hallendale Beach, Florida, on Oct. 23, 2024. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP | AMENDMENT 3 — “Meet the marijuana CEO bankrolling Florida’s legal pot initiative,” by POLITICO’s Arek Sarkissian . “Ron DeSantis has bet big on trying to defeat Florida’s recreational marijuana initiative. And a medical marijuana CEO has poured in over $100 million trying to beat him in his own state. Kim Rivers — the CEO of Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana company — has quietly become one of the biggest players in Florida’s November elections, with her company almost single-handedly bankrolling the state’s recreational marijuana ballot measure. If Rivers wins, it won’t only hand DeSantis a significant, potentially legacy-defining defeat. Trulieve could be on the receiving end of a potentially $6 billion green rush — if at least 60 percent of voters in the nation’s third most-populous state back legalization.” MAKING HISTORY — “Trans candidates are running on a slew of issues besides anti-LGBTQ bills,” reports NBC News’ Isabela Espadas Barros Leal . “[Ashley] Brundage, a Democrat [running for state legislature in Florida], credits DeSantis, a Republican, for inspiring what could be political history: If she wins, she’d be the first trans woman elected to public office in Florida.” ‘WEB OF CONNECTIONS’ — “Red lights, green cash: How a Florida legislator boosted school bus cameras and benefited her family,” reports The Tributary’s Nandhini Srinivasan . “Last year, [state Rep. Vicki] Lopez co-sponsored a bill allowing cameras on school buses statewide. Within months, her family had cashed in on the new industry through a web of connections built with BusPatrol, which stands to make millions from traffic tickets. A Tributary investigation found a familiar pattern between Lopez and BusPatrol — one of overlapping personal, professional, and political interests — that evokes past allegations of ethical impropriety that have dogged both.” DEEP-POCKETED DONORS — “GOP state attorney candidate raises $1.4M with help of Trump billionaires,” reports The Palm Beach Post’s Hannah Phillips . “Sam Stern, a white-collar criminal defense attorney who worked briefly as a federal and state prosecutor, has raised a record-breaking $1.45 million in pursuit of the post — more than six times what the elected state attorney earns in a year. He did so with the help of businessman Thomas Peterffy, hedge fund manager John Paulson and hotel and casino mogul Steve Wynn, who have donated a combined $500,000 to Stern's campaign in recent weeks.” AFFORDING GROCERIES — “For many seniors, getting food on the table isn't something they're hearing about this election,” reports WLRN’s Steve Newborn . “[Maggie Diaz] Gomez also doesn't think the politicians are addressing any of the concerns that seniors like her face every day: ‘I just don't believe anything they're saying anymore.’ Solimar Garcia is the supervisor of the senior center. She says they serve 154 people, and at least 100 of them need the meals to avoid going hungry. One of them can barely afford a place to live. … These people have worked their whole lives, only to find themselves on the short end of inflation and rising prices.” DISTRICT 13 RACE — “Whitney Fox is running as the anti-Anna Paulina Luna. She needs her voters,” by Kirby Wilson of the Tampa Bay Times. “Fox helped develop the branding for the SunRunner, a bus line that runs between downtown St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach. Although the line quickly became one of the most used forms of public transportation in Pinellas County, it failed to meet early internal expectations of daily riders. Many voters don’t know that Fox even worked for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. But Fox has made hyperlocal issues central to her campaign … If Fox has seized any national issue, it’s been abortion. But even that she has framed as a local issue. At an April news conference timed the day before Florida’s six-week abortion ban was to take effect, Fox highlighted the story of a Pinellas mother whom she said might not have gotten the medical care she needed had a strict abortion ban been in place.”
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | | | | | A message from Uber: Thank You, Florida Uber Drivers
In the face of Hurricanes Milton and Helene, Uber drivers gave Floridians rides to shelters and support centers. We thank the thousands of Uber drivers who went above and beyond, ensuring that during a time of crisis, no one was left behind. Your dedication made a difference when it mattered most. Learn how Uber drivers stepped up. | | | | OUT AND ABOUT — Spotted at the National Press Club in Washington Tuesday night at a celebration of the launch of Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) book “Hard Truths: Think and Lead Like a Green Beret,” alongside Jeremy Hunt and members of Veterans On Duty: Jonathan Clifford, Parker Poling, Ben Noon, Micah Ketchel, Brittany Bramell Punaro, Caroline Bryant, Jay Kramer, Garrett Exner, Dylan Gresik, Eric McCrery and Ethan Harper, per our D.C. Playbook. BIRTHDAYS: Gaston Cantens , former state representative and vice president for corporate relations for Florida Crystals … (Saturday) Monica Russell with KPMG US … (Sunday) Matt Drudge … Bryan Glazer, co-chairman of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers... former state legislator and former Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher …. Rabbi Gary Glickstein. | | | | 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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