Florida Politics

Bloomberg Commits $100 Million Spend in Florida for Biden

September 15, 2020 Buck Banks

$100 million

“Mike Bloomberg plans to spend at least $100 million in Florida to help elect Democrat Joe Biden, a massive late-stage infusion of cash that could reshape the presidential contest in a costly toss-up state central to President Trump’s reelection hopes,” the Washington Post reports.

It’s Just Miami Pilitics, Folks

August 5, 2019 Buck Banks

$400,000

“During his final two years in office and for several months afterward, former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) paid a Miami dentist and childhood friend with no political experience nearly $400,000 for political consulting,” the Miami Herald reports. … And since losing his seat last November, he’s spent thousands of dollars from his leadership PAC — called ‘What a Country!’ — on wine and high-end restaurants. … Now, Curbelo’s friend, JP Chavez, is his business partner in a communications and public affairs startup venture called Vocero LLC.”

Floridians Split on Trump Re-Election

January 25, 2019 Buck Banks

46% to 45%

A new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida finds voters are nearly evenly divided on if President Trump should be re-elected, with 46% saying he should be replaced, 45% saying he should be re-elected and the remainder unsure.

As of Tuesday, 1.4 Million Ex-Felons in Florida Can Vote

January 8, 2019 Buck Banks

1.4 million

“Tuesday is a historic day in Florida. Under an amendment passed by the voters in November, as many as 1.4 million former felons are regaining the right to vote. The referendum overturned a 150-year-old law that permanently disenfranchised people with felony convictions,” NPR reports.

Gillum Demonstrates How to Call Someone a Racist Without Calling Them a Racist

October 26, 2018 Buck Banks

“I’m not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist. I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.”

HuffPost, on challenger Ron DeSantis (R).

Dems Ahead in Florida

October 22, 2018 Buck Banks

12 points and 5 points

A new CNN/SRSS poll in Florida finds Andrew Gillum (D) holds a wide 12-point edge over Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) in the race for governor, 54% to 42%. In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Bill Nelson (D) leads Gov. Rick Scott (R) by five points, 50% to 45%.

Gillum: DeSantis is ‘Uniquely Unlikeable’

October 22, 2018 Buck Banks

“He’s easily dislikable. I don’t think anybody could spend a lot of time with him and walk away feeling inspired or encouraged or believe that he in some way knows what it means to to live their life. They realize they can’t package him in that way.”

— Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum (D), telling the Tampa Bay Times that rival Ron DeSantis (R) is “a uniquely unlikeable candidate.”

Florida Has Paid Out $11 Million to Settle Sex Suits

November 28, 2017 Buck Banks

$11 million

The state of Florida has paid more than $11 million over a 30-year period to settle hundreds of cases that alleged that state workers were sexually harassed by supervisors and co-workers, or were forced to work in a hostile work environment, reports the Associated Press.

Puerto Rican Climate Refugees to Tilt Florida Politics

November 21, 2017 Buck Banks

168,000

New York Times: “More than 168,000 people have flown or sailed out of Puerto Rico to Florida since the hurricane, landing at airports in Orlando, Miami and Tampa, and the port in Fort Lauderdale. Nearly half are arriving in Orlando, where they are tapping their networks of family and friends. An additional 100,000 are booked on flights to Orlando through Dec. 31… Large numbers are also settling in the Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach areas.”

Florida Democrats Crushing GOP in Voter Registrations

October 14, 2016 Buck Banks

503,000 to 60,000

Margin by which Florida Democrats are beating the GOP in voter-registration forms submitted, reports Politico: “Remember when the GOP said it had this great ground game in Florida? Yeah.”

$100 million

“Mike Bloomberg plans to spend at least $100 million in Florida to help elect Democrat Joe Biden, a massive late-stage infusion of cash that could reshape the presidential contest in a costly toss-up state central to President Trump’s reelection hopes,” the Washington Post reports.

$400,000

46% to 45%

A new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida finds voters are nearly evenly divided on if President Trump should be re-elected, with 46% saying he should be replaced, 45% saying he should be re-elected and the remainder unsure.

1.4 million

“Tuesday is a historic day in Florida. Under an amendment passed by the voters in November, as many as 1.4 million former felons are regaining the right to vote. The referendum overturned a 150-year-old law that permanently disenfranchised people with felony convictions,” NPR reports.

“I’m not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist. I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.”

12 points and 5 points

A new CNN/SRSS poll in Florida finds Andrew Gillum (D) holds a wide 12-point edge over Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) in the race for governor, 54% to 42%. In the U.S. Senate race, Sen. Bill Nelson (D) leads Gov. Rick Scott (R) by five points, 50% to 45%.

“He’s easily dislikable. I don’t think anybody could spend a lot of time with him and walk away feeling inspired or encouraged or believe that he in some way knows what it means to to live their life. They realize they can’t package him in that way.”

— Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum (D), telling the Tampa Bay Times that rival Ron DeSantis (R) is “a uniquely unlikeable candidate.”

$11 million

The state of Florida has paid more than $11 million over a 30-year period to settle hundreds of cases that alleged that state workers were sexually harassed by supervisors and co-workers, or were forced to work in a hostile work environment, reports the Associated Press.

168,000

503,000 to 60,000

Margin by which Florida Democrats are beating the GOP in voter-registration forms submitted, reports Politico: “Remember when the GOP said it had this great ground game in Florida? Yeah.”

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“It’s so unworthy of a president. It’s beyond despicable. It’s soulless. It’s almost unspeakable in the middle of the pandemic to try to divide the country on a political basis when Covid-19 is really bipartisan.”

— Former Gov. Tom Ridge (R), quoted by the New York Times, on President Trump saying the coronavirus death toll from the coronavirus was actually not so bad “if you take out the blue states.”

“You can imagine it and try to dismiss it, saying he’s just a blowhard and schoolyard tough guy, using his thumbs on Twitter like fists. But the reality, the harsh cold onslaught, is just pure pain.”

— The late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), in a posthumously published book, We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy.

“This is not like embedding with the Marines in Fallujah. It is like you are taking your family with you to Fallujah.”

— ABC News White House correspondent Jon Karl, quoted by National Journal, on covering indoor Trump rallies.

“The microphone is also a microscope.”

— Bob Woodward told Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show that he will release the audio recordings of his interviews with President Trump that are “relevant.”

“This is an insult to every Nevadan who has followed the directives, made sacrifices, and put their neighbors before themselves. It’s also a direct threat to all of the recent progress we’ve made and could potentially set us back.”

— Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) slammed President Trump Sunday night for violating state rules by holding a campaign rally indoors with thousands of people, NBC News reports.

Numerati

72%

$5.4 million

Michael Bloomberg will spend $5.4 million on a weeklong TV ad campaign in Florida, part of his pledge to help Joe Biden win the all-important presidential battleground state, McClatchy reports.

69%

$1.1 million

“President Trump’s luxury properties have charged the U.S. government more than $1.1 million in private transactions since Trump took office — including for room rentals at his Bedminster, N.J., club this spring while it was closed for the coronavirus pandemic,” the Washington Post reports.

$1 million

Jaime Harrison (D) announced that he raised $1 million within a day after a poll found him tied with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) the U.S. Senate race in South Carolina.