Florida Politics Archives

Florida Senate Race a Virtual Tie

September 6, 2024 Buck Banks

46% to 45%

A new The Hill/Emerson College poll in Florida finds Sen. Rick Scott (R) barely ahead of challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D), 46% to 45% with another 9% still undecided.

Florida Workers Owed Billions in Unpaid Overtime

February 21, 2023 Buck Banks

$11.4 billion

According to a wages study done by law firm Bisnar Chase, the average Florida employee in the private sector worked about 2.5 hours of “unpaid overtime” per week during 2022. The national average for unpaid OT is 2.1 hours. When this figure is applied to the number of exempt workers in the Sunshine State (and based on the median wage), and then annualized, Florida workers are collectively owed about $11.4 billion in backpay, researchers said.

Biden Entreats God to Enlighten Republicans

November 2, 2022November 2, 2022 Buck Banks

“God, give some of our Republican friends some enlightenment.”

— President Joe Biden, campaigning in Florida Tuesday, the AP reports.

Less Than Half of Floridians Want to Re-Elect Rubio

March 10, 2021 Buck Banks

46%

A new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida finds 46% of voters think Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) should be reelected in 2022, while 40% don’t. No major Democrat has emerged to run against him, so the poll could only cite “a Democrat” as an alternative.

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%.

46% to 45%

$11.4 billion

“God, give some of our Republican friends some enlightenment.”

— President Joe Biden, campaigning in Florida Tuesday, the AP reports.

46%

A new Mason-Dixon poll in Florida finds 46% of voters think Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) should be reelected in 2022, while 40% don’t. No major Democrat has emerged to run against him, so the poll could only cite “a Democrat” as an alternative.

$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%.

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“Yes they can control the weather. It’s ridiculous for anyone to lie and say it can’t be done.”

— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), accusing Democrats of creating Hurricane Helene for political purposes.

“Liberty in Georgia includes in its meaning, in its protections, and in its bundle of rights the power of a woman to control her own body, to decide what happens to it and in it, and to reject state interference with her healthcare choices.”

— Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney finding that Georgia’s six-week abortion law violates Georgia’s Constitution, reports the AP.

“Maybe we’ll pay off the $35 trillion US debt in crypto. I’ll write on a little piece of paper ‘$35 trillion crypto we have no debt.’ That’s what I like.”

— Donald Trump, floating a plan to address the federal budget deficit and demonstrating his deep understanding of the crypto marketplace.

“To my friends in Nebraska, that one electoral vote could be the difference between Harris being president and not, and she’s a disaster for Nebraska and the world.”

— Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), quoted by Politico, on his trip to Nebraska to push for the state’s Republican leadership to change how it awards its electoral votes.

“I will if he does. That’s a trade-off I’d do.”

— George Clooney, on Jimmy Kimmel Live, responding to Donald Trump’s call for him “to get out of politics.”

Numerati

254,000

“The pace of hiring picked up strongly in September and the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%, signs the economy had continued momentum in a month the Federal Reserve delivered its first interest-rate cut in four years,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

49% to 44%

A new Susquehanna poll finds Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump nationally among likely voters, 49% to 44%.

40 trillion

$55 million

Kamala Harris raised about $55 million in high-dollar events in California this weekend, a haul that pads her financial advantage over Donald Trump, Bloomberg reports.

57%

A new NBC News poll finds about 57% of voters report feeling negatively about Project 2025, with 51% saying they see the proposal “very” negatively and another 7% saying they view it “somewhat” negatively. Just 4% of voters reported viewing the conservative policy plan positively.