Category: Florida

Gainesville Officials Challenge Prohibition of Vaccine Passports

Casey Owens
U.S. Passport with vaccine behind

Gainesville city officials are challenging a future state law, SB 2006, that prohibits local governments, schools, and businesses from requiring individuals to show proof of the COVID-19 vaccination to receive services or allowed entry.

For Gainesville city employees, the city has issued voluntary proof of vaccination, or vaccine passports, so that individuals who show proof can abide by looser CDC guidelines which involve not wearing a mask nor socially distancing for people who are fully vaccinated.

Read the full story

Nikki Fried Backs Critical Race Theory in Florida Classrooms

Grant Holcomb

Days before her likely official gubernatorial launch, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced her support for teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Florida’s schools and classrooms.

Fried is making a major announcement on June 1, which most are speculating is a governor’s race campaign launch, and in preparation for statewide attention, attended a local community meeting on Tuesday night where she criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for saying CRT is “divisive” and should not be taught in public schools.

Read the full story

DeSantis Seeks Approval of Importation of Canadian Prescription Drugs

Peter D'Abrosca

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is asking the Biden administration to approve a plan that would allow for the importation of FDA-approved Canadian drugs to the Sunshine State, which would lower costs, according to the governor. 

“Today, Governor Ron DeSantis called on the Biden Administration and leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve Florida’s Section 804 Importation Proposal (SIP) for Florida’s Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program,” a Friday press release said

Read the full story

Florida Supreme Court Rules Against Marijuana Industry Challenge

Grant Holcomb
Florida Supreme Court Building

Earlier this week the Florida Supreme Court unanimously ruled against a challenge from the medical marijuana industry, backing the state’s strict regulation of the industry’s business model standardized by the Florida legislature.

The challenge was filed by a marijuana company, Florigrown, where they contested the legislation put in place which limits the amount of medical marijuana licenses issued in Florida and requires dispensaries to grow and process their product. Florigrown was denied a license to become a medical marijuana treatment center in 2017.

Read the full story

Big Tech Lobbyists Sue DeSantis over New Regulations

Peter D'Abrosca
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

A pair of Big Tech lobbying groups, NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association, have filed a lawsuit against Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, along with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other state officials, after DeSantis signed into law a bill that regulates Big Tech’s censorship abilities earlier this week. 

“Americans everywhere should oppose Florida’s attempt to run roughshod over the First Amendment rights of private online businesses,” Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel of NetChoice said, according to POLITICO. “By weakening the First Amendment rights of some, Florida weakens the First Amendment rights of all.”

Read the full story

At the Brink of Hurricane Season, Florida Insurance Companies Expect to Cancel over 50,000 Policies

Casey Owens

Less than a week from the start of hurricane season, an estimated 53,205 homeowners insurance policyholders in Florida will have their policies cancelled or nonrenewed after approval by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation.

The Florida regulator approved Office of Insurance Regulation consent orders for three Florida-based insurance companies: Universal Insurance Co. of North America (UICNA), Southern Fidelity Insurance Co., and Gulfstream Property and Casualty.

Read the full story

Florida Delivers Record $765 Million Budget for Teachers

Peter D'Abrosca

Working with the legislature, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) delivered a record-setting $765 million budget for teachers in the Sunshine State.

“These investments include $550 million to continue elevating minimum teacher salaries, as well as $215 million to provide all of Florida’s eligible public school principals and teachers with $1,000 disaster relief payments,” a press release from the governor’s office said.

Read the full story

Poll: Charlie Crist Leads Nikki Fried in 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Poll

Grant Holcomb

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist (D-13) leads all Florida Democrats in the 2022 gubernatorial primary in a recently released St. Pete Polls survey. In the poll, Crist came away with 55 percent of respondents, while likely candidate and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried only drew 22 percent.

Only 11 percent of voters are supporting other candidates and 12 percent are undecided.

Read the full story

Florida Groups Urge Rubio, Scott to Take Up Immigration Reform

Grant Holcomb

Business, political, and religious leaders are urging Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott to take up immigration reform legislation which would add security to around 490,000 immigrants in Florida.

Democratic Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said at a panel hosted by the American Business Immigration Coalition he is urging Florida’s senators to take up bipartisan legislation offering a pathway to citizenship for children, brought here by illegal aliens, classified under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Dyer noted almost 20 percent of Orlando population was born in another country and their status as workers drives Central Florida’s economy.

Read the full story

FSU Settles Discrimination Lawsuit with Former Student Senate President Jack Denton

Peter D'Abrosca
The Florida State University

Florida State University has settled a lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of Jack Denton, the former Student Senate President who was removed from his role for criticizing Black Lives Matter. 

After the death of George Floyd, Denton advised fellow students in a Catholic group chat not to donate to Black Lives Matter, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) or Reclaim the Block, leftist organizations who support anti-Catholic teachings. 

Read the full story

Gas Prices in Florida Expected to Decrease Heading into Memorial Day Weekend

Casey Owens
Person pumping gas into vehicle

Heading into Memorial Day weekend, Floridians can expect for gas prices to decrease for the first time in over three weeks after the attack on the Colonial Pipeline.

While the majority of the state receives gas from the multiple ports on Florida’s coast, the disruption of the pipeline caused widespread panic-buying among the parts of the state that do use it, which in turn caused gas prices to increase as demand was high and there was limited supply.

Read the full story

Florida Ends Federal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits

Peter D'Abrosca
Help wanted sign

Amid an ongoing labor shortage that has hit the service industry particularly hard, Florida has become the twenty-third state to reject the federal government’s supplemental $300 per week in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. 

“Florida will end its participation in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, the $300 per week supplemental FPUC payment, effective June 26, 2021, as part of DEO’s ‘Return to Work’ initiative,” the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) said in a Monday press release. 

Read the full story

FSU Announces Richard McCullough as New President

Grant Holcomb

Earlier this week, Florida State University (FSU) announced the Board of Trustees unanimously voted for Richard McCullough to be the next president. The Florida Board of Governors still has to approve the verdict.

McCullough currently serves as Vice Provost at Harvard University, as well as being the strategic developer for the university’s research initiatives. Specifically, the university’s website dictates his role as to ““encourage, cultivate, and coordinate high impact academic research across all of Harvard’s schools and affiliated institutions.”

Read the full story

Florida TaxWatch Releases Budget ‘Turkey’ Report

Grant Holcomb
Turkey with $100 bills in the background

Yesterday Florida TaxWatch released their annual Budget Turkey Watch Report, a report designed to ensure budget oversight and accountability toward Florida’s elected leaders. The report is a compilation of “Budget Turkeys,” which are described as “local member projects, placed in individual line-items or accompanying proviso language that are added to the final appropriations bill without being fully scrutinized and subjected to the budget process.”

The 16-page report highlights the millions of dollars spent by the Florida Legislature added to the overall state budget without the same “deliberation, debate, and accountability they deserve.”

Read the full story

DeSantis Signs Bill Curbing Censorship by Big Tech Companies

Grant Holcomb
Ron DeSantis at press conference

Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill, SB 7072, designed to limit the scope of Big Tech companies and their influence in Florida. The bill will fine companies $250,000 per day if they censor or suspend accounts for political candidates, with Disney World being a notable exception.

“This session, we took action to ensure that ‘We the People’ — real Floridians across the Sunshine State — are guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley elites,” said DeSantis in a release. “Many in our state have experienced censorship and other tyrannical behavior firsthand in Cuba and Venezuela. If Big Tech censors enforce rules inconsistently, to discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon Valley ideology, they will now be held accountable.”

Read the full story

Florida Democrats Prepping for 2022 Challenges

Grant Holcomb
Stephanie Murphy, Nikki Fried and Val Demings

Republicans have dominated Florida Democrats for nearly 30 years, where currently only one statewide elected post is occupied by a Democrat: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried. With Fried all but officially running against Governor Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL-10) challenging Sen. Marco Rubio for his Senate seat in 2022, Florida Democrats are having to rearrange who is going to be running for open positions and the potential political losses those candidates could face.

If Fried continues on her current trajectory for a likely gubernatorial bid, Democrats might lose the only statewide post they have. Fried won in 2018, weeks after Hurricane Michael devastated the agriculture-rich areas of the Florida Panhandle, which saw diminished Republican Panhandle voter turnout compared to the rest of the state. Fried won the race narrowly by approximately 6,000 votes.

Read the full story

Governor DeSantis Approves Sales-Tax Holidays for Summer 2021

Casey Owens
Gov. Ron DeSantis

Surrounded by lawmakers at a Home Depot in Pensacola, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill (HB 7061) into law Friday that establishes three “sales-tax holidays” throughout the summer that aims to give tax relief to Floridians.

The sales-tax holidays include: the “Disaster Preparedness” holiday from May 28th, 2021, through June 3rd, 2021, the “Freedom Week” holiday from July 1st, 2021, through July 7th, 2021, and the “Back-to-School” holiday from August 6th, 2021, through August 12th, 2021.

Read the full story

Lobbyist Secures More Gambling Revenue for Florida City His Daughter Represents

Peter D'Abrosca
Lauren Book

Two of Florida’s Senate Democrats found themselves in a tiff this week during the legislature’s special session wherein an expanded gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe is expected to be approved. 

The city of Davie, represented by Senate Democrat Leader Lauren Book, will benefit from extra gambling revenue fees from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Those revenue fees were diverted to Davie from the city of Hollywood, where the casino is located. Revenue sharing from the new compact is one of the many questions being ironed out during the special session. 

Read the full story

Florida Realtors Organization Files Lawsuit Against CDC’s Eviction Moratorium

Casey Owens

A federal lawsuit was filed Monday in Tampa by statewide real-estate group Florida Realtors, and Pinellas County based real-estate firm, R.W. Caldwell Inc. that challenges the federal moratorium implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The moratorium established by the CDC was originally issued in September 2020 and was meant to expire by December 31st , 2020. The expiration date has since been extended three times, with the new expiration date on June 3oth, 2021. Florida Realtors called the moratorium “an unprecedented and unlawful federal administrative order.”

Read the full story

National Republican Groups Joining Fight to Defend Florida’s Election Law

Grant Holcomb
people voting

The Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee are joining the fight to defend the recently signed election law in Florida. The two organizations filed motions to intervene in two lawsuits against the law.

The law, known as SB 90 while in the Florida Legislature, is designed to curb the chances of fraudulent elections in Florida, but critics immediately called it “Jim Crow” tactics. Civil rights groups immediately filed lawsuits against it calling it a “backlash to Black voters.”

Read the full story

DeSantis Vows More Action Against Critical Race Theory

Peter D'Abrosca

After a teacher in Duval County was fired for violating the ban on Critical Race Theory in the classroom, Florida’s governor has promised even more action against the practice.

“If we have to play whack a mole all over the state stopping this critical race theory, we will do it,” DeSantis said in a Friday press conference. “You can put lipstick on a pig, it’s still a pig.”

Read the full story

Florida Teacher Fired for Violating DeSantis Critical Race Theory Ban

Cooper Moran

A Florida teacher was fired for refusing to remove a Black Lives Matter banner from outside her classroom, a direct violation of the Critical Race Theory (CRT) teaching ban implemented by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year.

“Governor DeSantis has made clear his position on CRT. It is divisive, irrational, and has no place in our classrooms. CRT is rooted in Marxism, an anti-American ideology that has caused untold suffering and death everywhere it has been implemented. Moreover, CRT teaches discrimination based on ethnicity and racial background,” Executive Office of the Governor Press Secretary Christina Pushaw told The Epoch Times.

Read the full story

Florida Board of Education Proposes Anti-Indoctrination Rule for Public Schools

Casey Owens
Classroom full of kids, that are being read a book

The Florida State Board of Education will soon make a decision on an anti-indoctrination rule that will change the way U.S. History is taught in public schools.

The rule aims to establish strict guidelines for U.S. History that will try to eliminate students being indoctrinated by teachers by taking subjectivity out of the curriculum and focusing on facts that do not distort significant historical events.

Under the proposed rule, discussions held within the classroom must be considered appropriate for the different age and maturity levels of students that aligns with their specific grade level. During classroom discussion, teachers are prohibited from sharing their personal opinions and will be encouraged to let students develop their own perspective without influence or persuasion from the teacher’s point of view.

Read the full story

Florida Legislature Accepts $800 Million in Rental Assistance from Federal Government

Casey Owens
Florida’s Historic Capitol and Florida State Capitol

More than $800 million in federal funds have been accepted by the Florida Legislature to provide Floridians rental assistance through the website, OURFlorida.com. The site began accepting applications last week.

The ‘OUR,’ standing for Opportunities for Utilities and Rental Assistance, is available to all Floridians. Both tenants and landlords may apply for the federal assistance to cover losses taken in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With federal funding available statewide, Floridians in counties with populations under 200,000 people, who were unable to receive previous rental assistance provided by the federal government, will now be eligible to apply for and receive assistance.

Read the full story

Nikki Fried Has Financial Interest in Company Acquired by Trulieve

Grant Holcomb
Commissioner Nikki Fried

Financial disclosure forms indicate that Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has a financial in Harvest Health & Recreation Inc., a company acquired by Trulieve Cannabis Corp. for $2.1 billion last week. Trulieve is one of the most notable cannabis companies in the United States and is the largest licensed cannabis company in Florida.

According to 2019 documents, Fried’s assets in Harvest Health totaled over $190,000, and her personal overall net worth increased by 416% during the time frame of June 2018 to June 2019. During that period, she was also gifted a $700,000 home with her fiancé Jake Bergmann, who has financial stake in another marijuana company, Surterra Wellness.

Fried has repeatedly promoted the cannabis industry as the Agriculture Commissioner while she and her family maintained financial interests in cannabis companies.

Read the full story

Florida House Democrats Elect New Leaders

Peter D'Abrosca

Florida’s House Democrats have elected new leaders, each to serve a two year term beginning after the 2022 and 2024 elections. 

“Rep. Ramon Alexander, D-Tallahassee, and Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, will be the next two leaders of Florida House Democrats. The House Democratic caucus on Wednesday elected Alexander to serve as its leader for a two-year period starting after the 2022 elections,” according to The Tallahassee Democrat. “The caucus chose Driskell to serve as leader for the two-year period starting after the 2024 elections.”

Read the full story

Florida Lawmakers Ratify Seminole Gaming Compact

Casey Owens
Poker chips casino

After negotiations between Governor DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Florida House and Florida Senate passed a bill on Wednesday that ratifies the  Seminole Gaming Compact.

Under the compact, the Seminole Tribe of Florida will act as the state’s centralized location for sports betting. The deal requires the tribe to work with a minimum of three pari-mutuels within three months after sports betting goes live on Oct. 15.

Read the full story

Healthcare Industry Exempt from Vaccine Passport Ban

Grant Holcomb

On May 3, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 2006 into law banning vaccine passports in Florida, with the lone exception being health care providers and facilities within the healthcare industry.  

DeSantis has been critical of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines (CDC) and vaccine passports being endorsed by states and governors across the country. He has said, long before he signed the legislation, vaccine passports being required for citizens to participate in society will not happen in Florida.

Read the full story

Val Demings Planning Senate Run Against Rubio

Grant Holcomb
Val Demings

U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL-10) officially announced her candidacy for Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) seat in the 2022 election cycle. Demings had long been rumored to be seeking statewide office, but many were uncertain if she was challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis or Rubio. She said she mulled a gubernatorial run, but felt her chances were better running for Senate.

Demings rose in popularity after then-candidate Joe Biden announced she was on a short list as a potential running mate last year. Even before then, she rose in fame for being the first black female police chief for the City of Orlando. She was elected to Congress for the first time in 2016.

Read the full story

Florida’s Tourism Industry Crippled During Pandemic, Shows Improvement

Casey Owens
People on the beach during daytime

The state of Florida’s tourism industry took a huge hit caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that limited travel and encouraged people around the world to stay at home.

Before 2020 was struck by the pandemic, Florida had increased its number of visitors every year since 2010 with 2019 recording the most at 131.4 million. According to Visit Florida, 2020 saw a 39.3% decrease from 2019 totaling only 79.75 million visitors.

Read the full story

Questions About Nikki Fried Begin to Surface

Grant Holcomb
Nikki Fried

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried has long been rumored to be challenging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2022 gubernatorial race but has yet to make a campaign launch official.

However, last week, on Twitter, she made an announcement indicating “something new” is coming on June 1 through a video.
Since she posted the video, news and political commentary about Fried and her personal relationships, business interests, potential ethical questions, and how they all fit together have entered the conversation in light of an impending campaign launch.

Read the full story

Jeb Bush Comes Out Against Florida Gambling Pact

Peter D'Abrosca
Jeb Bush

As the Florida Legislature reconvened in Tallahassee Monday for a special session to iron out the details of the state’s new gambling compact with the Seminole Tribe, one former Republican Governor spoke out against the deal.

“South Florida is on a roll!” failed 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush said in a statement. “Our great quality of life and an incredible surge of job creators to our region have put us on a path for rising income and prosperity for many more of our neighbors. At the time when our economy is poised for an unprecedented takeoff after taking a hit from the pandemic, now is not the time to expand casino gambling which will benefit a handful at the expense of many.”

Read the full story

Controversy Surrounds Whitmer’s Secret Florida Flight

The Center Square
Gov. Whitmer

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is once again under fire for a Florida trip she took months ago.

The trip was partially paid for by a 501(c)4 group, which critics say presents legal questions.

Whitmer used funds from an inauguration-related nonprofit to pay for a $27,521 trip to Florida to visit her ailing father in March, MIRS News reported. “She continued to carry out her duties as governor while she assisted her father [in Florida] with household duties like cooking and cleaning,” JoAnne Huls, the governor’s chief of staff, wrote in a memo. “The governor’s flight was not a gift, not paid for at taxpayer expense, and was done in compliance with the law.”

Read the full story

Pipeline Hack Revives Call for Florida to Create Its Own Stash of Gas

The Center Square
Gary Farmer

The ransomware attack that paralyzed the Colonial Pipeline for nearly a week, causing gas shortages throughout the Southeast, including Florida’s Panhandle, may revive one senator’s multi-year effort to convince the Sunshine State to establish its own petroleum stockpile.

Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Lighthouse Point, has filed bills since 2018 seeking to create a Florida Strategic Fuel Reserve Task Force to study creating a fuel stash similar in concept, if not in size, to the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Farmer Thursday called on Republican statehouse leaders to add his 2021 proposal, Senate Bill 1454, to the agenda when the Legislature convenes Monday for a special session to vet a proposed 30-year gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Read the full story

Republicans Look for House Gains in Florida as Charlie Crist Declares Gubernatorial Bid

Peter D'Abrosca
Charlie Crist

With Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) giving up his congressional seat to run for governor, and with the Republican-controlled state legislature set to draw boundaries on a new congressional district after the 2020 census, the GOP is looking to Florida to make gains in the U.S. House in 2022. 

Crist, the former Republican governor of the state, currently represents a district encompassing St. Petersburg and Clearwater in Pinellas County. 

Read the full story

Florida State University President Search Cut to Three

Steve Stewart
The Florida State University

The Florida State University president search has been cut to three candidates as the university’s presidential search committee decided to focus on traditional candidates after two days of interviews.

Making the list were Richard McCullough, Harvard University’s vice president for research; Robert Blouin, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s executive vice chancellor and provost; and Dr. Giovanni Piedimonte, Tulane University’s vice president for research and a professor of pediatrics at its medical school.

Read the full story

Unemployment Claims Continue to Trend Down in Florida

Casey Owens

As the number of vaccinated Floridians continues to rise and businesses opening back up to pre-pandemic levels of operation, the number of unemployment claims for first-time applicants has continued to trend down based off the numbers given by the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).

There were approximately 14,872 initial unemployment claims in Florida for the week that ended May 8th , a 4,893 decrease in the number of initial claims that were recorded during the prior week, and a 13,145 decrease from the week before that.

Read the full story

Florida Residential Home Sales Up, Inventory Shrinks

Steve Stewart
homes

Data released by the Florida Realtors shows that the number of single-family residential home sales (78,353) increased 23.1% in the first quarter of 2021 when compared to the number of homes sold (65,602) in first quarter in 2020.

The increase continues a hot resale market which began during the third quarter of 2020 with a 13.7% increase followed by a 23.6% in forth quarter of 2020.

Prices also saw double digit increases during the first quarter of 2021. The median price increased 17.6% to $317,500 in 2021 from $270,000 in 2020. Also, the average price increased 31.7% to $481,591 in 2021 from $365,765 in 2020.

Read the full story

Florida Voting Law Implements Grand Jury Recommendations

Grant Holcomb
Ron DeSantis

Last week, Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 90 into law. The bill, addressing elections, has been derided as a “Jim Crow” tactic and characterized as voter suppression by political opponents. However, in 2012, a grand jury taking part in an election fraud case in Miami-Dade County provided a list of recommendations to lawmakers to crack down on absentee ballot-related voter fraud. A number of those grand jury recommendations were included in SB 90.

DeSantis has praised the bill saying Florida has some of the “strongest election integrity measures” in the country.

Read the full story

Major Florida Companies Drop Mask Mandates After CDC Announcement

Peter D'Abrosca

After an announcement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 are free to gather without masks, several Florida staples have announced they will not require customers to wear masks this summer. 

“Visitors won’t have to wear face masks outdoors at any of Central Florida’s major theme parks, as Universal Orlando, Disney World and SeaWorld relaxed the COVID-19 rule effective Saturday, sparking a mixed reaction among some fans,” The Orlando Sentinel reported Saturday. 

Read the full story

Gov. DeSantis Approves Sea Level and Climate Change Bills

Casey Owens

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed two bills (SB 1954 and SB 2514) to combat the issue of climate change and the rise in sea level that is negatively impacting the state of Florida.

At his press conference in Tarpon Springs, alongside Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls, DeSantis expressed the importance of the two bills and added that they were “the most significant steps that have been taken in Florida in quite some time.”

He also noted, “As soon as I took office we developed a bold agenda to be good stewards of Florida’s environment and a key component of that agenda has been recognizing and addressing coastal resiliency and flood mitigation.”

Read the full story

DeSantis Leads Fundraising Effort by Wide Margin

Grant Holcomb
Ron DeSantis

Governor Ron DeSantis’ political committee, Friends of Ron DeSantis, in 2021, has raised over $23 million, and nearly $14 million of the total was raised during April alone. During April, the campaign received primarily two large sums of money, one was for over $5 million from Chicago-based hedge funder Kenneth Griffin, and the other was a $2.8 million donation from the Republican Governors’ Association. Griffin was one of DeSantis’ primary contributors to his 2018 gubernatorial run.

DeSantis has not formally filed the paperwork to run for reelection in 2022, but the account is ramping up donations, indicating a DeSantis campaign is likely imminent.

Over 30 contributions came in totaling over $50,000, 139 contributions over $25,000, and 86 contributions of $100 to $500.

Read the full story

DeSantis Interview Raises More Presidential Rumors

Grant Holcomb

Earlier this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was the featured guest in a town hall discussion entitled “Leading to Liberty” for Sean Spicer’s program Spicer & Co. on Newsmax. In the hour-long interview, DeSantis fielded questions from Spicer and the audience ranging in topics from Florida’s COVID response, illegal immigration, and education.

Political pundits who watched the interview said it felt more like an informercial for a possible 2024 presidential run, but others said he made his case for reelection in 2022.

DeSantis was on the offensive at times throughout the night, criticizing President Joe Biden’s first few months in the White House, but also theorizing where Florida would be right now if he had not been elected in 2018.

Read the full story