| | | | |  | | By Gary Fineout | Hello and welcome to Monday. FOR YOUR RADAR — " Subtropical storm Nicole forms, could approach Florida near hurricane strength ," by Orlando Sentinel's Richard Tribou Double vision — Florida voters over the weekend got a split screen that gave a potential glimpse at what may happen for 2024 if former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis both run for president. He said what? — Trump had a large campaign rally in Miami on Sunday while DeSantis held his own set of rallies at stops in the Tampa Bay area and in southwest Florida. Trump created a bit of drama ahead of the Miami rally when he delivered one of his trademark insults by calling the Republican governor "Ron DeSanctimonious" during a Saturday night rally in Pennsylvania. One and done — Trump, who got criticized by some conservatives for the put-down, did not repeat the quip when he was back in his home state. He even offered a kind-of, sort-of endorsement of DeSantis by telling the crowd "you are going to reelect Ron DeSantis as your governor." DeSantis, meanwhile, during his appearances, stuck to his trademark stump speech, where he jabbed at President Joe Biden, Disney and those running blue states while he touched on Covid-19, education and immigration. What does this mean? — In the short run, this public display of the tension that had been simmering behind the scenes (and which some had contended did not exist) is unlikely to have a big impact on this Tuesday's election. Instead, the Trump-DeSantis Show took away attention from Charlie Crist — the Democrat who is trying to derail DeSantis' political career. The road ahead — The question for right now is when will Trump take another swipe at DeSantis? Multiple news accounts contend that the Palm Beach resident will announce his next run for president sometime shortly after the midterms. A DeSantis candidacy is unlikely to move ahead until some time in 2023. The governor has a special session already planned for December, then the next regular legislative session is right around the corner. But you can sense something is coming. — WHERE'S RON? — Gov. DeSantis is scheduled to wrap up his "Don't Tread on Florida" re-election campaign tour with stops in Palm Beach, Orange and Miami-Dade counties. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | |  | CAMPAIGN MODE | | CALM BEFORE THE STORM? — Trump holds his fire against DeSantis in Miami , by POLITICO's Matt Dixon and Gary Fineout: Former President Donald Trump held back from criticizing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a rally in Miami on Sunday, saying that DeSantis should be reelected even as 2024 tensions between the two are spilling over into the public. His pivot came a day after the former president publicly chided DeSantis during a rally in Pennsylvania, calling him "Ron DeSanctimonious." It was one of the most direct shots yet Trump took at the governor — a likely 2024 rival if both men run for the Republican nomination for president.
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Former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Sen. Marco Rubio during a rally on Nov. 6, 2022 in Miami. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images |
'NOT THE TIME' — " Trump-DeSantis rivalry overshadows last days of midterm election campaigning in Florida ," by USA Today Network-Florida's Zac Anderson: "Some [Gov. Ron] DeSantis supporters who were attending his Sunday rally in Sarasota expressed annoyance at [Donald] Trump for attacking the governor just day before Tuesday's election. 'I'm mad at him,' Bradenton resident Suzie Lindberg said of Trump. 'It's just a few days before the election and this is not the time for disunity in the Republican Party. Lindberg, a retiree who said she'd back DeSantis over Trump in a GOP primary, recently moved from Minnesota to Florida. She likes that DeSantis mostly kept Florida open during the pandemic."
— " Trump-DeSantis rift grows, with dueling rallies in Florida ," by The New York Times' Michael C. Bender and Patricia Mazzei — " We're going to take America': Trump in Miami again hints at 2024 presidential run ," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man and Angie DiMichele — " Some conservatives turn on Trump for attacking Ron DeSantis ahead of midterms: 'What an idiot ,'" by Fox News' Anders Hagstrom — "' They say it's the Trump party they're coming to,' ex-president says in Miami of Latinos ," by Miami Herald's Bianca Padró Ocasio and Tess Riski HAPPENING TODAY — While DeSantis holds a handful of rallies, Charlie Crist will hold two get-out-the-vote lunches in Melbourne and Fort Pierce. Both Crist and Rep. Val Demings will hold an Election Day Eve rally in Fort Lauderdale. Crist will then hold a press conference in Tampa. GEARING UP — GOP megadonor: I'm ready to back DeSantis for president in '24 , by POLITICO's Shia Kapos: Bronze-level giving by Griffin, 54, would be welcome news for one potential 2024 hopeful: Ron DeSantis. During an interview in his temporary offices in downtown Miami, detailing how he directs his political contributions, Griffin told POLITICO that he's prepared to back the Florida governor if he runs for the White House. Griffin was the leading donor to DeSantis' reelection campaign this cycle, dropping $5 million. "I don't know what he's going to do. It's a huge personal decision," he said of DeSantis. "He has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well-served by him as president." | 
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives a campaign speech at the SCC Community Hall on Nov. 6, 2022 in Sun City Center, Fla. | Octavio Jones/Getty Images |
BREAKING IT DOWN — Here's a final breakdown of top television ad spending in Florida courtesy of tracking firm AdImpact: Florida's governor race: $72.5 million, with $54.6 million spent by the Republican Party of Florida and Gov. Ron DeSantis on DeSantis' reelection. Race for Senate: $55.9 million, with Rep. Val Demings spending $30.9 million while Sen. Marco Rubio (along with a little bit of help from the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee) spent just under $20 million. The top House race is the race for Florida's 13th Congressional District, with $12.7 million spent. The next most expensive race is state Senate District 14, pitting incumbent Democrat Janet Cruz against Republican Jay Collins for the Tampa area seat: $5.93 million.
THE MONEY GO-ROUND — Campaign records filed Friday show that the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee — the leadership political committee led by incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo — spent more than $27 million in the final two and a half months. Much of that money was spent on ads in several key state Senate races, including two targeting Democratic incumbents. The leadership political committee led by Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book spent $7.43 million. The Senate GOP committee's largest donor during the final period was DeSantis. His political committee directed $2.5 million to the group in September. But the Senate committee also got $400,000 from Duke Energy and $250,000 from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. REVERSAL — "' Things change': Rubio, once Trump's adversary, embraces former president, " by McClatchy D.C.'s Alex Roarty and Bianca Padró Ocasio: "For [Sen. Marco] Rubio, the appearance with Trump is the culmination of a deeply changed relationship with the former president, a shift that has seen him go from calling his former presidential rival a dangerous menace to embracing him as a political ally. It's an evolution critics say proves Rubio's cravenness — but allies hail as a necessary adjustment that has benefited both men. 'It was really smart politically for him to be at that rally,' said Rob Schmidt, vice president of the national GOP polling firm McLaughlin & Associates. 'In the simplest of terms, midterm elections are about turning out your base. ... I think both parties, both recognize the utility in being partners rather than adversaries.'" 'A LOT OF DISTRUST' — " Spread of election lies in Florida's Spanish-speaking communities is 'fracturing democratic institutions,' advocates warn ," by CNN's Donie O'Sullivan and Geneva Sands: "The impact of disinformation has been especially acute in south Florida with its large Spanish-speaking community, foreign-born population, and significant political influence. A longtime battleground that's been moving toward Republicans – former President Donald Trump carried it in 2020 – the state is home to a gubernatorial and Senate contest this year. Ahead of the midterms, the main false narrative is about alleged widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election, according to Tamoa Calzadilla, managing editor of the Spanish-language fact-checking website Factchequeado.com. (There is no evidence of such fraud.)" BY THE NUMBERS — The final campaign finance filings show DeSantis raised more than $196 million for his reelection campaign, while Crist raised more than $31.58 million. The totals include money raised for campaign accounts and for political committees controlled by the candidates. Following the money — In the final week of fundraising, DeSantis received nearly $217,000 in taxpayer money and he got another $600,000 check from the Republican Governors Association. During this cycle, the RGA has given DeSantis $20.9 million. DeSantis also got $200,000 from investor Riaz Valani — who is a major investor in vaping company Juul Labs Inc. — and $100,000 from Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross. Crist got $50,000 from the Florida Education Association and $2,000 from movie director Lawrence Kasdan. In the bank — The future expenditure numbers are likely to change (and will be reflected on close-out reports), but the final report before the election shows that DeSantis has more than $66 million unspent compared to nearly $701,000 for Crist. VOTERS ARE VOTING — Nearly 4.56 million people have voted ahead of the Nov. 8 election, according to the latest information on the state Division of Elections website. More than 2.48 million people have voted by mail so far. Of those, 1,063,734 have come from registered Democrats and 912,427 have come from registered Republicans. Overall, there are nearly 1.85 million mail ballots that have been requested but not yet returned. Of those, more than 816,000 are held by Democrats and nearly 523,000 are with Republicans. Of the more than 2 million people who voted early, 1,086,949 are Republicans and 598,457 are Democrats. The totals show that more than 337,000 more Republicans have voted than Democrats. RED WAVE ALERT — " Republicans cast more ballots than Democrats in Miami-Dade County as early voting ends ," by Miami Herald's Bianca Padró Ocasio: "Republican voters cast more ballots than Democrats in Miami-Dade County during the early-voting period that ended Sunday evening, yet another sign that the GOP may claim Florida's most populous county for the first time in two decades during Tuesday's midterm elections. As of Sunday evening, about 180,000 Republicans and 174,000 Democrats had voted either by mail or in person in Miami-Dade, according to the county elections department. Another 112,000 ballots were cast by voters who either have no party affiliation or are registered to minor parties." WHAT'S GOING ON? — Florida election officials challenging voters after prodding by DeSantis administration , by POLITICO's Gary Fineout : Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration has urged local election supervisors to challenge the eligibility or hundreds of voters in Florida, a move that has drawn fire from Democrats and voting groups who question the last-minute push. It's not clear the exact number of challenges, but one estimate put the number at 1,500 — an amount unlikely to affect the outcome of any major races. Some supervisors, however, aren't filing formal challenges, but have decided to flag potential voters and warn them ahead of time that they could be criminally charged if they are ineligible and cast a vote anyway. Response — Mark Earley, the supervisor in Leon County and president of the statewide association that represents Florida's 67 local election officials, said the suggestion from state officials to file formal written challenges "caught us by surprise." "It was a break from precedent," Earley added. "We are being handed the ball to make up for the division falling so far behind on felon review." Earley said filing a personal challenge "is not something I felt comfortable with nor did other supervisors." — " South Florida campaign crescendo: From 'souls to the polls' to a Trump rally ," by Miami Herald — " Republican rout? Florida has red state vibes as Election Day approaches with battleground status in doubt ," by USA Today Network-Florida's Zac Anderson — " Assailant encouraged GOP canvasser to 'do your job' — raising questions about Rubio's account ," by Miami Herald's David Ovalle, Sarah Blaskey and Nicholas Nehamas — " Advantages abound for Ashley Moody in re-election bid ," by Florida Politics' A.G. Gancarski — " Democratic challenger Adam Hattersley takes on GOP incumbent Jimmy Patronis in CFO race ," by Florida Politics' Gray Rohrer
| | | | DON'T MISS POLITICO'S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, "At a Crossroads: America's Defense Strategy" on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America's national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | SIDESTEP — " Rick Scott doesn't rule out run for majority leader if GOP takes Senate ," by NBC News Summer Concepcion: "Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, on Sunday declined to say whether he would run for majority leader if Republicans gain control of the Senate in the midterm elections. 'I'm not focused on anything except getting a majority Tuesday night,' Scott said in an interview on NBC News' 'Meet the Press.' After host Chuck Todd replied 'that's a non-answer,' Scott repeated his line that he is solely 'focused' on Tuesday's elections." — " Marco Rubio previews a possible Republican-led Senate after midterm elections ," by Fox News' Lindsay Kornick
| | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | THE DESANTIS FILES PART 1 — " Pranks, parties and politics: Ron DeSantis' year as a schoolteacher ," by The New York Times' Frances Robles: "As a baseball and football coach at the school, [Ron] DeSantis was admired and respected by his team. As a teacher, he was remembered by some former students as cocky and arrogant. He once publicly embarrassed a student with a prank, hung out at parties with seniors and got into debates about the Civil War with students who questioned the focus, and sometimes the accuracy, of his lessons." THE DESANTIS FILES PART 2 — " DeSantis went to battle with Disney, but he didn't mention he got married there ," by Insider's Kimberly Leonard: "Dressed in his white, decorated Naval uniform, [Ron] DeSantis exchanged wedding vows with Casey DeSantis, whose maiden name was Black, at the Grand Floridian's wedding pavilion, a chapel with arched windows overlooking Cinderella's Castle and the Seven Seas Lagoon. The reception was held at Epcot's Italy Isola, in a nod to the couple's Italian heritage." — " Legal challenges mount over Medicaid $15 minimum wage mandate ," by Florida Politics' Christine Jordan Sexton
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | MOVING AHEAD — Florida medical boards sign off on ban prohibiting gender-affirming care for kids , by POLITICO's Arek Sarkissian: Two Florida medical boards on Friday gave final approval to rules that restrict children from receiving gender-affirming care to treat gender dysphoria, taking one more step before the state bans puberty blockers and surgery for minors. The Florida boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine each approved separate rulemaking focusing on barring some treatments for minors as a treatment for gender dysphoria. They instead placed a much heavier emphasis on treating children with behavioral therapy. FLAG WARS — " Should parents be concerned about flags? Miami-Dade School Board to discuss what's OK ," by Miami Herald's Sommer Brugal: "The Miami-Dade School Board is expected to consider this month a measure that will allow only the American flag and the official motto of the State of Florida — "In God We Trust" — be displayed in classrooms and on school district grounds. The idea, while still up for discussion, could mean that flags from other countries may be banned from hanging year round in a world history class, for example, or a rainbow flag to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month would be prohibited."
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