| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard and Gary Fineout | | | Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. The field running for U.S. Senate is getting a bit smaller. Navy veteran Phil Ehr will announce this morning that he’s exiting the Democratic primary for Senate and instead will challenge incumbent Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) for Florida’s 28th congressional district. It’s quite a turnabout for Ehr. He had initially remained in the Senate race even after former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell decided to also challenge incumbent Sen. Rick Scott in the 2024 elections. Mucarsel-Powell’s Senate run was encouraged by Senate Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. But Ehr, who once ran against GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz in northwest Florida, said his decision to compete for Gimenez's House seat was motivated by what he called the “chaos in the nation’s Capitol” due to the Republican infighting over House speaker that has kept that chamber without a leader for more than two weeks. “We have in the House of Representatives chaos that is damaging America, chaos that is preventing us from being able to respond overseas,” Ehr told Playbook. Ehr’s decision to mount a congressional campaign in South Florida was, in part, because he believes Gimenez is vulnerable and for the GOP lawmaker’s support of former President Donald Trump and other Republicans like Gaetz. Gimenez is currently one of the holdouts opposed to the speakership bid of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). Ehr also added that he’s been a Florida resident since 1984, and while in the military he did missions in the area, including rescuing Cuban exiles during the Mariel boatlift. “This place is very familiar to me,” Ehr said. | 
Former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell speaks at a gun Violence Memorial installation at Bayfront Park, Dec. 13, 2021, in Miami. | Lynne Sladky/AP Photo |
He plans to announce his candidacy against Gimenez in Miami with Mucarsel-Powell. Mucarsel-Powell, who is endorsing Ehr, lost her congressional seat to Gimenez in the 2020 election. Federal campaign records show that Gimenez currently has more than $890,000 cash on hand for his re-election campaign. Ehr had raised nearly $700,000 so far and his last Senate report showed he had more than $89,000 cash on hand. Ehr’s departure gives Mucarsel-Powell one less Democrat to worry about in next year’s primary, although there are still several Democrats — including former Rep. Alan Grayson — in the race. Another potential Democratic candidate is Stanley Campbell, a businessman, former Navy pilot and brother of famed Miami rapper Luther Campbell. A campaign committee for Stanley Campbell was started late last month. — Gary Fineout — WHERE'S RON? Nothing official announced yet for Gov. DeSantis. Later this week he’ll be in South Carolina. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | | | A message from Amazon: Amazon is committed to making a positive impact in the communities where they operate by providing employment opportunities that include benefits starting day one and paths for growth through free, on-the-job skills training and pre-paid tuition programs. “At Amazon, I don’t have to stay in the same role, there is opportunity for growth,” said Nate, who started as an associate in a fulfillment center and is now an area manager in Gainesville. Learn about growth opportunities. | | |
|  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
ON TAP TODAY — Florida Supreme Court Justice Renatha Francis is set to have her ceremonial investiture at 3:30 p.m.
ALSO TODAY — State House Subcommittee meetings, including on workforce, on health care appropriations and on criminal justice. (Watch the subcommittee meetings live.) WHAT TO WATCH — State Senate Republicans on Tuesday formally selected Sen. Ben Albritton (R-Wauchula) as next-in-line once Senate President Kathleen Passidomo steps down from the post in November 2024. Albritton didn’t go into great details about his top priorities once he becomes Senate president, but he emphasized that he’ll remain deeply committed to agriculture. “If you really stand back and think about it, the fact is, the survival of agriculture is the survival of humanity. We can’t lose sight of that,” Albritton said during his speech. He also told reporters that water quality issues and the state’s child dependency system would be part of his focus, and acknowledged legislative leaders may need to do more to help with the state’s affordability crisis in both housing and property insurance. Albritton praised DeSantis during his remarks, but in an interview last week with POLITICO he did say that he expects the 2024 session to be more “normalized” than previous ones. During the 2023 session state legislators pushed through controversial measures on hot-button topics that DeSantis then touted on the campaign trail. — Gary Fineout
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Simpson, pictured above, received 65 percent of the vote compared to 35 percent for Shaw, according to early returns. | Phil Sears/AP Photo | DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ASKS — “Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is seeking $300 million for a program designed to keep swaths of rural land from commercial and residential development, triple the amount DeSantis vetoed this year,” reported News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner. LOSING BUSINESS — Some Florida real estate agents say DeSantis' ban on Chinese homeownership "compels them to vet potential clients in unrealistic and uncomfortable ways,” reported NBC News’ Kimmy Yam. FLORIDA MADE — “It was within Florida that Gaetz honed his brash political style, say those who served with him in the Legislature,” writes the Tampa Bay Times’ Emily L. Mahoney. “As a young state lawmaker in a state House crowded with other Republicans similarly destined for higher office, Gaetz managed to stand out for his tendency toward sharp-tongued debate and willingness to battle other Republicans on hot-button issues.” PERSONAL STORIES — “For Palestinians in Florida, DeSantis’ anti-Gaza stance is ‘heartbreaking,’” by the Tampa Bay Times: “Palestinians across Florida echoed fears that DeSantis’ words could stoke anti-Palestinian hatred.” — “‘You almost think you’re dreaming:’ Central Florida couple returns home from Israel on DeSantis emergency flight,” by Orlando News 6’s Emily McLeod | | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | TODAY — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be at Port Miami for a press conference with Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. MOUSE TRAP — Disney’s lawyers want to question John Classe, the former administrator of the special tax district, as part of their lawsuit against DeSantis appointees to retain power over their government, reported The Associated Press’ Mike Schneider. RESOLVED — “Voter fraud charges dropped against 69-year-old Florida woman arrested at 3 a.m.,” by USA Today Network’s Douglas Soule: A county elections supervisor said the registration had been an “innocent mistake.” GOP DONOR — Activist Steve Alembik, a Trump and DeSantis donor who sent a racist tweet about Obama, died in attempted murder-suicide, wrote the Miami Herald’s Ben Wieder and Sarah Blaskey. RAILWAY DEATHS — Brightline is Florida’s deadliest rail company, finds Treasure Coast Newspaper’s Lindsey Leake. “At least 97 people were [struck and] killed by Brightline trains in three Florida counties through July 30, according to U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration records.” An estimated 7 percent of deaths were recorded as suicides but the actual total is believed to be under-reported. Help is available 24/7 at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. WRONGFUL CONVICTION — “Grief and unanswered questions for family of exonerated man killed by Georgia cop,” by Rafael Olmeda and Shira Moolten: “After serving 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, [Leonard] Cure was embarking on a new chapter in his life … He had just closed on a new home. He had new bank accounts and investments, courtesy of an $817,000 compensation payment from the state of Florida. All those assets are in limbo now.” | | | | Sponsored Survey WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Share what you think in a short, 1 minute survey about one of our advertisers | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | |
MAXED OUT — Ron DeSantis has a money problem hiding behind his donation numbers, by POLITICO’s Jessica Piper: A POLITICO analysis shows that roughly 75 percent of all money raised by DeSantis came from donors who can no longer give again for the primary, and most of the cash in DeSantis’ campaign’s account is off limits until the general election.
|  WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 04: U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) speaks on the economy during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 04, 2022 in Washington, DC. The group of Senators spoke out about Biden's economic agenda and blamed his administration for rising inflation. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images | FUNDRAISING TOTALS — Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell outraised Sen. Rick Scott by around $250,000, noticed David Weigel of Semafor. But Scott has $3 million cash on hand — compared to Mucarsel-Powell’s $1 million — and is among the wealthiest members of Congress, giving him the ability to self-fund. FLIPPED — Florida-based venture capitalist and “PayPal Mafia” Keith Rabois is hosting a fundraiser for Nikki Haley in Miami this month, reported ABC News’ Olivia Rubin and Will Steakin. Rabois, who used to be a DeSantis supporter, is hosting the event with his husband, Jacob Helberg. LEAKED — DeSantis dismissed 2024 rivals in address to Virgin Islands GOP, reported McClatchy’s Dave Catanese. “They’re not going to vote for people like Pence and Haley. I respect them, they’re just not,” DeSantis said, referring to Iowa and New Hampshire voters. “They will vote for me, because I have a record of being a very strong leader.” Asked about territory rights, the governor also made a joke about not wanting “to pony up free electoral votes for the other team,” reported The St. Thomas Source. | | | | A message from Amazon:   | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | SPEAKERLESS HOUSE — It’s been two weeks since former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy got ousted, and Florida men are still at the center of the drama. U.S. Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, Carlos Gimenez and John Rutherford were three of the 20 Republicans who voted against Ohio Republican Jim Jordan for speaker on Tuesday. Diaz-Balart and Rutherford voted for Majority Leader Steve Scalise, while Gimenez voted for McCarthy.
|  Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters as he arrives for a House Republican Conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol Oct. 16, 2023. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) | AP | Jordan’s second speakership vote is at 11 a.m. today. GOP Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, who was attending his mother-in-law’s funeral, was the only House member missing from yesterday’s vote but will be back today supporting Jordan. If the House has full attendance, Jordan can only afford to lose three Republicans. Gimenez has made clear that he is standing his ground — consistently stating he is “OK” or “Only Kevin.” Meanwhile, Díaz-Balart warned that being pressured into a Jordan vote would only make things worse. “If you try to pressure me, if you try to threaten me, then I shut off,” he said. Rutherford plans to vote for Scalise for multiple rounds. He said now it’s time for the caucus to find a consensus candidate — who he said could possibly be Speaker Pro Temp Patrick McHenry. At least one Florida Republican is trying to change their minds. Rep. Michael Waltz, who thinks a speaker should be elected quickly to help Israel, said he chatted with the three Floridians to hear their views. “They have their reasons, and some are pretty dug in on them,” he said. “But I'm asking them to take a step back and look at the bigger picture here.” — Mia McCarthy — A new WLRN series “Waiting for America” examines a Biden administration humanitarian parole program for people from crisis-torn countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, including on employment permits. EXTINCT — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took the Bachman’s warbler, a rare Florida songbird, off the endangered species list, writes Max Chesnes of the Tampa Bay Times. | | | | PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
ZONING FIGHT — A Florida man in Brevard County has four shipping containers in his backyard, irking his neighbors. “When I look out my window and I see those shipping containers, I’m not happy,” a neighbor told Orlando News 6.
BIRTHDAYS: Former State Rep. Amber Mariano Davis … former U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross .... Walt Disney Co’s Caitlin Conant … Dara Kam, senior writer/editor with the News Service of Florida | | | | A message from Amazon: Since joining Amazon in an entry level role, Nate has been promoted multiple times and is now an area manager at a delivery station in Gainesville.
Nate serves as an Amazonian ambassador to his local community “so that people know that you can build a career here.”
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