| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | Good morning and welcome to February. New campaign filings give a peek into the millions of dollars pouring into Florida's Senate race. The documents, submitted to the Federal Elections Commission, show former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Democrat, raised over $2 million at the end of last year in her bid to beat Republican Sen. Rick Scott. The amount is higher than the $1.58 million in outside donations Scott raised, which includes various joint fundraising committees. But the two are almost equal when factoring in the funds Scott brought in that benefited his Leadership PAC, Let’s Get To Work. They are not, however, similar cash comparisons. Scott, who’s among the wealthiest members of Congress, contributed $3 million toward his campaign at the end of last year. Scott has leaned on his personal wealth throughout his political career, having put more than $64 million toward his 2018 Senate race. Mucarsel-Powell campaign manager Kate Letzler Moore said Scott's self-funding "can't make up for his extreme agenda to ban abortion, raise taxes on the middle class and sunset Social Security and Medicare.” Scott’s campaign has roughly $3 million cash on hand. A review of campaign spending from last quarter shows work with OnMessage Inc. for digital fundraising, survey research and media, and with Miami-based The Factor for communications consulting. Mucarsel-Powell has roughly half the amount of cash Scott has on hand. Among her expenses were digital acquisition with Anne Lewis Strategies and fundraising consulting with Chraca Friedman Group, both D.C.-based.
|  Then-Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., speaks during a news conference. | Jacquelyn Martin, File/AP | The money factor isn’t the only hurdle in the race for Mucarsel-Powell, or any Florida Democrat. Scott won his past elections for Senate and governor by small margins when Florida had more of a purple status. Today, Florida Republicans have out registered Democrats by 780,000 voters. Though Mucarsel-Powell isn’t spending her own money on her Senate bid, others in the contest are. GOP Keith Gross, a businessman and attorney who launched a long-shot bid to unseat Scott, contributed $1.2 million toward his campaign last year, though he previously said he was willing to spend as much as $30 million. Asked about the filings, Gross said he was “willing to spend whatever it takes to match Rick blow for blow." Another Democrat in the race, Navy pilot, rocket scientist and health care innovator Stanley Campbell, put $1 million into his campaign and spokesperson Millie Raphael said he spent the quarter visiting 40 Florida counties. Raphael said Campbell would “remain focused on dialoguing with the diverse communities of our great state while also expanding his campaign.” — WHERE'S RON? Nothing official announced yet for DeSantis. 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 Instagram: Parents should be able to decide which apps are right for their teens.
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Learn more. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | |  The Florida State Capitol building is seen in Tallahassee, Fla., Jan. 11, 2024. (Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images) | AP | STATE BUDGET — “Florida Legislature rolling back state spending in 'austere' budget plans,” reports John Kennedy of USA Today Network - Florida. “With billions of dollars in federal aid drying up, money that kept Florida and most states afloat during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, DeSantis and fellow Republican legislative leaders are intent on belt-tightening for 2024-25. The House's blueprint for state spending is $115.5 billion and the Senate’s is $115.9 billion. DeSantis rolled out a $114.4 billion recommendation in December that he promoted as $4.6 billion smaller than current year spending — marking one of the few times in recent decades that a governor has dialed back on dollars.” DECISION — Judge delivers major blow to free speech lawsuits brought by pro-Palestinian groups against DeSantis, reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. A federal judge Wednesday denied requests by two pro-Palestinian student groups asking the court to prevent the DeSantis administration from kicking them off campus in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker refused to issue injunctions in the two high-profile free speech lawsuits largely because university officials have not enforced Florida’s efforts to punish the organizations. PROCEEDING — “Amid worries about LGBTQ rights, many Pride parades will march on in Florida this year,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Lisa Huriash. “Pride event organizers are forging ahead with this year’s celebrations across Florida. And they’re hoping to draw larger crowds than last year, when some celebrations were canceled due to the state’s political climate. Among the hurdles that organizers say they’re now facing: It has become more challenging to secure sponsors.” UNMOVED — “Florida lawmakers propose guardianship reforms but bills languish,” reports Jeffrey Schweers of the Orlando Sentinel. “Time is running out on legislation aimed at further reforming the state’s much-maligned guardianship system, which is supposed to protect Florida’s most vulnerable citizens from people who aim to exploit them.” BIRTH CONTROL RIGHTS — “Democratic lawmakers propose 'Right to Contraception Act' to protect access in Florida,” reports James Call of USA Today Network - Florida. “Two Democratic lawmakers want the Legislature to approve a ‘Right to Contraception Act,’ guaranteeing Floridians can buy and use birth control such as pills, transdermal patches and condoms, among other things.” COMPLAINT FILED — “Debbie Mayfield faces complaint after reporting $1M in previously undisclosed stocks in stepson’s company,” reports Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles. “A formal complaint, sent to the Florida Commission on Ethics, raises questions about the Indialantic Republican’s shares of Rivian Automotive. Mayfield’s 2021 financial disclosure indicated she owned 13,164 shares of the stock in a Morgan Stanley brokerage account and another 20 shares with a Fidelity Investments account. Collectively, the assets were valued around almost $1.37 million at the time of the filing. Mayfield brushed off the complaint. ‘I find it interesting that shortly after I endorse President Trump a baseless complaint is filed against me,’ she said.” FEDERAL PROBE — “DeSantis state contractor was reported to feds a year before deputy death,” report Emily L. Mahoney and Justin Garcia of the Tampa Bay Times. “Nearly a year before Pinellas Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Hartwick was struck and killed by a construction worker who was not in the country legally, another man’s death at the same work site prompted the company to be reported to immigration authorities.” — Duke Energy Florida told the Public Service Commission on Wednesday it will request a three-year, $818 million rate hike, reports POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie | | | | CONGRESS OVERDRIVE: Since day one, POLITICO has been laser-focused on Capitol Hill, serving up the juiciest Congress coverage. Now, we’re upping our game to ensure you’re up to speed and in the know on every tasty morsel and newsy nugget from inside the Capitol Dome, around the clock. Wake up, read Playbook AM, get up to speed at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report, and fuel your nightly conversations with Inside Congress in the evening. Plus, never miss a beat with buzzy, real-time updates throughout the day via our Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | |
DISNEY WILL APPEAL — Federal judge throws out Disney’s lawsuit against DeSantis, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. Disney lost a major battle in its bitter struggle with DeSantis after a federal judge tossed out the entertainment giant’s lawsuit against the Republican governor and his hand-picked board that now oversees the land around Disney World.
U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor, who was appointed to the bench by former President Donald Trump, said Disney lacked standing and jurisdiction in arguing that actions pushed by DeSantis were retaliatory and violated the First Amendment rights of the company. NEW COLLEGE OVERHAUL — “Recruited to play sports, and win a culture war,” by Susan Dominus of The New York Times. “About 140 athletes who showed up last fall at New College, a school of about 700 people in Sarasota, were all, knowingly or not, consenting to be change agents, just by being themselves. They would be athletes — baseball players, basketball players, soccer players, softball players — at a progressive liberal-arts school that had long differentiated itself by not having varsity athletics.” AVOIDED — “Casino showdown in Tallahassee averted after Miami billionaires come out in opposition,” reports the Miami Herald’s Ana Ceballos and Aaron Leibowitz. “A push to advance legislation that could bring a casino to the Fontainebleau Resort in Miami Beach appeared to be on life support Wednesday evening, shortly after a powerful group of South Florida business leaders threatened to descend on Tallahassee to fight the measure. The proposal was scheduled to be heard by the Senate Regulated Industries committee on Monday, but news of the group’s plans resulted in a scramble that saw the bill withdrawn from the committee’s agenda less than three hours after it was posted.” PARTY’S OVER — “Miami Beach commission votes preemptively for spring break curfews, beach restrictions,” reports the Miami Herald’s Aaron Leibowitz. “The Miami Beach City Commission voted Wednesday to call for midnight curfews and the 6 p.m. closure of the beach in South Beach during two weekends in March in anticipation of a flood of spring break visitors.” | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | 
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at a campaign event on Jan. 12, 2024 in Ankeny, Iowa. | Jamie Kelter Davis for POLITICO |
TOPLINE NUMBERS — Super PAC supporting DeSantis spent $130 million on travel, consulting and canvassing, reports POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard. A POLITICO analysis of Never Back Down expenses posted Wednesday, which stretch from July to December, show the PAC spent $23 million on a much-publicized field operation of door knockers to encourage Iowans and voters in other early primary states to support the governor.
Never Back Down spent more than $3.6 million on payroll, $6.4 million on survey research, nearly $660,000 on stage equipment and lighting and $1.4 million on media consulting. It spent more than $900,000 on luxury bus company Premiere Transportation. The PAC drove DeSantis as a special guest across early voting states, including Iowa, where he visited all 99 counties in the state. — DeSantis campaign donations dropped over the course of his run: DeSantis raised $6.7 million and spent $9.3 million during the last three months of 2023. He’d entered the first months of the presidential race last year with formidable fundraising numbers, beginning at $20 million during the second quarter but then dropping to $11 million during the third quarter — a time when he spent almost as much as he raised. — “DeSantis PAC gave thousands to members of Congress who endorsed him,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Emily L. Mahoney, Ivy Nyayieka and Langston Taylor. “U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, the only member of Congress from Florida who endorsed DeSantis instead of Trump, received $6,600 in contributions from the DeSantis PAC to her federal committee in September … U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, a Republican from Texas, also got $6,600 from the DeSantis PAC. Roy was a top DeSantis surrogate on the campaign trail, and stumped with him in Iowa in the lead-up to the caucuses.” — Among the donors were a handful of people who work in the governor’s administration. Some of them gave the previous quarter and the donations totals listed were now in aggregate. They include James Uthmeier, DeSantis’ chief of staff who became his campaign manager ($2,300); Cody Farrill, director of cabinet affairs in the governor’s office ($1,365); press secretary Jeremy Redfern ($3,037); deputy chief of staff Katie Strickland ($2,154.2); Dylan Fisher, director of the governor’s faith and community initiative office ($256); Daniel Pardo, DeSantis’ deputy director of policy ($1,462); and Stephanie Kopelousos, director of legislative and intergovernment affairs ($2,275.74). WHAT NOW — “Is DeSantis still running for president? Ongoing federal focus sparks shadow campaign talk,” by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune’s Zac Anderson. “By continuing to insert himself into the conversation on hot-button federal debates, DeSantis could position himself to be in the mix if something happens to Trump’s campaign, political observers say, or to run for president again in 2028 or pursue still other opportunities in national politics.” | | | | A message from Instagram:   | | |
| | DATELINE D.C. | |
FLORIDA NOD — Tucked into the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act that passed the U.S. House yesterday is the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act from Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.). People affected by Hurricanes Ian and Idalia, as well as other federally declared disasters, would be able to take a casualty loss tax deduction on top of the standard deduction for their federal taxes.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Lucia Báez-Geller, the Democratic challenger running against Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, released a video slamming Salazar about touting government funding in her district that she’d voted against. The video comes after an exchange she had about the funding with CBS News Miami’s Jim DeFede got widespread coverage. | | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | | | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | |
— “Florida man sentenced to 30 months for stealing sports camp tuition to pay for vacations, gambling,” per The Associated Press
BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Chuck Brannan … Former state Sen. Oscar Braynon … Matt Moon, managing director at Narrative Strategies | | | | A message from Instagram: Parents should be able to decide which apps are right for their teens.
Giving parents a say in which apps are right for their teens helps them support their teens in having a positive experience online.
That’s why Instagram wants to work with Congress to require parental approval wherever teens under 16 download apps.
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