Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics — Week of 2.15.26

The affordability crisis in Florida — and the U.S. — continues.

Florida homeowners are continuing to push for relief as the Legislature has signaled additional home insurance reforms aren’t coming and property tax cuts still have no clear path forward. And more uncertainty could be coming following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent tariff decision.

Tensions are still high regarding immigration. Teacher shortages persist. And with now less than three weeks left in Session, there are myriad bills that have yet to pass both chambers of the Legislature that could help improve the lives of everyday Floridians.

But hey, at least they renamed an airport.

Yes, arguably the biggest thing that the Legislature has managed to accomplish with Session nearly 70% complete is revoking local authority to name airports so they could force Palm Beach International Airport to rebrand and take the name of President Donald Trump, arguably the least popular and most divisive President in modern (all of?) American history who, by the way, is still in office.

Typically, these types of honors come after a President has served. But Florida lawmakers are so locked on appealing to a base that may or may not even have sway if Trump’s standing as a leader keeps cratering that they made sure he would pat them on the back for a job well done here.

Yes, lawmakers can walk and chew gum at the same time. They can, and have, in years past approved plenty of red-meat legislation while also passing real, substantive reforms.

Except those latter bills have yet to manifest this Session. Again, we’ve got less than three weeks left at this point. Why are we wasting time on nonsense like this — which also raises legitimate ethical concerns?

Florida is a red state, and given the advantage they’ve built up in the last few cycles Republicans aren’t in any danger of having that wiped out in one fell swoop this Midterm cycle.

But long-term, GOP dominance here is no more set in stone than it was just a few years ago, pre-red wave, when Florida was seen as one of the prototypical purple states in the country. And one way for Republicans to squander their advantage is to sleepwalk through real problems Floridians are facing while messaging to an ever thinner slice of the electorate.

Now, it’s onto our weekly game of winners and losers.

Winners

Honorable mention: Budget progress? The Legislature is still kicking the can on passing meaningful legislation, but at least we got some promising news about the budget process this week.

The Senate midday Friday announced its slate of budget conferees, moving the ball on talks with the House to bridge budget divides. The House followed suit shortly thereafter.

A reminder that the chambers are more than $1.4 billion apart, with the Senate budget at $115 billion and the House spending plan at less than $113.6 billion.

Both chambers have passed their respective budgets, so all of the things that need to be happening in order for Session to end on time are happening.

But will it actually happen?

House Speaker Daniel Perez made some ominous comments this past week as well, noting that near-term developments will determine whether lawmakers “will be here another three weeks or another three months.”

And no doubt the way the budgets were revealed was troubling for those looking to avoid working overtime in March.

So when we say maybe we’re turning the corner here, heavy emphasis on “maybe.” But at least we got some positive signs this week, and we’ll take that bare minimum win.

Almost (but not quite) the biggest winner: Shevrin Jones. Jones just locked down a lead role in his party’s future.

Senate Democrats voted to designate the Miami Gardens lawmaker as Senate Democratic Leader for the 2028-30 cycle, teeing him up to take the gavel after the 2026-28 term of Leader-designate Tracie Davis. In a caucus that has spent recent years navigating leadership shake-ups and minority-party headwinds, Jones’ election signals an investment in a next-generation voice.

Jones said he was “deeply honored and humbled” by the vote, thanking colleagues for their trust as the caucus looks to rebuild and expand. He also made a point to praise current Leader Lori Berman and Davis, framing the transition as collaborative rather than factional — no small feat in a caucus where internal divisions have simmered in the past.

The move elevates one of the Legislature’s most visible Democrats. First elected to the House in 2012, Jones climbed the leadership ladder there as Deputy Whip and later Deputy Democratic Leader before winning a Senate seat in 2020 and securing re-election in 2022. He has long positioned himself as a coalition-builder focused on housing affordability, health care access, voting rights and economic opportunity — issues Democrats see as clear contrast points heading into the latter half of the decade.

For a caucus still serving amid a GOP supermajority, the designation gives Democrats time to organize, fundraise and message around a leader who will shape strategy through the end of the decade.

The biggest winner: Blaise Ingoglia. Ingoglia just got handed a tidy political gift this week as his most credible Republican challenger in the Chief Financial Officer race pulled out, leaving the incumbent with a much clearer path to re-election.

Dade City Republican Rep. Kevin Steele — who invested millions of his own money into a campaign that threatened to turn the CFO contest into a bruising intraparty fight — abruptly dropped his bid and announced he’s running for re-election to the House instead. Steele also endorsed Ingoglia as he exited the statewide contest.

Steele’s departure removes what had been the race’s biggest potential spoiler and most substantial threat to Ingoglia’s hold on the office. Last year, Steele rolled out his challenge with a splash — touting his business credentials and talking up CEO-style leadership in the CFO’s office — and even drew the early backing of GOP heavyweights like U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.

But now, with Steele out and only token Republican opposition remaining, Ingoglia’s path to a full term just became more clear. No Democrat has even filed to challenge him in the General Election.

The move by Steel is also notable in a year when Primary contests were expected to shape up as proxy battles between factions aligned with President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis. Steele was getting support from Trump World as a way to undercut Ingoglia, with whom Trump’s orbit has had friction. But it appears that push is off.

And with Trump backing DeSantis ally James Uthmeier for Attorney General and DeSantis yet to wade into the gubernatorial race dominated by Trump choice Byron Donalds, it appears the sparks won’t be flying as much as expected after all.

Losers

Dishonorable mention: Phillippe Bien Aime. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a civil denaturalization complaint alleging Bien-Aime concealed key facts about his identity and immigration history to obtain naturalization, including entering the country under the name “Jean Philippe Janvier” using a fraudulent, photo-switched passport and later pursuing legal status under a different identity.

According to prosecutors, an immigration Judge ordered “Janvier” removed in 2001. Bien-Aime allegedly claimed he had returned to Haiti, withdrew his appeal, stayed in the U.S. anyway and then sought permanent residency under another name. Authorities further allege he entered a sham marriage with a U.S. citizen to obtain immigration benefits — a marriage prosecutors say was invalid because he was already married in Haiti.

Federal filings accuse Bien-Aime of making numerous false statements during immigration proceedings. All of this is allowing the Donald Trump administration to target the former South Florida leader as part of the federal government’s illegal immigration crackdown.

“This Administration will not permit fraudsters and tricksters who cheat their way to the gift of U.S. citizenship,” Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said. U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones noted that Bien-Aime’s later service as an elected Mayor makes the alleged deception “even more serious, because public office carries a duty of candor and respect for the rule of law.”

The case also reopens a file already cluttered with controversy. Bien-Aime was accused in 2018 of sexual harassment and assault tied to an alleged incident involving a former staffer. He denied wrongdoing and settled out of court. He later resigned as Mayor in 2022 to run for Miami-Dade County Commission — and lost.

Bien-Aime can forget about a political comeback. He may not be able to come back in the country at all when this is done.

Almost (but not quite) the biggest loser: University of Florida. UF is paying James Uthmeier, the Attorney General and DeSantis ally, a six-figure salary for an adjunct professor position — a role that, at most universities, comes with modest compensation and limited teaching duties.

Instead, UF structured an arrangement that critics say looks less like a decision based on academics and more like a desire to fête the DeSantis administration.

Adjunct faculty across the country — including at UF — often scrape by on per-course stipends, sometimes earning just a few thousand dollars per class with no job security or benefits. Against that backdrop, a politically connected appointee landing a $100,000 salary for part-time teaching duties is bound to raise eyebrows.

Got more flexibility to bend those eyebrows even higher? Here’s Uthmeier’s explanation for taking the job on top of his six-figure salary as a state employee.

“I’ve been a public servant since I was a young lawyer. And when you have a growing family and three kids, you’ve got to look for other ways to keep the lights on and keep food on the table,” Uthmeier said

“What I’d say is when you look at law professor salaries across the country, 100 grand is not that crazy. And also, the pay cut from Governor’s Chief of Staff to the AG was a significant drop off based on statute, you know, a $60 (thousand), $70,000 cut. And, you know, other Cabinet members now and historically, they have other business and independent wealth and they’re developers or, you know, whatever else they are.”

For the record, Florida Cabinet members make nearly $140,000 a year. How many Floridians — including those with three kids — would trade places for that salary, plus another $100,000 per year for a position that often pays far less? We’d guess a lot.

Also, did the Governor’s longtime ally just admit there is an affordability crisis after nearly eight years of DeSantis’ leadership? Sure sounds like it.

Look, certainly Uthmeier as AG is going to bring clout most other adjuncts wouldn’t. Maybe that warrants a pay bump, and certainly if a university is willing to pay up, we’re not surprised he would say yes.

But as we’ve written before, Republicans spending years talking about draining the swamp and then doing stuff like this shows what an absolute farce that push was.

And from UF’s perspective, you’re just inviting more scrutiny onto Florida’s flagship institution, just like when questions were raised surrounding the hiring process of Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. Continue along this path, and you’re flirting with undermining the credibility of the institution.

The biggest loser: Randy Fine. Fine detonated a bipartisan backlash this week after posting on X that he would choose “dogs” over Muslims — a remark widely condemned as dehumanizing and Islamophobic.

Fine was responding to a comment from Palestinian activist Nerdeen Kiswani, supporting a ban on dogs as indoor pets in New York City. “If they force us to choose, the choice between dogs and Muslims is not a difficult one,” Fine wrote.

Democrats were swift and unsparing. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Fine an “Islamophobic, disgusting and unrepentant bigot,” and urged GOP leadership to hold him accountable. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Fine’s post ranked among the most “disgusting statements” ever issued by an elected official and suggested censure and loss of Committee assignments.

But the blowback didn’t stop with Democrats. Conservative media personality Megyn Kelly has slammed Fine for the remarks, as have others in the conservative ecosystem. And Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood rescinded his previous endorsement of Fine, citing the impact of these and other comments on his county’s Muslim community.

“They are our neighbors, business leaders, philanthropists, doctors, teachers and colleagues,” said Chitwood, typically a reliable backer of Republicans. “I hope the Congressman reconsiders his positions, but I can no longer support or endorse his campaign to speak for all of us in the House of Representatives.”

Fine’s response? Memes. Defiance. No apology. No reflection. Just the same performative outrage machine that has defined much of his political brand, keeping the controversy alive for days.

There’s a difference between being combative and being reckless. Between punching hard in policy fights and casually dehumanizing people.

To be fair, Fine had his defenders in Washington. One of those defenders, U.S. Rep. Keith Self of Texas, defended Fine by criticizing Kiswani’s original comments.

“You will not take away our dogs. You will not take away our individual liberties,” Self said.

OK, fair enough. So why not just say that and only that? Why make remarks that dogs are preferable to Muslims, your fellow humans? Why is that a defense of Fine at all?

And let’s be clear: this wasn’t an isolated flare-up. Fine has built a reputation on inflammatory rhetoric. He has previously trafficked in language critics say is racially and religiously charged, leaned into culture-war theatrics, and seemed to relish the outrage cycle that follows. This week was simply the most recent example.

Chitwood said it best.

“Beyond his latest controversy, I cannot endorse wishing for kids in Gaza to starve, or for Muslim American citizens to be expelled from the U.S.,” he explained.

“I gave him my support again this year because I appreciated how he fought for our community and for law enforcement. However, over the past several days I’ve watched him head down a path I just can’t follow.”

Fine was in this same section last week for his nonsensical push to have the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) probe Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. We ridiculed Fine at the time and, wouldn’t you know it, the FCC has already laughed off those complaints and found no wrongdoing.

Performative nonsense last week, performative nonsense this week. And yell he’ll come around in August and November acting like he deserves your vote all the same.