Politics

Nikki Fried wins re-election as Florida Dems Chair by wide margin

Published

6 days ago

January 25, 2025

Florida Democratic Party Nikki Fried won re-election to serve a full four-year term leading the state’s party, ensuring continuity atop an organization that has seen profound challenges in recent electoral cycles.

The incumbent’s triumph came despite significant losses in the 2024 elections where Republican Donald Trump once again won the state’s electoral votes and Republicans expanded a supermajority in the Florida House.

But Fried argued the party had successes as well, including retaking School Board seats and re-electing Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. And she said the party increased turnout even “in the face of nationwide Democrats’ collapse.”

“I will continue to strengthen our presence in our communities. I’ll continue to invest in data and have in downballot races so we build our bench, altogether with the launch of a new message and strategy, informed by your feedback on the issues that matter,” Fried said.

Fried overcame a challenge from former Florida Senate Minority Leader Audrey Gibson, while another prospective opponent fell into line ahead of the vote to re-elect her. Fried ultimately won the election by a vote of 296-83.

Gibson argued any gains made by the party in nonpartisan races downballot mattered little as Democratic lawmakers become further marginalized in Tallahassee.

She said the party drastically needs an economic message that resonates with voters, but her message ultimately didn’t resonate with the people deciding the next chair.

“We have to be attentive to diverse voices, to have multicultural communities, multiple multicultural partners, and take messages that they understand,” Gibson said. “Social issues don’t carry the day.”

Briefly, Suwannee County Democratic Party Chair Laura Jorgensen had run for State Chair, but she dropped out ahead of the party’s State Organization Meeting in Orlando and endorsed Fried for another term atop the organization.

Fried took over the party in 2023 after former Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz resigned following landslide re-election victories by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and then-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in the 2022 Midterm Elections.

Arguably, the party performed better in the 2024 election under Fried than under Diaz in 2022, though it wasn’t competitive in either of the most important elections on the ballot in the respective years.

Roughly 4.7 million people voted for Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump by 13 percentage points.

By comparison, just 3.1 million voters supported Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist two years ago when he lost to DeSantis by more than 19 points.

At the same time, fundraising declined. The party under Fried raised around $28 million dollars. By comparison, it raised more than $35 million under Diaz.

The election for chair was the first since a change in party rules empowering multiple votes for large counties, as opposed to weighting the votes of individual state committeemen and committeewomen based on county population. That meant more than 406 individuals eligible to vote were in attendance at the meeting.

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Politics

Scott Franklin to head House Environment Subcommittee

Published

19 minutes ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

Another Florida lawmaker will have a gavel for one of the U.S. House science subcommittees

U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, will chair the House Environment Subcommittee.

House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chair Brian Babin, a Texas Republican, picked the Florida lawmaker for his expertise in the fields and the role the subcommittee would play on policy affecting the Sunshine State.

“I’m excited about our SST Committee assignments for this Congress,” Babin said. “The valuable expertise and diverse backgrounds that each member brings will be instrumental in strengthening U.S. leadership and competitiveness in science, space, and technology. We have a full agenda ahead that will prioritize advancing critical scientific research, fostering technological innovation, leading the world in space exploration, addressing regulatory burdens across industries, and more. Through our shared efforts, I am confident we can achieve our objectives and drive meaningful progress in our scientific endeavors. Let’s get to work!”

Franklin said he was enthusiastic about the assignment.

“I’m eager to tackle environmental research related to weather forecasting and ensuring disaster readiness,” Franklin said. “I thank Chairman Babin for this opportunity and look forward to advancing America First policy priorities to remain at the forefront of innovation and boost job growth.”

Babin praised Franklin’s conservative record on business issues.

“I’m confident Congressman Franklin will provide strong leadership for our Environment Subcommittee this Congress,” Babin said. “He has been a steadfast advocate against burdensome government regulations that stifle innovation and fail to address states’ needs. His perspective will be critical as we consider key weather legislation in the months ahead. I look forward to working with him to advance commonsense environmental policies and legislation.”

The same day, Babin assigned Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbor Beach Republican, to head the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommitee.

“Since the earliest days of our space program, Florida’s Space Coast has been the launchpad for America’s journey to the stars,” Haridopolos said. “From the Apollo missions that first carried Americans to the Moon to today’s groundbreaking private sector launches, our skies have always been at the forefront of space exploration. Space is central to our district’s identity and economy, providing countless high-paying jobs and opportunities.”

He praised Haridopolos’ knowledge of the Space Program.

“Over the past several years, the SST Committee has diligently worked to support and advance our nation’s space endeavors,” Babin said. “As the representative of Florida’s Space Coast, the Congressman brings valuable expertise and leadership that will undoubtedly enhance our efforts to keep America at the forefront of exploration and development. I am excited to work alongside him to propel our space agenda forward.”

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Politics

Disney plans to convert Star Wars hotel into Imagineers’ offices

Published

50 minutes ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

It’s going to be an office far, far, away.

Disney World is converting the shuttered Star Wars hotel into office space for the famous Imagineers who will be designing new lands and projects at the theme parks.

The hotel’s update was reported by The Wrap and confirmed by other media outlets.

Disney closed the hotel September 2023 less than two years after it opened. The company had said it took a $300 million tax write off for shutting down the hotel after it reportedly had low occupancy.

At the hotel near Hollywood Studios, guests who were willing to pay nearly $5,000 for a two-night stay could pretend to be in their own Star Wars story at the hotel. Lightsabers included.

“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms,” Disney said in a statement when it announced it was closing.

Why did it fail?

YouTuber Jenny Nicholson explained the list of reasons in a four-hour video called “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” which captured 11 million views. The cost, the marketing, and not fully embracing the cosplay concept all likely hurt the hotel, she said.

The Wrap reported Disney had been considering using the empty hotel for a dinner theater-type experience but Disney ultimately settled on keeping the space closed to the public.

The Imagineers’ new office space comes as Disney World is starting a major expansion across several of its Orlando theme parks. Disney plans to build a Villains land and add “Cars” attractions at the Magic Kingdom as well as “Encanto” and Indiana Jones to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and “A Monsters, Inc.” land at Hollywood Studios. Disney is closing several longtime attractions in the process.

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Politics

Holland & Knight launches National Security & Defense Industry Group

Published

2 hours ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

D.C.-based partner Jason Klitenic will lead the 100-person team.

Holland & Knight is launching a National Security & Defense Industry Group led by D.C.-based partner Jason Klitenic.

The multinational law firm headquartered in Tampa said it’s taking on the new endeavor due to clients’ increasing demands amidst a complex national security landscape and rising global defense investments.

H&K expects the new practice will benefit from its already-established expertise in the defense, aerospace, cybersecurity and technology sectors. The 100-person team of practitioners led by Klitenic will cater to security and defense clients based the U.S., Europe and Latin America.

“To confront emerging global threats, our clients are continuing to create and fund the development of innovative defense solutions that support the U.S. and its allies around the world,” Klitenic said. “… Our team’s deep government connections in the U.S. and abroad, coupled with our firm’s established reputation for collaborating with government policymakers and operators on meaningful issues, enables us to advise clients on the full spectrum of legal, political and operational issues in this space.”

Klitenic’s background includes serving as General Counsel to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Industry Group will also include former U.S. Intelligence Community members, high-ranking law enforcement officials and military veterans — Holland & Knight said the team’s diverse expertise will allow it to effectively navigate the intricacies of the national security landscape.

“In the many years that we have represented companies in the national defense and security sectors, we have built a substantial bench of premier practitioners across our geographic platform,” said Holland & Knight Chair and CEO Bob Grammig.

“We are excited to bring all of our global resources — comprising a unique mix of first-rate legal capabilities, a robust public policy and federal lobbying practice, and trusted relationships with U.S. government officials and foreign partners — under the umbrella of this new group. Together, this multidisciplinary team will continue to help our clients advance their strategic objectives.”

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