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Darryl Rouson’s life of legislative public service may not yet be over

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Sen. Darryl Rouson has served in the Legislature since his first election to the House in 2008, and then to the Senate in 2016. By the time he reaches term limits in the Senate and leaves office, his legislative career will have spanned about 18 years. 

But Rouson may not yet be done. Sources familiar with Rouson’s thinking say he’s considering running next year for Florida House District 62, the seat currently held by Rep. Michele Rayner, who is now running for Rouson’s Senate seat, making the possibility of a Rayner victory in his Senate District 16 and his hypothetical election to HD 62 something of a seat-swapping opportunity. 

That consideration, sources tell Florida Politics, is based less on Rouson’s drive to keep serving in the Legislature, and more about his call to service that tells him now is not the time to leave. 

It began with a group of Tampa Bay area ministers. What started as a few whispers and a nudge here and there quickly turned into dozens of faith leaders urging Rouson to stay in the game, even if it means basically demoting himself to the state’s lower chamber, where, by then, he won’t have served for nearly a decade. 

But it’s that longevity of service that is driving the push. 

Those familiar with Rouson’s thinking say supporters who have approached him about running for the House have expressed concern about losing institutional knowledge. Three Democrats have so far filed in the race. One of them, Upton Fisher, currently serves as a legislative aide to Rayner, but has no elected experience. Another, Wengay Newton, served in the House one term and was Rayner’s immediate predecessor, and served two full terms on the St. Petersburg City Council, but critics question Newton’s legislative acumen. The third, Kyandra Darling, has no elected experience. 

But beyond the limited scope of the current field of HD 62 candidates, those pushing Rouson to run are worried about an overall loss of institutional knowledge in the Legislature. While Rouson has expressed to those speaking to Florida Politics on condition of anonymity about the importance of new faces in the Legislature, and is glad a new class of hopeful leaders is emerging, he understands the dilemma. 

And indeed, Rouson expressed that very challenge back in May, when he was part of a panel at Tampa Tiger Bay discussing the impacts of term limits on the Legislature 25 years after implementation. 

Ron Pierce, a veteran lobbyist who has seen Tallahassee operate both with and without term limits, directly (and literally) pointed to Rouson. 

“What’s going to happen in 2026?” Pierce asked, referring to Rouson’s term expiring. “We’re going to elect a freshman.”

That means, Pierce said, “they’re not going to have anywhere near the influence” Rouson has in the Senate now. 

While those talking points refer to Rouson’s seat, which is actually not likely to see a new face with both Rayner and House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell running, the same thought process can be applied to House seats. 

That’s especially true for Democrats, who currently serve from a super-minority and aren’t likely to see significant gains anytime soon in the Legislature. 

Also speaking at a Tampa Tiger Bay luncheon, Rouson vocalized the importance of institutional knowledge in Tallahassee.

“I have found a way to remain a Democrat, but work both sides of the aisle,” he explained about ensuring resources were brought home for his constituents. 

His supporters, sources tell Florida Politics, worry a freshman Democrat in the House — the seat skews heavily Democratic and is unlikely to see a Republican represent it — might not be as effective in securing state funding for local projects or in passing meaningful legislation that impacts constituents. 

Indeed, Rouson showed this year just how much respect he has earned in the GOP-controlled Legislature despite serving from across the aisle. Among other funding items, Rouson secured $1 million each for renovations to the Historic Manhattan Casino and a Shore Acres infrastructure resiliency project, both located in Rouson’s home city of St. Pete. 

And in perhaps an even more salient point, colleagues, including Republican leadership, came to Rouson’s defense this past Legislative Session after the House nixed plans for a substance use research center to be named after Rouson, who, as a recovering addict, has been a force majeure in mental health and addiction treatment, research and awareness policy. Senators, including budget chief Ed Hooper and former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, both Republicans, came to Rouson’s defense. Ultimately, it was Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis who brokered a deal to name the center in Rouson’s honor. 

So it’s no wonder there are those close to the political process who want to see that ability to transcend partisanship continue. 

And if Rouson does heed the encouragement he’s been receiving, sources say it may not be for long. While he’s reportedly considering a House run, he also isn’t mulling it as a long-term goal, meaning the seat could be yet again open for a new class of leaders in a term or two, should Rouson run and be elected. 


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Miles Davis tapped to lead School Board organizing workshop at national LGBTQ conference

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Miles Davis is taking his Florida-focused organizing playbook to the national stage.

Davis, Policy Director at PRISM Florida and Director of Advocacy and Communications at SAVE, has been selected to present a workshop at the 2026 Creating Change Conference, the largest annual LGBTQ advocacy and movement-building convention.

It’s a major nod to his rising role in Florida’s LGBTQ policy landscape.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, which organizes the conference, announced that Davis will present his session, “School Board Organizing 101.” His proposal rose to the top of more than 550 submissions competing for roughly 140 slots, a press note said, making this year’s conference one of the most competitive program cycles in the event’s history.

His workshop will be scheduled during the Jan. 21-24 gathering in Washington, D.C.

Davis said his selection caps a strong year for PRISM Florida, where he helped shepherd the organization’s first-ever bill (HB 331) into the Legislature. The measure, sponsored by Tampa Democratic Rep. Dianne Hart, would restore local oversight over reproductive health and HIV/AIDS instruction, undoing changes enacted under a 2023 expansion to Florida’s “Parental Rights in Education” law, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.

Davis’ workshop draws directly from that work and aims to train LGBTQ youth, families and advocates in how local boards operate, how public comment can shape decisions and how communities can mobilize around issues like book access, inclusive classrooms and student safety.

“School boards are where the real battles over student safety, book access, and inclusive classrooms are happening,” Davis said. “I’m honored to bring this training to Creating Change and help our community build the skills to show up, speak out, and win — especially as PRISM advances legislation like HB 331 that returns power to our local communities.”

Davis’ profile has grown in recent years, during which he jumped from working on the campaigns and legislative teams of lawmakers like Hart and Miami Gardens Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones to working in key roles for organizations like America Votes, PRISM and SAVE.

The National LGBTQ Task Force, founded in 1973, is one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ advocacy organizations. It focuses on advancing civil rights through federal policy work, grassroots engagement and leadership development.

Its Creating Change Conference draws thousands for four days of training and strategy-building yearly, a press note said.



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Kevin Steele seeks insight from conservative leaders at Rick Scott-led summit

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State Rep. Kevin Steele’s campaign for Chief Financial Officer already enjoys political support from U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. The Dade City Republican attended a summit headlined by the Senator to also gain some policy insight and mentoring.

Steele was among the attendees for the Rescuing the American Dream summit held on Thursday in Washington, D.C. He said it was a quest for knowledge that drew him to Capitol Hill to hear the discussion.

“The way you do things better in the future is by learning from people who have already accomplished something,” Steele told Florida Politics at the event.

Scott gave a shoutout to Steele from the stage. The Governor already endorsed Steele, who is challenging the appointed Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia in 2026. At the summit, Scott both promoted conservative successes in the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term and laid out visions on issues from health care reform to cryptocurrency.

Steele called the panel discussions “amazing” and instructive on tackling affordability issues in Florida.

“If we don’t start addressing those things head first, we’re going to fall behind,” Steele said. “I think we’ve lost several million jobs in the state of Florida over the past six or seven years. Learning from Rick Scott and how to bring jobs back to the state is a good thing. And I think that we need to start tackling some of the big, big things that we need to attack.”

That includes addressing property insurance premiums head on and evaluating the property tax situation.

While he will be challenging a Republican incumbent in a Primary, Steele voiced caution at comparing his philosophy too directly with Ingoglia, a former Republican Party of Florida Chair with a history of animus with Scott.

But he did suggest Ingoglia’s recent scrutinizing of local governments may be starting at the wrong place when it comes to cutting spending.

“We need to start focusing on state down, instead of going to a county and pointing out flaws there,” Steele said. “There’s a lot of issues at the state level that we can address, some of which we are, some of which I’ve submitted different bills to address. I think that there’s a lot of waste and abuse at the state level that we can focus on.”



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Darren Soto refuses to call for Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick’s resignation

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U.S. Rep. Darren Soto is refusing to say whether indicted U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick should vacate her seat in Congress.

Video obtained by Florida Politics shows Soto being confronted on Capitol Hill. “Will you call on Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign?” the videographer asks.

Initially, Soto remains silent, but the questioner suggests that silence shows “support” for someone who “stole $5 million in health care funds for the most vulnerable.” The Kissimmee Democrat then responds but continues walking away from the camera. He then conflates a censure motion against U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, a New Smyrna Beach Republican, and Cherfilus-McCormick, a Miramar Democrat.

“Both Mills and Cherfilus-McCormick, both will have due process. Thank you,” Soto said.

Both Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills remain the subjects of ongoing House Ethics Committee investigations. But only Cherfilus-McCormick now faces criminal prosecution for alleged financial crimes.

A grand jury in November indicted Cherfilus-McCormick on charges she stole $5 million in disaster relief funds to finance her 2021 congressional campaign.

The indictment alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and her brother, Edwin Cherfilus, secured funding intended for a COVID vaccine distribution program, but when overpayments were made, she routed the spending through several accounts that later donated the funds as campaign contributions.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said pursuant to House rules that Cherfilus-McCormick had to give up her ranking status on the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. Local Democrats have started to issue calls for the Miramar Democrat’s resignation. But there have been no calls from Democratic members of Congress.

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, a Sarasota Republican, has said if she won’t resign, he will move for her expulsion.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which lists Soto as a target in 2026, slammed Soto’s unwillingness to criticize a fellow Democrat.

“Darren Soto’s refusal to call on Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick to resign is unacceptable,” said NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole. “Floridians deserve a representative who fights for them, not his taxpayer-thieving colleague.”



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