Here’s Brunch, a pop-up, weekend email about the 2026 gubernatorial transition & more

Good Sunday morning, and welcome back to “Brunch,” a pop-up newsletter about the 2026 gubernatorial transition, the Legislature’s Organization Session, and other political happenings.

FSU won on Friday. USF lost Thursday, despite all those points. UF pulled off the upset vs. Kentucky. But UCF lost. And Miami won, but will Charlie Crist’s Demon Deacons join the Canes in the College Football Playoff after another impressive win?

We’re still basking in the glow of Ella’s wonderful performance at her voice recital while packing for our upcoming post-election trip to Las Vegas for the F1 race. After months of working 18-hour days on the campaign trail, Jim Rimes is joining us out there; who else is headed to the Strip?

Happy anniversary (a day early) to Stephanie and Reggie Cardozo. The wonderful couple dined Saturday night at the brand-new “it” restaurant in St. Pete, Kojo, and reported back that the meal was flawless, featuring some of the best sushi Reggie’s ever had (and he’s had Omakase with me at Sushi Sho Rexley, so that’s saying something).

Belated happy birthday wishes to one of the legends in The Process, our friend Dave Ramba. Celebrating today are Florida GOP Chair Evan Power, Michael Gottlieb, Will Robinson, Rodney Barreto of Capital City Consulting, Wayne Bertsch, Trimmel Gomes, Kirk Pepper of GrayRobinson, Angela Rouson and Max Steele.

Be sure to check out our choices for Winner and Loser of the Week in Florida politics here.

If you read one thing today, you must read this crazy story. A spy plane that flew near CIA-linked attacks on fishing boats off the Galápagos first belonged to a company based in The Villages, The Washington Post’s Imogen Piper, Samuel Oakford, and Zach Dorfman report. FAA filings for the company carry the signatures of Mark Morse and his daughter Kelsea Morse Manly.

Now, enjoy Brunch!

— Roster moves —

Gov.-elect Byron Donalds and Lt. Gov.-elect Bryan Ávila have added eight staffers to their transition team as they build the incoming administration.

— At the top: Jeff Woodburn is Chief of Staff to the Transition, with Ashley Ross as deputy Executive Director.

— Making it run: Shelby Mitchell is Director of Operations, and Jesse Purdon is senior adviser and Execution Director.

— The lawyers: Dan Russell is General Counsel to the Transition, and Tim Cerio is Ethics Counsel to the Transition.

— Who gets hired: Kevin Hoffman is Director of Appointments. His inbox is about to get crowded.

— On the record: Gates McGavick is Communications Director and spokesperson.

— The charge: Donalds says the transition is “well underway” and promises an agenda to “make Florida more affordable, invest in Florida’s young people,” and keep the state “the national standard in common sense conservative governance.”

— Byron’s blueprint —

Donalds plans to keep most of Gov. Ron DeSantis‘ agenda, and POLITICO Pro’s Andrew Atterbury, Arek Sarkissian, and Kylie Williams mapped the spots where the new administration will write its own.

— Homework for schools: Donalds wants every student on an individualized learning plan no later than sixth grade, a tall order for districts. Voucher parents would get a scorecard on private school outcomes, with the data behind it still undefined.

— AI, take two: The AI bill of rights DeSantis spent months pushing gets another run. Donalds would leave this year’s data center law alone and add limits on building near neighborhoods and on nondisclosure agreements.

— Ladapo lingers: Donalds has not ruled out keeping Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, and the proposed loosening of childhood vaccine requirements is now far likelier to be finalized.

— Going nuclear: He wants small modular reactors powering data centers and has called wind and solar a “dishonest fantasy.” That will be news to the big utilities expanding their solar investments.

— Pot’s markdown: Medical marijuana licenses that once sold for more than $50 million now fetch about $2.5 million. Donalds is expected to hold the DeSantis line against recreational use.

— Pass the gavels —

The Senate and House convene Tuesday separately for the Organization Session, which the state constitution limits to organizing each chamber and selecting its officers.

— Senate first: Senators convene at 10 a.m. in the Senate Chamber, where Senate President-Designate Jim Boyd gets to drop the “Designate.”

— House next: The House follows at 11 a.m. in its own chamber, with House Speaker-Designate Sam Garrison in line for the same promotion.

— Joint presser: Boyd and Garrison take questions together at 2 p.m. in House Media Room 333.

— From the couch: The Florida Channel is carrying all three.

— Press pass: Reporters need a Capitol Complex ID card or a credential from their outlet. The fifth-floor House gallery opens at 10 a.m. to media with a Capitol Complex ID and closes an hour after the House wraps.

— Shooters: Still photographers who want floor access need to reach the Senate’s Katie Betta or the House Communications team before Tuesday.

— Good fences —

Garrison told members Friday that the rules they vote on Tuesday will require new disclosures from lobbyists who also work as members’ political consultants or fundraisers.

— Name names: Lobbyists must list any member they serve as a consultant or fundraiser. They must also report to the Rules and Calendar Chair any payment for professional services from a member, a member’s campaign, or a member’s political committee.

— The reasoning: “Lobbyists should lobby, fundraisers should raise money, and consultants should consult,” Garrison wrote.

— Members too: Each must give the Rules Chair a list of every political committee he or she is authorized to raise money for, parties excluded.

— Phones down: No personal audio or video recording in Committee or on the floor without permission. The press and the galleries are exempt.

— Two repeals: The ban on electronic lobbying goes away, along with the requirement that lobbyists file public-entity contracts with the House.

— File early: Two of a member’s seven bills must be filed early. Drafting requests are due Jan. 7, and the bills are due by Jan. 22.

Rep. Adam Botana, the Rules and Calendar Chair, filed the package as HR 1O. The Joint Rules with the Senate carry over unchanged. Read the memo here.

— Making it official —

House Democrats convene Monday to formally designate Rep. Christine Hunschofsky of Parkland as their Leader for the 2026-28 term.

— The hour: The ceremony runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

— The room: The House Chamber, on the fourth floor at 402 S. Monroe St.

— The feed: The Florida Channel will livestream and archive it.

— Leader’s lineup —

Grant Golin has been named Staff Director of the House Democratic Office, the top name among seven staffers announced under Hunschofsky.

— The résumé: Golin joined the office in September 2023 as its Commerce Committee analyst. He interned in the District offices of Hunschofsky and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and was a student fellow on Joe Biden‘s 2020 campaign.

— No. 2: Mitchell Allen is deputy Staff Director after nearly four years as legislative aide to Rep. Allison Tant, the incoming Caucus Whip. He managed her 2024 re-election campaign and was field director on Al Lawson‘s 2022 congressional campaign.

— Press calls: Deputy Communications Director Lauren Guagliardo is the point person for reporters. She joined in September 2025 and took a short leave this year as senior communications adviser to the Florida Democratic Party.

— Policy shop: Breanna Kim, with the office since January 2022, is a senior analyst on education. Attorney Joshua Cohen handles healthcare legislation. Attorney Kathryn Ashby, who interned for former Rep. Anna Eskamani, handles justice and tax policy.

— Running the place: Evan Feller is Office Manager after stints in the Senate Democratic Office and the Florida Democratic Party’s Tallahassee office.

— Raise a glass —

The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund and Equality Florida Action are hosting an evening toast Monday for the nine LGBTQ+ legislators who will serve in the Legislature, which the groups call a record.

— When and where: 8:30 p.m. in the Magnolia Room at the Governors Club.

— The hosts: Victory Fund President and CEO Evan Low and Board Member Christian Ulvert, along with Equality Florida Action Senior Political Director Joe Saunders and Public Policy Director Jon Harris Maurer.

— To get in: RSVP to Cesar Gutierrez at Cesar@edgecommfl.com or 305-922-9965.

— Block party —

If you’re in Tallahassee on Monday, Mayor-elect Jeremy Matlow is hosting the city’s Inauguration Celebration at City Hall, with a swearing-in inside and a party on the street after.

— The oath: The swearing-in ceremony starts at 5 p.m. in the City Commission Chambers on the second floor. Commissioner-elect PJ Perez and Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox also take the oath.

— The party: “The People’s Block Party” follows at 6 p.m. outside City Hall, 300 S. Adams St.

— The music: Three’s Company, Tareef Knockout, and Tallahassee Nights Live.

— Rizo’s rollout —

Rep. Alex Rizo formally kicked off his campaign for Senate District 39 in Hialeah, seeking the seat Ávila vacated, with a long endorsement list already in hand.

— Tallahassee names: DeSantis, Boyd, Sen. Jay Trumbull, Uthmeier, and Ingoglia.

— Miami-Dade names: U.S. Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Giménez, former House Speaker José Oliva, and local officials from Hialeah, Doral, Miami Lakes, Hialeah Gardens, Sweetwater, Miami Springs, and the Miami-Dade County School Board.

— First responders: The Florida State Fraternal Order of Police, the Florida and South Florida Police Benevolent Associations, the National Association of Police Organizations, and the Florida Professional Firefighters.

— Calling card: Rizo chaired the Miami-Dade Republican Party from 2022 to 2024, a run that ended with President Donald Trump becoming the first Republican presidential nominee to carry the county in 36 years.

— His pitch: “This District is my home,” Rizo said.

Senate District 39 covers all or parts of Doral, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Miami Lakes, Miami Springs, Sweetwater, and Virginia Gardens.

— Beach house —

The Cabinet votes Tuesday on spending $20.5 million for 30 acres at the northern tip of Clearwater Beach, a purchase that comes with a house, the Tampa Bay Times’ Max Chesnes reports.

— The land: It is among the last privately owned beachfront in Pinellas that hasn’t been built on. The state would add it to Caladesi Island State Park, extending a nearly 20-mile run of protected barrier islands.

— The house: A 3,400-square-foot, three-bedroom home built in 1987 is part of the deal, which is unusual for a conservation buy. The agenda says it was included “solely to facilitate” the land purchase.

— The price: The Mandalay Point estate is listed at $37.5 million. The agenda documents include no appraisals, and Land Council member Lynetta Griner worried in February that the house would drive up the state’s cost.

— A first: This would be the first major coastal buy in Pinellas through Florida Forever. Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector and other Pinellas leaders wrote letters of support.

— Early start: DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, CFO Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson meet at 8 a.m. in the Capitol, two hours before the Senate convenes.

— Added horsepower —

The Florida Automobile Dealers Association has added four lobbying firms and 16 lobbyists to its 2027 team, including two of the state’s top-earning firms.

— Capital City Consulting: Nick Iarossi, Scott Ross, Chris Schoonover, Cory Dowd, Kaley Flynn, Matt Floyd, and Caroline Frasier.

— Ballard Partners: Brian Ballard, Adrian Lukis, Eileen Stuart, and Brad Burleson.

— Liberty and SKD: Jennifer Green, Tim Parson, Adam Potts, and Ethan Merchant of Liberty Partners of Tallahassee, plus Scott Dick of SKD Consulting Group.

— Still driving: David Ramba of Ramba Consulting Group continues to lead the team with Allison Carvajal, Cameron Yarbrough, and Republican Party of Florida Chair Evan Power. Government Affairs Director Lindsay Cosby is the in-house lead.

— The aim: Association President Peter Cuderman says the goal is “to field the strongest possible advocacy team for Florida’s automobile dealers.”

— The timing: Donalds takes office Jan. 5, and the House and Senate get new presiding officers Tuesday.

— Checking it twice —

Holiday spending is set to pass $1 trillion this year, but 56% of shoppers say the economy will affect their plans, according to National Retail Federation data released by the Florida Retail Federation.

— Early birds: Forty-three percent of holiday shoppers planned to start before November. Half of them wanted to spread out the cost, and 37% were chasing early deals.

— Turkey, then cart: Thanksgiving weekend is still the main event, with 64% of consumers planning to do most of their shopping then, up from 63% last year.

— Wish list: Nearly half of shoppers (47%) just want a gift card. Clothing and accessories (44%), books (25%), beauty and personal care items (24%), and electronics (23%) follow.

— Where they’re going: Online leads at 53%, ahead of grocery and discount stores (43% each) and department stores (42%). Small businesses sit at 20%.

— Shop local: Florida Retail Federation President and CEO Scott Shalley says retailers are “stocked with good tidings.” The group’s “Find It In Florida” campaign asks shoppers to buy from small and local businesses.

— Deck the halls —

A holiday display sponsored by Simpson has turned a hallway on the Plaza Level of the Capitol into a tunnel of Christmas trees, candy canes, and string lights for a second year.

— The designer: Kathy Mears designed it, and staff in the Commissioner’s office put it together.

— The origin: It started last year to bring some much-needed holiday cheer.

— What’s new: This year’s version works in red, white, and blue for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

— The elves: Janella Johnson, Alan Edwards, Josh Crump, Justin Eichermuller, Alex Haley, Derek Buchannan, and everyone else who endured the early setup.

— Brunching out —

In 10 years, Midtown’s Table 23 has become one of Tallahassee’s most popular destinations, drawing friends, families, and couples on date night.

— Backstory: Table 23 is set in a historic house, built in the 1920s and owned by Fred Carroll, who delivered ice before refrigeration. The house later became the restaurant Chez Pierre, followed by the Front Porch. In June 2016, Mandy and Joe Lemons opened Table 23, named for their many personal connections to the number.

— The setting: The restaurant is nestled among majestic oaks right off Thomasville Road. Table 23 has indoor seating, but it’s known for its expansive, covered wraparound porch, with crystal chandeliers over the full bar and twinkly white lights.

— The menu: The extensive brunch menu offers starters, including a mega shareable dish called The Southern Slate, along with salads, “sammiches,” and brunch entrées, many with a Southern accent. It’s hard to choose among shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, a four-egg omelet, biscuits and gravy, and bagel and lox.

— Our order: We decided on a Southern spin on Eggs Benedict, perched on big, fluffy biscuits instead of English muffins, topped with poached eggs, country ham, and a well-balanced, velvety hollandaise sauce. It’s served with a homey plate of potato and sweet onion hash. Our other choice was the Sunday Morning French Toast, garnished with fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, candied pecans, and whipped cream — a pleasant indulgence before the weekend winds down.

— Beverages: Find mimosas and Bloody Marys, an array of cocktails such as The 23 Azalea or The Humble Peach, a good wine list, and sangria. We ordered The Spike, with Old Forester whiskey, honey and ginger syrup, and lemon, topped with ginger beer and rosemary. That should wake up even sleepy diners. Get a natural buzz with the perky Strawberry Mint Lemonade, one of several mocktails.

— Details: Table 23, 1215 Thomasville Road; 850-329-2261. Open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Brunch served from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The post Here’s Brunch, a pop-up, weekend email about the 2026 gubernatorial transition & more appeared first on Florida Politics – Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..

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