Politics

It’s OK to support Ken Welch, but don’t feign surprise when he draws a challenge

Published

3 days ago

December 2, 2025

Ken Welch and Charlie Crist have long been allies. Welch backed Crist in his most recent bid for Governor and past bids for Congress, and Crist supported Welch as a County Commissioner and then, a little over four years ago, in his first run for Mayor.

Now it looks like the two will go from allies to opponents, and that should come as a surprise to no one, especially Welch’s successor on the Pinellas County Commission, Rene Flowers.

Yet she was aghast she was at the news that a political committee had been formed to promote a potential Crist bid against Welch for Mayor. In a post the day before Thanksgiving, after the Tampa Bay Times reported on the PAC (which, full disclosure, my wife, Michelle Todd Schorsch, is chairing), Flowers wrote that it made her sad, “because I like Crist and have worked on his campaigns.”

She lamented that he had not reached out to her about a potential bid, “probably because he knows who my choice would be and yes, I would try to talk him out of it.” She also questioned whether Crist gave Welch a courtesy call letting him know he was mulling a run and explaining why. And she further suggested that “there have been whispers in Charlie’s ear and not necessarily from people who want to see him WIN.”

To her credit, Flowers diplomatically acknowledged that she would “have no hard feelings” if Crist were to challenge Welch and win. To her discredit, the post was clearly written from behind a pair of rose-colored glasses that allow her to see a version of Welch — one who has “performed in the face of obstacles, challenges, and successes” — that simply doesn’t reflect reality.

Welch’s re-election prospects have been called into question since back-to-back whammies from last year’s Hurricanes Helene and Milton saw Welch stumble both practically and in the realm of public opinion.

Though the city under Welch’s guidance would love to revise history to reflect a successful debris collection and storm response, it was anything but. Ask Kevin Batdorf, President of the Shore Acres Civic Association. In the wake — literally and figuratively — of Hurricane Helene’s massive flooding, Batdorf walked his neighborhood day after day, noting the city’s failure to adequately respond. “Welch piles,” as they were dubbed, sat uncollected for weeks, attracting critters and looters even as a second storm approached.

To be clear, it is OK to support Welch. Had it not been for the hurricanes, he may very well be on his way to an unopposed re-election, or at least to facing non-serious opposition.

And it’s not like Crist — who still hasn’t even decided whether to run — is the only source of opposition. Need we remind that City Council member Brandi Gabbard has already announced her intent to run. Even before that, the rumor mill was speculating about a possible challenge from the nonpartisan Ryan Griffin.

Given that, Flowers’ opposition — no matter how diplomatically worded — to Crist’s hypothetical entrance to the race is arrogant.

It ignores the very real sentiment among St. Pete residents and stakeholders that the Welch administration has had a few too many missteps — not just the hurricanes, but also a fire chief scandal, a top-level staffer credibly accused of sexual harassment, failed development deals, the crumbling of the Rays deal, etc.

Few were complaining out loud in the open. But in private, developers were questioning whether St. Pete was open for business, residents felt unattended to, and the Welch administration overall has been described as a club that you’re either in or you’re not.

None of this means that Crist is necessarily the better choice. It’s no secret that Crist is my friend, and reporting ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday made clear that my wife’s professional support for Crist is ongoing. But that is what elections are for.

No one, not even the beloved Rene Flowers, should assume an elected official should coast to re-election without opposition just because they are the right political party for the geographic area.

The political process not only allows voters to critically weigh their electoral options, it demands it. Welch will have the opportunity to defend his administration in the same way Crist, should he join the race, will have the opportunity to critique it. And voters have the opportunity to use any and all information coming from campaigns to make an informed decision.

Maybe they send Welch back to City Hall. Maybe they go in a different direction.

But spare us the pearl-clutching when democracy works the way it’s supposed to work.

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Politics

Ron DeSantis says GOP must go on offense ahead of Midterms to bring back ‘complacent’ voters

Published

7 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

May Greene

Gov. Ron DeSantis is continuing to warn Republicans that next year’s Midterm contests may not go their way if the party doesn’t change course.

He recommends that Republicans make a strong case for what they will do if they somehow retain control of Congress next year, given that “in an off-year Midterm, the party in power’s voters tend to be more complacent.”

But DeSantis, who himself served nearly three terms in Congress before resigning to focus on his campaign for Governor in 2018, says House Republicans haven’t accomplished much, and they need to be proactive in the time that’s left.

“I just think you’ve got to be bold. I think you’ve got to be strong. And I think one of the frustrations with the Congress is, what have they done since August till now? They really haven’t done anything, right?” DeSantis explained on “Fox & Friends.”

“I’d be like, every day, coming out with something new and make the Democrats go on the record, show the contrast.”

The Governor said the economy and immigration are two issues that would resonate with voters.

On immigration, DeSantis believes his party should remind voters that President Donald Trump stopped the “influx” of illegal border crossers given passage when Joe Biden was in power.

After providing contrast to some of his policy wins through the end of 2023 in Florida, DeSantis suggested that the GOP needs to blame the opposition party regarding continued economic struggles.

“Democrats, they caused a lot of this with the inflation and now they’re acting like … they had nothing to do with it,” he said.

DeSantis’ latest comments come after Tuesday’s narrow GOP victory in deep-red Tennessee, in yet another election where a candidate for Congress underperformed President Donald Trump.

Republican Matt Van Epps defeated Democrat Aftyn Behn by roughly 9 points in the Nashville area seat. That’s less than half the margin by which Trump bested Kamala Harris in 2024. This is after U.S. Reps. Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis won by smaller margins than expected in Special Elections in Florida earlier this year.

Though partisan maps protect the GOP in many cases, with just a seven-vote advantage over Democrats in Congress there is scant room for error.

Bettors seem to believe the House will flip, with Democratic odds of victory at 78% on Polymarket on Friday morning.

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Politics

Ron DeSantis again downplays interest in a second presidential run

Published

38 minutes ago

December 5, 2025

May Greene

The question won’t go away.

Gov. Ron DeSantis may be out of state, just like he was when he ran for President in 2024, but that doesn’t mean he’s eyeing another run for the White House.

“I’ve got my hands full, man. I’m good,” he told Stuart Varney during an in-studio interview Friday in New York City, responding to a question about his intentions.

DeSantis added that it was “not the first time” he got that question, which persists amid expectations of a crowded field of candidates to succeed President Donald Trump.

“I’m not thinking about anything because I think we have a President now who’s not even been in for a year. We’ve got a lot that we’ve got to accomplish,” the term-limited Governor told Jake Tapper last month when asked about 2028.

It may be for the best that DeSantis isn’t actively running, given some recent polls.

DeSantis, who ran in 2024 before withdrawing after failing to win a single county in the Iowa caucuses, has just 2% support in the latest survey from Emerson College.

Recent polling from the University of New Hampshire says he’ll struggle again in what is historically the first-in-the-nation Primary state. The “Granite State Poll,” his worst showing in any state poll so far, shows the Florida Governor with 3% support overall.

In January 2024, DeSantis had different messaging after leaving the GOP Primary race.

“When I was in Iowa, a lot of these folks that stuck with the President were very supportive of what I’ve done in Florida. They thought I was a good candidate,” DeSantis said. “I even had people say they think that I would even do better as President, but they felt that they owed Trump another shot. And so I think we really made a strong impression.”

But that was then, this is now.

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Politics

First place at stake for Jaguars vs. Colts

Published

1 hour ago

December 5, 2025

May Greene

How big is Sunday’s game for the Jaguars?

According to The Athletic, the Jaguars have an 83% chance of making the playoffs entering the weekend. That’s a pretty good bet. At 8-4, the Jaguars are currently in the third spot in the AFC.

However, Jacksonville stands a 42% chance of winning the division, slightly better than Sunday’s opponent, the Indianapolis Colts (8-4), who sit at 34% to win the AFC South.

With both games against the Colts still on the schedule and matchups with the struggling New York Jets, a trip to Denver to face the surging Broncos, and the season finale at home against the Tennessee Titans, the Jaguars need only to win the games they should win to make the playoffs.

Leaving the Colts games aside for the moment, if the Jaguars simply beat the Jets and Titans, they would have 10 wins. That is almost certainly enough to earn a postseason spot.

So, in a way, Sunday’s game against the Colts isn’t make-or-break. However, if the Jaguars want to win the division and host a playoff game, at least one win over the Colts is essential. Should the Jaguars win Sunday, they would hold a 1-game advantage over the Colts and, for the time being, hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Indianapolis.

By one metric, the Jaguars can increase their playoff odds to 95% with a victory on Sunday. Even with a loss, they are a good bet to make the playoffs as a wild-card team. But the chance to start the postseason with a home game is a powerful advantage, one that division winners enjoy.

Health will be a major factor in Sunday’s game. The Jaguars hope to have wide receiver/kick returner Parker Washington and defensive end Travon Walker back in the lineup. Both missed some or all of last week’s game but practiced in a limited basis this week. Starting left tackle Walker Little and safety Andrew Wingard remained in the concussion protocol this week. Starting right guard Patrik Mekari returned from concussion protocol on Wednesday.

The Colts are also dealing with injuries. Cornerback Sauce Gardner did not practice this week, while quarterback Daniel Jones continues to play with a fracture in his leg.

The key matchup could be strength vs. strength. Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL in rushing with 1,282 yards, while the Jaguars are the league’s top rush defense, allowing opponents only 82.4 yards per contest. No running back has run for more than 90 yards against the Jaguars this season, and only one, Houston’s Woody Marks, has rushed for more than 70 yards in a game. Taylor averages nearly 107 yards per game this season.

The Jaguars last made the playoffs in 2022 in Doug Pederson’s first season as head coach. Liam Coen is trying to replicate the feat.

Interestingly, the game is one of three in the NFL this weekend with first place on the line.

The Baltimore Ravens host the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. Both teams are 6-6, and the winner will lead the AFC North. The Chicago Bears (9-3) also travel to Green Bay to face the Packers (8-3-1), with the winner taking the top spot in the NFC North.

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