Last Call for 11.3.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Jerry Demings has worn the badge, held the gavel, and now he wants the keys to the Governor’s Mansion.

The Orange County Mayor’s entry into the 2026 race sets up a Democratic Primary between a longtime party stalwart with deep local roots and a former Republican who found a second political life speaking to disaffected moderates.

It sounds like 2014 all over again, but there are key differences. David Jolly isn’t a former Governor with a renowned pedigree in retail politics, and Demings’ name ID, while hardly universal, easily outpaces that of a state Senator two years removed from office.

Whether either can gain traction is another matter. Democrats haven’t won statewide since 2018, and the voter registration gap has not only flipped toward Republicans, but it has also ballooned well past a million.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Naples Republican currently leading the pack, was unfazed when asked last week who he might face next year.

“Whatever the Democrats, whoever they choose to throw at us, so be it. We’ll take care of them,” Donalds vowed.

The Trump-backed Congressman’s campaign on Monday threw a jab at the new guy in the ring, saying Demings is “weak, woke and wrong for Florida.”

A University of North Florida poll backs up the confidence: Donalds leads both Jolly and Demings 45%-34%.

Still, in a state that occasionally teases competitiveness before snapping back to form, Demings’ run at least ensures the conversation doesn’t end before it starts.

Evening Reads

—”The imperial aesthetic at the heart of Donald Trump’s presidency” via Naftali Bendavid of The Washington Post

—”Jack Smith, Trump’s target, shifts from defense to counterattack” via Glenn Thrush of The New York Times

—”How the U.S. economy has defied doomsday predictions on tariffs” via Konrad Putzier of The Wall Street Journal

—”Trump battles tiny toymaker over tariffs in landmark Supreme Court case” via Greg Stohr of Bloomberg

—”The lonely new vices of American life” via Dan Brooks of The Atlantic

—“Future of gerrymandering? Here’s how weird things could look.” via Nate Cohn and Jonah Smith of The New York Times

—”DeSantis awards $30 million in cancer research funds to four pediatric hospitals” via Christine Sexton of Florida Phoenix

—”Bridget and Christian Ziegler sue Sarasota, 2 detectives over ‘egregious violations’ of their rights” via Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics

—”After the vibe shift, Ford ads got weird” via Constance Grady of Vox

Quote of the Day

“There’s a saying: Justice delayed is justice denied.”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis, on the rising pace of state executions. 

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

Send a Gold Rush (and a gold ribbon) to Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis, who announced a $30 million infusion for pediatric cancer programs at four children’s hospitals across the state.

Americans for Prosperity–Florida is raising a French 86 — or a not-so-French variant — in honor of the Republicans who aced its 2025 Legislative Scorecard. 

Slide a Bare Knuckle Old Fashioned to Jerry Demings, whose entry into the 2026 Governor’s race will at least make for an interesting Democratic Primary.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Heat continue road trip in LA

The Miami Heat look to snap a two-game losing streak as they face the Los Angeles Clippers tonight (10:30 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network – Sun).

Miami (3-3) lost consecutive road games to the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers, the latter in a 130-120 shootout. Lakers’ guard Luca Doncic recorded a triple-double (29 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists) in the game.

Heat forward Jamie Jaquez Jr. came off the bench to score 31 points on 11 of 16 shooting in the game. Despite not starting a game this season, Jaquez is third on the team in scoring, averaging 18.7 points per game. Guard Norman Powell leads at 24.0 points per game, although he missed the last three losses due to a groin injury. Center Bam Adebayo averages 22 points and nine rebounds per game.

Miami started last season 3-3 and never climbed more than three games over .500, finishing the regular season with a 37-45 record, good enough to qualify for the play-in round of the playoffs. After beating Chicago and Atlanta on the road, the Heat advanced to the first round, where they were swept in four straight games by the top seed in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.