Politics
Last Call for 4.7.26 – 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
A new Florida Chamber Foundation case study is casting aviation as a key front in Florida’s workforce fight, warning that talent shortages could threaten one of the state’s biggest economic engines.
Released through the Foundation’s Future of Work initiative, the report examines workforce trends in an industry that supports more than 2 million jobs and accounts for 13.5% of Florida’s GDP. The study points to an aging skilled workforce, rising demand for aviation services and a growing mismatch between available talent and employer needs.
The pressure is especially pronounced in South Florida and the Panhandle, where aviation operations, logistics and infrastructure play an outsized role in regional economies. The case study argues that without tighter coordination among employers, schools and workforce partners, those gaps could deepen and undermine the industry’s long-term competitiveness.
“The aviation industry is essential to our state’s economic strength and global connectivity,” said Mark Wilson, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber Foundation. “The Foundation’s Future of Work case study reinforces that sustained growth will require a stronger, more coordinated approach to developing aviation talent pipelines. Data-driven collaboration between business, education, and workforce leaders is key to making certain Florida remains competitive for decades to come.”
The study also highlights the Foundation’s Florida Talent Center Data Hub as a planning tool for employers and workforce groups, offering real-time labor market data on program completions and projected graduate pipelines for high-demand jobs such as aviation mechanics, logistics specialists and ground operations professionals.
Ed Murray, vice president of Government Relations & Business Development for ST Engineering North America and an Advisory Board member for the Future of Work initiative, said that sustaining Florida’s aerospace growth will depend on building a steady pipeline of skilled mechanics and strengthening coordination between education and industry.
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Byron Donalds’ “Defending the Florida Dream” tour is officially on the road, with the Trump-endorsed Congressman making his second stop in as many days Tuesday for a public safety roundtable in Melbourne.
Fresh off Monday’s kickoff in The Villages, Donalds appeared alongside Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey and House Majority Leader Tyler Sirois to lean into a familiar law-and-order message, rolling out what his campaign is branding a “Zero Tolerance” agenda. The pitch centers on backing law enforcement, tightening cooperation with federal immigration authorities and barring sanctuary policies statewide — red-meat territory for a Republican Primary electorate already moving his way.
“Florida must remain a law-and-order state. That means backing our law enforcement, enforcing the law, and making it clear that taxpayer-funded benefits are for citizens only. Every dollar collected from Florida taxpayers should go toward strengthening our communities, supporting our seniors, and investing in the people who follow the law, not subsidizing those who break it,” Donalds said.
The Melbourne stop builds on the campaign’s attempt to give the gubernatorial platform rollout a thematic structure, with each event built around a policy lane. Monday was health care costs and affordability under the “Your Doctor, Your Price” banner; Tuesday shifted to crime and immigration enforcement.
The “Defending the Florida Dream” Tour will continue across the state in the coming weeks, with additional stops focused on public safety, education, and expanding economic opportunity for Florida families.
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Former House Speaker Paul Renner is launching a statewide “Affordability Now Tour,” a six-stop swing aimed squarely at what may be the defining issue of the 2026 Governor’s race: how expensive it has become to simply exist in Florida.
The campaign says the roundtable-style tour will focus on the familiar pain points hitting voters at the kitchen table — property taxes, utility bills, insurance premiums, health care costs and the broader cost-of-living squeeze. Stops are scheduled this month in Miami, Tampa, Crawfordville, Orlando, Jacksonville and Pensacola, giving Renner a geographic spread that touches both major media markets and capital orbit.
The messaging is notable not just for the substance, but for the contrast it draws with the rest of the emerging Republican field. While Donalds is already on the trail with his “Defending the Florida Dream” tour, leaning into public safety and immigration, Renner is making an overt play for voters frustrated by insurance bills, housing costs and a Legislature that — depending on who’s talking — has either been grappling with or sidestepping the affordability crunch.
There’s also a touch of Tallahassee-on-Tallahassee here: Renner, himself a former Speaker, is now campaigning against “Tallahassee politicians failing to act decisively,” which is the sort of line that tends to land differently depending on how long readers’ memories are.
Still, if Donalds is trying to run as the law-and-order favorite, Renner appears intent on planting his flag in the cost-of-living lane early. In a state where insurance premiums and utility bills can ruin a month faster than a hurricane warning, it’s not the worst place to be.
Evening Reads
—“Donald Trump, America’s political MRI” via Chris Cillizza of So What
—“How the Iran war is torpedoing the Donroe Doctrine” via Eric Bazail-Eimil of POLITICO
—“Trump threatens to destroy an entire nation” via David A. Graham of The Atlantic
—“’A whole civilization will die tonight’: How Trump is threatening war crimes” via Joshua Keating of Vox
—“JD Vance says he prays U.S. is ‘on God’s side’ in Iran war” via Natalie Allison of The Washington Post
—“Redistricting war comes down to Virginia and Florida” via Nick Corasaniti and Patricia Mazzei
—“Ron DeSantis plays down lack of Supreme Court opinion in justifying congressional redistricting effort” via Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix
—”Gov. DeSantis signs measure shifting Naples Airport Authority control to voters” via Jesse Mendoza of Florida Politics
—“Environmental groups urge appeals court panel to lift halt on closing ‘Alligator Alcatraz’” via The Associated Press
—“Marva Johnson investiture scheduled, will toast to FAMU’s future” via Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics
—“Nobody knows how to file taxes on prediction market wins” via Kate Knibbs of WIRED
“I’m not going to lie to you. Fundraising’s tough. You know, the lobby corps is behind Byron Donalds. They don’t want the people to choose. They want to choose, and they are putting all the money behind him. The big donors are very afraid.”
— Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, claiming the ‘lobby corps’ is to blame for his mediocre fundraising.
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.
Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson says Mother Nature is serving up the Perfect Storm of drought and freezes, which are spiking wildfire risks.
Golden Knights abound in the UCF admin building following U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, celebrating several of the Orlando-based university’s graduate programs.
Lt. Gov. Jay Collins is sipping on a Blame Game as his fundraising performance fails to stack up against U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
Breakthrough Insights
Tune In
Rays continue first home series back at Tropicana Field
The Tampa Bay Rays continue the first home series of the season as they host the Chicago Cubs this evening at Tropicana Field (6:40 p.m. ET, Rays.TV).
The Rays (5-5) won the home opener last night 6-4 as Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, and Cedric Mullins each homered, and five Rays’ pitchers combined for the win.
The game marked the return to Tropicana Field 561 days after Hurricane Milton damaged the roof. Repairs to the roof and stadium cost nearly $60 million. The Rays played the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
Monday’s game was a sellout with an announced attendance of 25,114.
The Rays are scheduled to send right-hander Drew Rasmussen to the mound for his third start of the season. Rasmussen started with losses to the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers. He allowed one earned run in five innings in each start.
The Cubs (4-6) are scheduled to send Javier Assad to the mound for his first start of 2026. Assad went 4-1 with a 3.65 ERA last season. One of his wins came on Sept. 14 against Tampa Bay.
The series concludes tomorrow evening before the Rays welcome the New York Yankees to town for a three-game set.
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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.