Connect with us

Politics

Last Call for 9.29.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Published

on


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

First Shot

The James Madison Institute’s latest poll of Florida voters drew some quick fire from pollster Tony Fabrizio, who argues its methodology undercuts the headline numbers in the GOP Governor’s Primary.

It boils down to sample composition: JMI asked Republican voters (self-identified, no less) which candidate they would prefer in the GOP Primary; Fabrizio counters that the only Republicans who matter when it comes to primary elections are Republicans who plan to vote in primaries.

It’s a valid critique. Ten Election Day flakes are worth less than one reliable voter.

Still, one result in the JMI poll deserves a second look: nearly one in three respondents said they feel “politically homeless.” That isn’t a metric with firm predictive value. Still, it is a striking reminder that, despite the noise about polarization, the number of voters alienated by both parties is growing.

Florida Republicans have an inarguable advantage in organization, turnout, fundraising and everything else needed to set candidates up for success. Still, Republicans’ growing voter registrations have as much to do with a surge in third-party and no-party registrations following the 2020 Election.

JMI says it “signals a ripe opportunity for candidates to engage disaffected moderates and independents.” But just like the Primary, whether that “ripe opportunity” is real or just another mirage depends on who shows up.

It cuts both ways, too. For Republicans, it means fresh recruiting ground; for Democrats, who sit 10 points back in overall voter registrations, it’s really the only math that still gives them a fighting chance.

Evening Reads

—“Here are the Floridians who paid megabucks to dine with President Donald Trump” via Dan Christensen of the Florida Bulldog

—”Miami suburb’s once-vibrant housing scene is hit by exodus of migrants” via Deborah Acosta of The Wall Street Journal

—”The man behind Trump’s push for an all-powerful presidency” via Coral Davenport of The New York Times

—”Inside the fight against Trump’s Alaskan pipe dream” via Antonia Juhasz of Rolling Stone

—”Rahm Emanuel, weighing presidential bid, navigates a Democratic Party moving left” via John McCormick of The Wall Street Journal

—”Florida leaders celebrate higher ed rankings success while touting low tuition, anti-DEI policies” via Gabrielle Russon of Florida Politics

—”Ron DeSantis thinks Charlie Kirk has greater reach since his death” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

—”Poll: Two in three Floridians today would vote to reduce or eliminate property taxes” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics

—“Central Florida mostly ignored DeSantis push to lower property taxes” via Ryan Gillespie of the Orlando Sentinel

—”The curious conservative war on beer” via Alexander Sammon of Slate

Quote of the Day

“Are we going to do like an O.J. Simpson trial just to (prove) somebody’s here illegally?”

— Gov. Ron DeSantis, claiming he convinced the Trump administration to speed up deportations.

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.

Instead of a drink, give Gov. Ron DeSantis a cocktail scoresheet for bringing up university DOGE report cards during an event celebrating seven state universities earning Top 100 rankings.

We’re still waiting for mixologists to concoct the Polished, Shiny Badge; until then, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds will have to make do with a Rusty Sheriff’s Badge in honor of his bulk endorsement from 15 county sheriffs.

Former (and potentially future) Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn earned an Iconika (Florida citrus-powered, of course) for landing a top award from Tampa Bay Business & Wealth.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Winless Dolphins host winless Jets on Monday Night Football

The Miami Dolphins seek the first win of the season when they host the New York Jets on Monday Night Football (7:15 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Both Miami and the Jets have started the season 0-3. They are, along with the Tennessee Titans, the only winless teams in the AFC. The New Orleans Saints are the only other team without a victory this season in the NFL.

Miami is dealing with a rash of injuries at cornerback. Starter Storm Duck and reserves Jason Marshall and Cam Smith have been ruled out of the game, while third-stringer Ethan Bonner is questionable. Rasul Douglas is expected to start at one cornerback spot with regular starter Jack Jones on the opposite side.

The good news is that the Jets’ passing game has been among the worst in the NFL this season, averaging 145 yards per game. Neither team has moved the ball effectively this season. Miami averages 282 yards of total offense per game, while the Jets average 272 yards.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has struggled this season, throwing five touchdown passes and four interceptions. Tagovailoa has completed only five passes that have gone for more than 20 yards this season.

Miami’s defense has also struggled, surrendering more than 30 points in each of the first three games.

If the Dolphins are going to salvage the season, they must beat the Jets tonight. Next week, they travel to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers.

___

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


Post Views: 0



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Last Call for 1.19.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

Published

on


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

First Shot

Did Christina Pushaw break the law by asking gubernatorial candidate James Fishback to delete text messages the two exchanged in recent months?

Maybe.

Pushaw, who earns a $179,000 tax-funded salary as a senior management analyst for Gov. Ron DeSantis, all but confirmed the authenticity of texts between her and Fishback in which she appears to have written, “I need you to confirm that you deleted everything with my name on it.”

The exchange has raised questions about whether she solicited the destruction of public records, which would be illegal if the messages involved her government duties, but likely not if they were strictly campaign-related, as she says.

Fishback posted a screenshot of the exchange following a public blowup between the two after they, according to Pushaw, spoke “frequently” since October about Fishback’s campaign.

On X, Pushaw accused Fishback of deception, writing: “Thanks for proving my point that you have no qualms about lying and revealing private messages. I truly believed that we were friends, and I feel sickened and violated by this betrayal.”

Pushaw, who has worked for DeSantis as both a campaign and government staffer, says she was never paid for advising Fishback and never told the Governor about her communications with Fishback.

In a brief phone interview on Monday, she said none of her messages with Fishback touched her state job.

“I never talked to him about government business,” she said. She declined to explicitly confirm the authenticity of Fishback’s screenshots, including one that referenced her government position.

Read more on Florida Politics.

Evening Reads

—“Donald Trump ties Greenland takeover bid to Nobel Prize in text to Norway leader” via Ellen Francis and Steve Hendrix of The Washington Post

—”Trump’s letter to Norway should be the last straw” via Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic

—”Trump’s Greenland move is one of the dumbest political decisions I have ever seen” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—”The race to build the DeepSeek of Europe is on” via Joel Khalili of WIRED

—”Three maps tell a tale of the 2026 Midterms.” via Ashley Cai and Shane Goldmacher of The New York Times

—”Orlando Sentinel 150: Remembering MLK’s only visit to Orlando in 1964” via the Orlando Sentinel

—“Jeff Brandes: Six ideas Legislature can’t afford to ignore in 2026” via Jeff Brandes for Florida Politics

—”The Indiana-Miami CFP game is the Hollywood tangle we didn’t know we needed” via Steven Zeitchik of The Hollywood Reporter

—”‘It shaped my DNA’: The very Miami story of Mario Cristobal” via Andrea Adelson of ESPN

—”Two other Hoosiers from Miami are coming home, too — and could play a big role” via David J. Neal and Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald

Quote of the Day

“I didn’t vote for this weather.”

Marc Caputo on a frigid morning in Miami.

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.

Even though it’s booze-free, the Duval delegation could use a Cortisol Cocktail to calm their nerves after a bomb threat landed in their inboxes.

Disney and Universal are getting an Investigators Rite, courtesy of Central Florida Democrats, who are requesting they look into a company that operates independent restaurants on their properties.

Someone should’ve sent an Out of Office for Attorney General James Uthmeier, because he picked an odd day to drop his latest opinion.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Miami plays for national title at home

The Miami Hurricanes try for the program’s first national championship since 2001 when they face top-seeded Indiana at Hard Rock Stadium tonight (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Miami entered the College Football Playoff as the 10th seed and knocked off Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Ole Miss to reach the finals. The Hurricanes (13-2) have benefitted from a defense that has limited opponents to 14 points per game this season. Defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. was named the ACC defensive player of the year and is a likely Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft.

Indiana (15-0) has enjoyed the greatest season in program history. In the second season under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers have not only won more games than they ever have in a season, but also more than the program ever did in two consecutive seasons combined before Cignetti’s arrival.

The Hoosiers are led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The two programs have met twice in history, with Indiana winning the first meeting in 1964 and the Hurricanes taking the return match in 1966. The two programs have not met since.

The last time a college football team won the national championship by winning a game on its home field was the Hurricanes, who won the Orange Bowl following the 1987 season to win the program’s second of five national championships.

___

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





Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

James Fishback ordered to turn over Azoria stock, luxury items to pay $229K court judgment

Published

on


Gubernatorial candidate James Fishback’s legal woes are deepening.

A federal magistrate Judge has ordered Fishback, the founder and CEO of Azoria Capital, to turn over company stock certificates and a slate of luxury purchases to the U.S. Marshals Service by the end of the month as payment on a $229,000 judgment to his former employer, Greenlight Capital.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Fitzpatrick of the Northern District of Florida granted two unopposed motions by Greenlight after Fishback failed to respond by a court-ordered deadline.

It’s the latest escalation in a dispute between Greenlight and Fishback, a former analyst for the hedge fund who has made more headlines recently for his race-baiting rhetoric in the Governor’s race, allegations of grooming, multistate voter registration and public blowup with Gov. Ron DeSantis adviser Christina Pushaw.

Greenlight told the court that Fishback still owes it money under a June 2025 court order. The firm asked the court in late November to compel Fishback to surrender his stock or share certificates in Azoria Capital, Inc., a Delaware corporation Greenlight described as founded by Fishback and controlled by him at “75% or more.”

Because Fishback did not oppose the request, the court granted it and directed him to “locate, obtain, and turn over” all Azoria stock and/or share certificates to the U.S. Marshals Service by Jan. 30.

The Marshals Service, in turn, is ordered to sell the stock for the benefit of Greenlight as the judgment creditor. Fitzpatrick warned Fishback that federal courts have inherent authority to enforce orders and cautioned that ignoring the directive could place him “in danger of being held in contempt of court.”

Fitzpatrick also granted a second motion by Greenlight seeking the turnover of personal property belonging to Fishback. The firm alleged that Fishback claimed he lacked means to pay the $229,000 judgment while making more than $37,000 in debit card purchases over 16 months through a previously undisclosed JPMorgan Chase account.

The court summarized transactions at retailers including eBay, Nordstrom, Burberry, Bucherer and others, but noted it did not know what exactly Fishback purchased. Still, Fitzpatrick described the spending as “extravagant” and found that Fishback, by not responding by the deadline, waived his chance to argue the items were exempt or not personal property.

Under the order, Fishback must turn over 43 items listed in the motion paper, along with a list, to the Marshals Service by Jan. 30. The Marshals must hold the items for 30 days, allowing Greenlight’s lawyers to retrieve and sell them as partial satisfaction of the judgment.

Fishback worked at Greenlight from 2021 to 2023, after which he and the company became embroiled in a very public dispute over how he described his role there. He said he was “head of macro” for Greenlight, while the New York hedge fund insisted no such title ever existed and that the loftiest role Fishback held was as a research analyst.

Greenlight alleged that Fishback misrepresented his position to boost credibility and attract investors for Azoria. Fishback, meanwhile, argued Greenlight’s denial harmed him with potential backers and pointed to internal communications he says support his version of events.

He did, however, admit to sharing confidential Greenlight portfolio information and agreed to pay costs to resolve a separate lawsuit.

Trustees of a white-label exchange-traded fund (ETF) under Tidal Financial Group also voted in October to liquidate two Azoria ETFs — SPXM and TSLV, which together held about $40 million in assets — after Fishback admitted to sharing the information.

Between when he launched his campaign on Nov. 24 and Dec. 31, when fourth-quarter bookkeeping closed, Fishback reported raising less than $19,000 through his campaign account and nothing through an affiliated political committee.

Fishback is seeking the Republican nomination for Governor. The race’s poll-tested front-runner, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, amassed $45 million last quarter.



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Anna Eskamani hits $1M fundraising milestone for Orlando Mayor race

Published

on


Rep. Anna Eskamani says she has raised more than $1 million so far as she tries to become the next Orlando Mayor.

The Orlando Democrat says she hit the milestone last week as lawmakers returned to Tallahassee for the start of the 2026 Legislative Session.

Term-limited in the House, Eskamani is running in 2027 to replace Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who is not running for re-election.

“This campaign is powered by everyday Orlandoans who believe our city can be more affordable, more connected, and safer for everyone,” Eskamani said in a statement.

“Raising over one million dollars from thousands of grassroots donors sends a clear message: people are ready for leadership that listens, leads with integrity, solves problems, and puts community first. Together, we’re building a movement that reflects the heart of Orlando and delivers real results for working families.”

Her campaign has given out 900 yard signs and knocked on more than 33,000 doors in the city, according to a press release.

So far, no other established candidates have filed to run against Eskamani, although she has drawn her first competitor on the ballot: Abdelnasser Lutfi.

Lutfi, who filed to run for Mayor in late December, was not immediately available when reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Eskamani and Lutfi are running to replace Dyer, the longest-serving Mayor in Orlando’s history. Dyer was first elected in 2003.

Eskamani also said she is launching a podcast called “Twinning with Anna and Ida” with her twin sister. 

Every episode will unpack economic public policy issues that are critically important to everyone, but aren’t always well understood by the vast majority of people — often because they have been made intentionally opaque by politicians and the corporations who fund them to benefit from the complex system,” a press release said.

“But they will also have some fun along the way, from exposing a ‘grift of the month’ in Florida politics to exploring the punk rock scene in Orlando.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Miami Select.