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

First Shot

The Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Tampa voter against Gov. Ron DeSantis over his failure to call a Special Election for Senate District 14.

The Hillsborough County-based seat is open after DeSantis appointed former Sen. Jay Collins as Lieutenant Governor on Aug. 12. A month and a half later, a Special Election to replace him has still not been called.

The suit seeks to compel DeSantis to schedule one.

“Tampa deserves full representation in the Legislature. By refusing to call a Special Election, the Governor is denying us that right and ignoring decades of established precedent. It’s illegal and wrong,” said Cort Lippe, the Tampa resident behind the legal complaint.

The lawsuit argues that DeSantis’ inaction leaves constituents in SD 14 without representation at a particularly inopportune time — lawmakers are set to begin Committee Weeks on Oct. 6, ahead of the 2026 Legislative Session, which starts on Jan. 13.

Filed in Leon County Circuit Court, the lawsuit alleges DeSantis has violated his duty under the Florida Constitution and state law by failing to call a Special Election. The ACLU notes that Governors typically act within a week of the vacancy.

The lawsuit includes historical data about vacancies requiring a Special Election, including 80 congressional and legislative offices since 1999. It adds that “for the 65 vacancies arising between 1999 and 2020, it took, on average, 7.6 days for the Governor to call a Special Election after the vacancy arose.” Further, the lawsuit says that in 25 instances, “the Governor took fewer than five days to call the election.”

Read more on Florida Politics.

___

Alex Anderson, a seasoned government relations strategist and attorney, is joining the Griffin Group as a Partner.

Anderson most recently served as Vice President of Public Policy at the Alzheimer’s Association, where he led the Association’s state government affairs teams and served as the primary lobbyist in Florida, overseeing all grassroots engagement.

“Having worked with Alex for over a decade, I can attest to his deep understanding of the legislative process and his outstanding skill in building strong, trusted relationships with members,” said Senate Majority Leader Jim Boyd. “The Griffin Group is gaining a dedicated, well-connected, and honest advocate on their team. I have no doubt he will excel in this role, bringing tremendous value and success.” 

Anderson began as a staff attorney for the Senate Committee on Community Affairs and later served in the House Majority Leader’s Office. He went on to hold senior roles within the Department of Education and the Office of Financial Regulation.

“During Alex’s tenure at the Office of Financial Regulation, I saw firsthand his exceptional ability to navigate the complexities of the legislative process with skill and precision,” said Office of Financial Regulation Commissioner Russell C. Weigel. 

The Griffin Group, led by owners Keaton Alexander Griffin and Tom Griffin, represents clients across sectors including health care, education, agriculture, criminal justice, transportation, and technology. 

“Alex knows how Florida works — not just the politics, but the people and the process and has built his career at the intersection of law, policy, and advocacy,” said Tom Griffin. “He has earned the trust of leaders in the Capitol and across the state, and that credibility will be invaluable to our clients.”

Evening Reads

—“Donald Trump tells a roomful of silent generals to join a ‘war from within’” via Emily Davies and Matt Viser of The Washington Post

—“The 44 most absurd lines from Trump’s speech to America’s generals” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—“A novice Defense Secretary lectures the brass on what it takes to win” via Greg Jaffe of The New York Times

—“Trump’s grand plan for a government shutdown” via Toluse Olorunnipa, Russell Berman, and Jonathan Lemire of The Atlantic

—“The next big debate Democrats can’t dodge” via Christian Paz of Vox

—“Florida’s minimum wage hits $14 an hour today, but many still struggle” via Max Klaver of the Miami Herald

—“‘The capital of the world’: Florida approves land transfer to Trump foundation for new library” via Livia Caputo of the Florida Phoenix

—“‘Cause for concern’: Ron DeSantis issues stock bubble warning” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics

—“Florida DOGE visits Broward to discuss ‘government accountability and wasteful spending’” via Rafael Olmeda of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

—“‘You can’t run from fear’: American Eagle’s CEO on the Sydney Sweeney uproar” via Suzanne Kapner of The Wall Street Journal

Quote of the Day

“This enshrines Florida as Trump Country.”

— CFO Blaise Ingoglia, after clearing a proposal to place the Trump library in Miami-Dade.

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.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is sounding cautious notes about a stock market fueled by hype, but we’ll plug our ears and order another To The Moon.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott gets a Mystery Men for seeking a terror group designation for antifa, a decentralized org which has so far eluded a precise definition.

Send a round of Librarians to the Governor and Cabinet for OK’ing a Miami-Dade location for the future Donald J. Trump Presidential Library.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Lightning, Panthers meet in Orlando for preseason matchup

The two Florida-based NHL teams face one another in the preseason tonight as the Florida Panthers play the Tampa Bay Lightning in Orlando (7 p.m. ET, Scripps and ESPN+).

The game is the first of three preseason matchups between the in-state rivals.

The Panthers are the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions. Last season, Florida eliminated Tampa Bay in five games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

During the first three preseason games for Florida, the veterans did not play, allowing the Panthers to evaluate several young players. In the preseason opener, the Panthers lost in Nashville 5-0 and followed it up with a 5-3 defeat to the Predators. On Friday, the team announced that Sasha Barkov is expected to miss the entire season after surgery to repair his ACL and MCL. The Finnish center scored 20 goals and added 51 assists for the Panthers last season and has tallied at least 20 goals and 30 assists in each of the previous 10 seasons with the team.

The Lightning have won all four of the team’s preseason games, including a 4-1 victory over Nashville on Saturday. Four different players scored goals for Tampa Bay: Brandon Hegel, Darren Raddysh, Gage Gonclaves, and Mitchell Chaffee.

The two organizations will meet again on Thursday in Tampa Bay and on Saturday in Sunrise to conclude the preseason.

___

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