Politics

Nikki Fried confirms she will not run for Governor in 2026

Published

6 days ago

January 25, 2025

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried is confirming that she will not run for Governor next year.

Fresh off her re-election as state Chair for the party, Fried told press on Saturday that she will not run for the statewide office, which she sought in 2022.

But after Republican Donald Trump won’s Florida’s electoral votes in last year’s presidential election, Fried acknowledged she needs to put her full focus on building the party for the midterms.

“I just committed four years to this party, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. I’ve committed to doing that work on the ground here in the party,” she said. “I am not running for Governor in 2026.”

Fried remains the last Democrat to win statewide office in the state, having narrowly won a 2018 race for Agriculture Commissioner. Instead of seeking re-election, she ran for Governor in 2022, but lost in the Democratic Primary to former Gov. Charlie Crist, who went on to lose to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis by 19 percentage points.

After the resignation of former Florida Democratic Party Chair Manny Diaz, Fried won election as state Chair in February 2023.

She said turnout was 25% higher for Florida Democrats in 2024 compared to 2022, but acknowledged the party has much more work today to become competitive again.

Part of that, she says, is “putting together year-round organizing.”

“We got there kind of mid-part of last year, and now we continue building this sustainable, year-round organizing model that gets into our communities. That overlaps with engagement and voter registration,” Fried explained.

She also said the state party needs renewed support at the national level, which she will pursue. In the meantime, she said Democrats must bring focus to messaging with voters that the party has the interest of residents in mind.

“We’ve been criss-crossing the state, whether myself, our elected officials, the people in this room, and what they’re hearing consistently from the people in our state is they can’t afford to live here,” Fried said.

“They can’t afford their property insurance, they can’t afford their rent, they can’t find good-paying jobs to put food on their on their tables, and so as long as we stay laser-focused on the issues that are top of mind of Floridians and show them that Democrats continue to show up for them, continue to fight for their issues, the Republicans are fighting on things that don’t matter to the people of this state.”

As the Governor and Legislature fight whether to pass deportation laws this week, she said Floridians want balanced immigration reform.

“There’s a lot of people in our state right now, including Cubans and Venezuelans and Haitians that are on here legally through a parole program, (which) President Trump is trying to revoke,” she said.

While she is not running for Governor herself, Fried declined to weigh in on who should seek statewide office in 2026.

“As the chair of the Democratic Party, we do not endorse,” she said. “But we certainly want to work on making sure that we put our best foot forward with candidates that represent the people.”

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Politics

Scott Franklin to head House Environment Subcommittee

Published

10 minutes ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

Another Florida lawmaker will have a gavel for one of the U.S. House science subcommittees

U.S. Rep. Scott Franklin, a Lakeland Republican, will chair the House Environment Subcommittee.

House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chair Brian Babin, a Texas Republican, picked the Florida lawmaker for his expertise in the fields and the role the subcommittee would play on policy affecting the Sunshine State.

“I’m excited about our SST Committee assignments for this Congress,” Babin said. “The valuable expertise and diverse backgrounds that each member brings will be instrumental in strengthening U.S. leadership and competitiveness in science, space, and technology. We have a full agenda ahead that will prioritize advancing critical scientific research, fostering technological innovation, leading the world in space exploration, addressing regulatory burdens across industries, and more. Through our shared efforts, I am confident we can achieve our objectives and drive meaningful progress in our scientific endeavors. Let’s get to work!”

Franklin said he was enthusiastic about the assignment.

“I’m eager to tackle environmental research related to weather forecasting and ensuring disaster readiness,” Franklin said. “I thank Chairman Babin for this opportunity and look forward to advancing America First policy priorities to remain at the forefront of innovation and boost job growth.”

Babin praised Franklin’s conservative record on business issues.

“I’m confident Congressman Franklin will provide strong leadership for our Environment Subcommittee this Congress,” Babin said. “He has been a steadfast advocate against burdensome government regulations that stifle innovation and fail to address states’ needs. His perspective will be critical as we consider key weather legislation in the months ahead. I look forward to working with him to advance commonsense environmental policies and legislation.”

The same day, Babin assigned Rep. Mike Haridopolos, an Indian Harbor Beach Republican, to head the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommitee.

“Since the earliest days of our space program, Florida’s Space Coast has been the launchpad for America’s journey to the stars,” Haridopolos said. “From the Apollo missions that first carried Americans to the Moon to today’s groundbreaking private sector launches, our skies have always been at the forefront of space exploration. Space is central to our district’s identity and economy, providing countless high-paying jobs and opportunities.”

He praised Haridopolos’ knowledge of the Space Program.

“Over the past several years, the SST Committee has diligently worked to support and advance our nation’s space endeavors,” Babin said. “As the representative of Florida’s Space Coast, the Congressman brings valuable expertise and leadership that will undoubtedly enhance our efforts to keep America at the forefront of exploration and development. I am excited to work alongside him to propel our space agenda forward.”

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Politics

Disney plans to convert Star Wars hotel into Imagineers’ offices

Published

40 minutes ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

It’s going to be an office far, far, away.

Disney World is converting the shuttered Star Wars hotel into office space for the famous Imagineers who will be designing new lands and projects at the theme parks.

The hotel’s update was reported by The Wrap and confirmed by other media outlets.

Disney closed the hotel September 2023 less than two years after it opened. The company had said it took a $300 million tax write off for shutting down the hotel after it reportedly had low occupancy.

At the hotel near Hollywood Studios, guests who were willing to pay nearly $5,000 for a two-night stay could pretend to be in their own Star Wars story at the hotel. Lightsabers included.

“Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms,” Disney said in a statement when it announced it was closing.

Why did it fail?

YouTuber Jenny Nicholson explained the list of reasons in a four-hour video called “The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel” which captured 11 million views. The cost, the marketing, and not fully embracing the cosplay concept all likely hurt the hotel, she said.

The Wrap reported Disney had been considering using the empty hotel for a dinner theater-type experience but Disney ultimately settled on keeping the space closed to the public.

The Imagineers’ new office space comes as Disney World is starting a major expansion across several of its Orlando theme parks. Disney plans to build a Villains land and add “Cars” attractions at the Magic Kingdom as well as “Encanto” and Indiana Jones to Disney’s Animal Kingdom and “A Monsters, Inc.” land at Hollywood Studios. Disney is closing several longtime attractions in the process.

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Politics

Holland & Knight launches National Security & Defense Industry Group

Published

2 hours ago

January 31, 2025

May Greene

D.C.-based partner Jason Klitenic will lead the 100-person team.

Holland & Knight is launching a National Security & Defense Industry Group led by D.C.-based partner Jason Klitenic.

The multinational law firm headquartered in Tampa said it’s taking on the new endeavor due to clients’ increasing demands amidst a complex national security landscape and rising global defense investments.

H&K expects the new practice will benefit from its already-established expertise in the defense, aerospace, cybersecurity and technology sectors. The 100-person team of practitioners led by Klitenic will cater to security and defense clients based the U.S., Europe and Latin America.

“To confront emerging global threats, our clients are continuing to create and fund the development of innovative defense solutions that support the U.S. and its allies around the world,” Klitenic said. “… Our team’s deep government connections in the U.S. and abroad, coupled with our firm’s established reputation for collaborating with government policymakers and operators on meaningful issues, enables us to advise clients on the full spectrum of legal, political and operational issues in this space.”

Klitenic’s background includes serving as General Counsel to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The Industry Group will also include former U.S. Intelligence Community members, high-ranking law enforcement officials and military veterans — Holland & Knight said the team’s diverse expertise will allow it to effectively navigate the intricacies of the national security landscape.

“In the many years that we have represented companies in the national defense and security sectors, we have built a substantial bench of premier practitioners across our geographic platform,” said Holland & Knight Chair and CEO Bob Grammig.

“We are excited to bring all of our global resources — comprising a unique mix of first-rate legal capabilities, a robust public policy and federal lobbying practice, and trusted relationships with U.S. government officials and foreign partners — under the umbrella of this new group. Together, this multidisciplinary team will continue to help our clients advance their strategic objectives.”

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