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On the Miami River recently, a parade of gleaming white pleasure boats cruised through the city. Half-naked revelers basked on their decks, swaying to Taylor Swift anthems and waving bottles of champagne as they floated by. A few yards away, in the windowless conference room of an aging Hyatt hotel, a group of Florida Democrats was far more sober. The state may be known for careless hedonism and family pleasures, but Democrats will be spending the summer working on a very serious and nearly desperate plan to rescue the Florida Democratic Party. Nikki Fried, the last Democrat elected to statewide office in Florida — over half a decade ago, as agriculture commissioner — dug her heels into the carpeted floor.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Nikki Fried, —, “ It’s, Fried Organizations: Hyatt, Florida Democrats, Florida Democratic Party, Democrat, Democratic Party Locations: Miami, Florida, Florida —

“Here in Florida, you’ve had a real dose of Trumpism,” Biden told donors in nearby Jupiter, Florida where Trump owns a golf course. “You’re the reason Donald Trump is a defeated president,” Biden said to the attendees. Along with North Carolina, Florida is a state Biden lost in 2020 but which his campaign sees as a pickup opportunity. It’s a very tall order for the Biden campaign. The president lost Florida voters 65 and older to Trump by 10 points in 2020, a wider gap than his 5-point deficit nationally.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, Joe Biden’s, you’ve, ” Biden, ”, “, hadn’t, Trump’s, Republican megadonors, Nikki Haley, Biden’s, he’ll, Trump, MAGA, GOP Sen, Rick Scott, Ron DeSantis ’, Joe Biden, Joe Raedle, DeSantis, Donna Deegan, Nikki Fried, Fried, Tom Brenner, Democratic handwringing, That’s, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton Organizations: Trump, ” Air Force, Palm Beach International, Republican, Palm Beach, South, GOP, Republicans, Democrats, ., Sunshine State, Florida voters, Social Security, Medicare, Gov, University of Tampa, Democrat, Jacksonville, Florida Supreme, Florida Democrats, CNN, Democratic, Democratic Party, South Carolina's, State Fairgrounds, Reuters, ”, NBC News Locations: Jupiter, Miami , Florida Florida, Florida, Jupiter , Florida, New York, Palm, Palm Beach, South Carolina, Miami, North Carolina , Florida, Lago, Los Angeles, Columbia , South Carolina, Iowa

☆ Florida Democrats just landed one of their top recruits to take on Rick Scott, but it still might not be enough to win
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

She's aiming to unseat Rick Scott, who always eked out narrow wins in his general election contests. But Scott will be running in a presidential year, when Florida Republicans could have a considerable edge. AdvertisementAdvertisementSo where does that leave Florida Democrats as they look toward 2024? "Ya no más," she said in Spanish, which translates to "no more," and added, "I've already fought guys like Rick Scott, and beat them." Florida Sen. Rick Scott speaks during a news conference following the GOP weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill on September 20, 2022.

Persons: Debbie Mucarsel, Powell, Rick Scott, Scott, Sen, Rick Scott of, Democrat Alex Sink, Charlie Crist, Democratic Sen, Bill Nelson, Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Joe Biden, DeSantis romped, Crist, Trump, Mucarsel, Scott —, I've, Florida Sen, Jose Luis Magana Mucarsel, Biden, Carlos Giménez —, —, Scott Hartline Organizations: Democratic, Florida Senate, Florida Republicans, Service, Republican, Democrat, Gov, Trump, Florida, Florida Democrats, Democrats crave, Latina, Columbia, Healthcare Corporation, Politico, Mucarsel, Capitol, AP, Republicans, Dade County, State, GOP Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, Rick Scott of Florida, Ecuadorian American, Miami, Dade County, South Florida, Mucarsel

☆ Dwyane Wade Was Destined for the Hall of Fame — and Politics?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I respect Dirk as one of the greatest players that ever played this game of basketball. We played totally different positions, but as I’ve always said, if I’m going to have any words with anyone, I want them to come in the finals. His team won once. My team won one. I have so many things that I’m focused on and there’s so many, so many battles to fight, in a sense.

Persons: Dirk, we’ve, I’ve, who’s, You’ve, Ron DeSantis, DeSantis Organizations: Orlando Magic, PAC, Gov, Republican, Florida Democrats, Senate Locations: Florida

☆ Jimmy Carter's legacy: How he welcomed refugees
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-04 | by ( Catherine E. Shoichet | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

These steps Carter took during his presidency are still shaping the United States, decades after he left office. Because of Carter’s actions, hundreds of thousands of people fleeing persecution had a chance to come to the United States when he was commander-in-chief. A crisis that began before Carter took office was becoming increasingly dire by the day. That respect, Nguyen says, was earned by actions that Carter took that changed the course of her parents’ lives. “They were only able to do so because of the political courage exercised by President Carter,” she says.

Persons: Jimmy Carter’s, hasn’t, Carter, ”, Kai Bird, Jimmy Carter, Bird, Carter didn’t, Fred Ihrt, ” Carter, Bee Nguyen, it’s, Nguyen, ’, “, ” Nguyen, President Carter, AAPIHeritageMonth, –, ♥️, ince, ives, K unis,, inger, egina, sia, ould, ong, ake, ariel, haring, J, ross Organizations: CNN, CBS, The New York Times, White, ust, ashington Locations: United States, Southeast Asia, Vietnam, Saigon, Georgia, Thailand, Iowa, America, ife

☆ Biden bets DeSantis’ ‘Florida blueprint’ will help him flip the Sunshine State and win reelection
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Shevrin Jones, a Florida state senator and member of the Biden campaign’s advisory board of elected officials, said he’s eager to tell the country the story of what he’s seen under DeSantis’ leadership. Biden and DeSantis and their wives walk to meet with local residents affected by Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, Florida, on October 5, 2022. The voter registration advantage Florida Democrats had when President Barack Obama narrowly won the state in 2012 has flipped to Republicans. An adviser to the former New York City mayor told CNN that so far, there has been no outreach to Bloomberg’s operation from either the Biden campaign or the DNC. There was also a fleeting belief that they could push Biden over the top in Florida – though Trump ended up carrying the state by 3 points.

☆ Biden officials see opportunity to hit DeSantis over abortion restrictions, Disney fight, and his gun record in a potential 2024 presidential matchup: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A dozen Biden and Democratic officials laid out a plan to attack DeSantis in 2024, per a CNN report. The officials told CNN that DeSantis would be vulnerable on abortion, guns, and battles with Disney. Biden is making an early election push in Florida, a state that has turned sharply toward the GOP. Biden is making an early push to win Florida ahead of the 2024 presidential election, despite major Republican gains in the state over the past decade. "They've realized the outcome of their negligence," former Democratic Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell told CNN.

☆ In Florida Upset, Democrat Wins Jacksonville Mayor’s Race
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

MIAMI — Donna Deegan, a Democrat, was elected mayor of Jacksonville on Tuesday, shaking up the politics of Florida’s largest city, where Republican mayors have been in power for all but four of the last 30 years. Ms. Deegan, a former television news anchor, defeated Daniel Davis, a Republican endorsed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had been seen as the likely favorite in the traditionally Republican stronghold. In recent years, Jacksonville had been the most populous city in the country with a Republican mayor, Lenny Curry, who is term-limited; that distinction now goes to Fort Worth, Texas. But while Florida has become decidedly more Republican — and while many have viewed Mr. DeSantis, a likely 2024 presidential contender, as all-powerful in state politics — Jacksonville has emerged as a swingy corner of the state.

☆ Trump's candidate for Kentucky governor trounced DeSantis' last-minute endorsement, so Trump gloated 'Ron's magic is GONE!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Katie Balevic | Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis' endorsement came in third. Kentucky Attorney General secured a comfortable win in the Republican primary on Tuesday, far outpacing a competitor endorsed by Florida Gov. "Congratulations to a 'star' in Kentucky, Daniel Cameron, who easily won the Republican Nomination for Governor. He had my Complete and Total Endorsement," Trump posted on Truth Social. Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron speaks to supporters following his victory in the Republican primary in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

☆ A new law in Florida forces teachers who want to be in unions to pay dues through mail-in checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Being in a teacher's union in Florida just got harder. Ron DeSantis of Florida signed a bill into law Tuesday that will require teachers who want to be in unions to mail in written checks every month. The system would replace the current arrangement, widely used in unions across the US, in which teacher union dues get automatically deducted from their paychecks. The change will make it harder for unions to exist and pile red tape onto teachers, Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book said in a statement. On average, roughly 60% of teachers in Florida are paying dues toward their unions, shows a Florida Senate analysis.

☆ Democrats are so desperate to win in Florida that they are considering NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Grant Hill for the Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some prominent Florida Democrats are eyeing former NBA stars in a bid to reverse their losing streak. NBC News reported that Democrats have talked to Grant Hill and tried to coax Dwyane Wade into running. Democrats are searching for a challenger to Sen. Rick Scott, who is up for reelection in 2024. Having Wade County is great," Wade told the publication. He hasn't been officially approached, but he is on the list of four or five dream candidates to challenge Rick Scott.

☆ A new law in Florida forces teachers to pay union dues through mail-in checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Being in a teacher's union in Florida just got harder. The system would replace the current arrangement, widely used in unions across the US, in which teacher union dues get automatically deducted from their paychecks. On average, roughly 60% of teachers in Florida are paying dues toward their unions, shows a Florida Senate analysis. The signings represent a win for DeSantis, who has battled teacher's unions since the COVID pandemic and first proposed the change to union dues in December 2022. Florida comes in at 48th in the nation for average teacher salaries, according to the National Education Association, the state's largest teacher's union.

Florida lawmakers sent DeSantis a bill that would let him stay governor while running for president. "I don't think we have seen a six-month stretch that has ever been this productive in the history of our state," DeSantis said at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee on Friday. Should DeSantis be successful in a presidential run, he would follow in the footsteps of Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George W. Bush. Ron DeSantis speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022. During a press conference in Panama City, Florida, on Thursday, DeSantis continued to play coy about his intentions.

☆ Democrats say Florida is 'dead for Biden' as his 2024 presidential campaign starts: 'We just need to be realistic'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

"It's like a dead carcass on the side of the road," DeSantis said in April of the Florida Democratic Party. Nearly two decades ago, Florida Democrats were "similarly declared dead, you know, forever, Amen," Schale said, but they rebounded. Wilfredo Lee/AP PhotoDemocrats say they still have spend in FloridaBut it's important for Democrats to still invest campaign resources in Florida, Democratic insiders said. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said the party had no infrastructure and no voter registration drive when she took the helm in February. Joe Raedle/Getty Images, Scott Olson/Getty ImagesBuilding a Democratic benchFried she's optimistic about Florida Democrats' future — and Biden's potential there.

☆ Congressional Democrats bash Ron DeSantis for alienating Florida job creator Disney World in service of a 'flailing presidential campaign'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Warren Rojas | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis's Tuesday swing through DC, calling it ill-timed, his political resume goofy, and his ongoing fight with Walt Disney World a devastating vanity project. Walt Disney World has roughly 80,000 employees in Florida and is the state's biggest tourist attraction. The Florida governor wasn't being offered much cover by Florida Republicans on Capitol Hill. When another reporter asked whether DeSantis had gone too far by threatening Disney with state prisoners for neighbors, Scott claimed ignorance. "Ron DeSantis is out campaigning outside of the state of Florida and picking fights with Mickey Mouse," Fried said.

☆ Florida Democrat tried to emulate Disney's power move in a final-ditch effort against Florida's abortion ban, which is now headed to DeSantis for his signature
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But in the face of a Republican supermajority in the Florida House, Democrats' more than 50 amendments failed as Florida representatives sent a six-week ban to GOP Gov. "Let's delay this abortion ban for as long as we can." During the 2022 midterms, congressional Democrats used abortion rights as a rallying cry and managed to hold onto more seats than expected. The implications of the Florida abortion ban on the 2024 race loomed in the background throughout the day. "It amounts to an outright ban," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said on the House floor.

☆ Florida Democrats are trying to use Ron DeSantis' book laws against his own recently published book
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Florida Democrats are challenging Ron DeSantis' book under his own education laws, per The Daily Beast. They argue that the book could run afoul of his own laws on race and gender concepts in schools. Ron DeSantis by requesting his new book be reviewed under laws pushed through by his own party, The Daily Beast reported. DeSantis vocally backed the Florida Board of Education's successful effort to ban Critical Race Theory in state classrooms in 2021. It's unclear how many school districts in Florida currently stock DeSantis' book.

☆ Exclusive: As 2024 election approaches, White House jumps into states' abortion battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The previously unreported, behind-the-scenes effort has caught the attention of state lawmakers for the level of support offered by the administration. In some cases, the White House is leaning on key lawmakers in states with important abortion-related legislative fights this session. North Carolina is a special focus where the White House thinks it has the opportunity to fend off restrictions, one of the White House officials said. Republicans have largely shrugged off White House efforts at beating back efforts to limit abortion rights. The White House sees three different approaches to defend abortions rights and has broken down states into what they call either "battleground," "extremist" or "proactive" states, White House officials and advisors say.

☆ Ron DeSantis backed deep cuts to Social Security and Medicare while in Congress. Trump is ready to hammer him for it ahead of 2024.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Trump has made it clear that he will attack DeSantis' past support for changes to Social Security and Medicare. It would have also increased the full retirement age for Social Security to 70 as well. The AARP tore into Ryan's proposal at the time, particularly for its proposed changes to social security. Trump has made it clear that he would not propose cuts to Social Security and Medicare and is ready to attack 2024 nomination challengers who have in the past. Insider couldn't find any comments he made at the time, but he was far from the only Republican or even the only Florida Republican to vote against the bill.

☆ Florida no longer looks like a swing state after DeSantis, Rubio lead big Republican wins
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Once considered the nation's biggest swing state, Florida is looking more and more like a Republican stronghold. The state's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and Sen. Marco Rubio both glided to victory against their respective Democratic opponents. The number of active registered Republican voters, meanwhile, rose to 5,259,406 in the same period — a gain of more than 150,000. In this month's midterms, older Florida voters came out in droves, while young voters stayed home, NBC's exit polls show. And the GOP extended its gains in the Florida state Legislature, clinching supermajorities in both chambers.

MIAMI — Florida Democrats are reeling and coming to terms with devastating Election Day losses, particularly among Latino voters who turned out solidly for Republicans in statewide contests. Most Republicans running in the state won by large margins, turning Florida into a solid red state. “Republicans became the real spokespeople for this community,” said Gamarra, referring to the governor, senators, and South Florida members of Congress. DeSantis always hammers down the message that Florida is a “free state.” Over 80,000 people have died of Covid in Florida. Meanwhile, the number of Democratic Latino registered voters decreased from 947,853 in 2020 to 901,481 in 2022.

Ron DeSantis, who won re-election in a landslide Tuesday, threw his political weight behind 30 school board candidates this election cycle. In Florida, because school board races are nonpartisan, if candidates capture at least 50% of the vote in the primary, they don’t need to compete in the November elections. That stands in contrast to the results for the Florida Democratic Party, which supported 30 school board candidates, only nine of whom won seats this year. Riding a wave of conservative parent anger, Republicans in several states targeted school board races, with mixed results. However, GOP candidates running against progressive ideas captured seats on the State Board of Education, which sets curriculum standards.

☆ Sen. Marco Rubio wins re-election in Florida, defeating Democratic Rep. Val Demings, NBC News projects
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Marc Caputo | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

MIAMI — Republican Sen. Marco Rubio cruised to victory Tuesday night, securing his third term amid a statewide Democratic collapse, NBC News projects. Rubio is the first Florida Republican to win three terms in the Senate. Rubio’s career and his relationship with Trump tell the story of the Republican Party in Florida. "And that’s where we have really missed an opportunity of highlighting our strong Hispanic voices," Mucarsel-Powell said of her fellow Florida Democrats. The $30 million Demings spent just wasn't enough, he said.

☆ Biden came to Florida to help Democratic underdogs, but barely mentioned DeSantis, one of his most vocal critics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis, who frequently criticizes him. Ron DeSantis while campaigning in Florida on Tuesday evening, one week out from Election Day. Earlier in the day, however, Biden called DeSantis "Donald Trump incarnate" during a fundraiser in Golden Beach, Florida. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, in November. Taking the stage on Tuesday, Crist said "Ron DeSantis wants to do to America what he has done to Florida."

Among all Cuban Americans polled, 32% gave Biden a positive job approval. His numbers were higher among Cuban American Democrats (73%) and newest arrivals (64%), as well as to a lesser extent older Cuban Americans. “Cuban Americans are willing to put out a carrot for the Cuban government in hopes that it will change," Grenier said. “You have an ambivalence.”Ahead of the midterms, Cuban Americans identified the economy, health care, immigration, and Cuba policy as top issues. The FIU Cuba poll surveyed 1,000 Cuban Americans in Miami Dade County from July 27 to September 11.

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