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CHARLIE CRIST

In unusual move, Gov. DeSantis submits redistricting map

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has submitted a proposal to reshape the state's congressional map and carve up districts held by Black Democrats, as the Republican takes the unusual step of inserting himself into the redistricting process. The proposed congressional map, submitted Sunday on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, signaled the governor's priorities as the state moves to redraw political maps in the coming months. DeSantis, who is running for reelection and is considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has largely shaped the legislative agenda in the Republican-controlled statehouse this year.

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DeSantis refuses state of emergency for Tampa Bay red tide despite 1,200 tons of dead fish

Despite pleas from the city of St. Petersburg, environmentalists and activists, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis doubled down Wednesday and again refused to declare a state of emergency for Tampa Bay's ongoing red tide.Why it matters: DeSantis said his office is committed to working with the community to fight the red tide, but argued that a state of emergency would hurt businesses by sending the message that "Florida has problems." Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for

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Tropical Storm Elsa; Freedom to Fly Act & Essential Caregivers Act; Caregivers for Compromise founder

On this edition of “This Week in Jacksonville,” we discuss the response to and impact from Tropical Storm Elsa, with state Sen. Audrey Gibson and U.S. Rep. John Rutherford. We also look ahead to 2022, talking with Gibson about her endorsement of Democrat U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in the race for Florida governor. Rutherford gives us an update from Washington, D.C., talking about the Freedom to Fly Act and the Essential Caregivers Act. And we talk with Mary Daniel, a local advocate for senior care and the founder of Caregivers for Compromise. Her husband, who has Alzheimer’s, resides at a memory care facility, and she couldn’t see him during the first months of the pandemic. Hear how her experiences during that time led her to take action and push for change.

Florida Pride Month controversies span from lighting of bridges to DeSantis’ decisions

When the city of St. Petersburg asked the state to light up the Sunshine Skyway bridge in rainbow colors for LGBTQ Pride month last year, the request was denied. The decision was mildly controversial — Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist wrote a letter to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis about it. Crist’s office didn’t get a response. The St. Pete Pride parade was canceled because of the pandemic, Pride month came and went, and other institutions glowed with rainbows. But not the Skyway.

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As pandemic wanes, Florida's DeSantis seizes national stage

As Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis struggled to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Democrats readied to pounce. The state's economy was in tatters, infections and deaths were on the rise and there were doubts about the Republican's plan to lead Florida out of crisis. Now that the pandemic appears to be waning and DeSantis is heading into his reelection campaign next year, he has emerged from the political uncertainty as one of the most prominent Republican governors and an early White House front-runner in 2024 among Donald Trump's acolytes, if the former president doesn't run again.

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Val Demings plans to challenge Marco Rubio in FL Senate race

Florida Rep. Val Demings is planning to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio next year, giving Democrats a boost in a competitive race that could be among a handful that determine control of the Senate, according to two people with knowledge of the plans. The move ends mounting speculation over the Orlando congresswoman's political future. In focusing on the Senate instead, Demings could quickly become a front-runner among Democrats and tap into a national network of fundraisers to help finance what will likely be an expensive campaign.

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Why Democratic Departures From the House Have Republicans Salivating

WASHINGTON — With 18 months left before the midterms, a spate of Democratic departures from the House is threatening to erode the party’s slim majority in the House and imperil President Joe Biden’s far-reaching policy agenda. In the past two months, five House Democrats from competitive districts have announced they won’t seek reelection next year. They include Rep. Charlie Crist of Florida, who on Tuesday kicked off a campaign for governor, and Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio, who will run for the Senate seat being vacated by Rob Portman. Three other Democrats will leave seats vacant in districts likely to see significant change once they are redrawn using the data from the 2020 census, and several more are weighing bids for higher office. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times An early trickle of retirements by House members in competitive districts is often the first sign of a coming political wave. In the 2018 cycle, 48 House Republicans didn’t seek reelection — and Democrats won 14 of those vacancies. Now Republicans are salivating over the prospect of reversing that dynamic and erasing the Democrats’ six-seat advantage. “The two biggest headaches of any cycle are redistricting and retirements, and when you have both in one cycle it’s a migraine,” said former Rep. Steve Israel of New York, who led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2012 and 2014. Democrats face other vexing challenges as well: Republican legislators control redistricting in key states where they can draw boundaries in their favor. Redistricting alone — with Republicans controlling mapmaking in three times as many districts as Democrats — could provide Republicans the seats they need to control the House. And historic political trends almost always work against the president’s party in midterm elections. The prospect of losing the House majority adds a greater level of urgency for the Biden administration and congressional Democrats eager to push through expansive policy proposals. It also raises questions about the staying power of Democrats, after an election in which they barely ousted an unpopular president while suffering a surprising number of down-ballot losses in races they expected to win. The results appeared to blunt the momentum the party generated in 2018 when it picked up 41 seats in the House. This could be just the beginning of the Democratic departures: The high season for congressional retirements typically comes in early fall after members spend the August recess taking the political temperature of their districts. Further complicating the picture for Democrats is the Census Bureau’s monthslong delay in completing the reapportionment process and delivering to states the final demographic and block-level population data. That has left the parties’ House committees in a state of suspended animation, unable in many instances to recruit candidates and devise electoral strategy. While each day brings announcements of new 2022 candidates, many are not being specific about which district they are running in. Dozens more are waiting until the fall, when they will see the new boundaries, to decide whether they will formalize their campaigns. “It’s like going to war on a battlefield but you don’t know where you’re fighting, when you’re fighting or who you’re fighting,” Israel said. The largest concentration of competitive and vacant House seats may be in Central Florida. In addition to Crist, who represents St. Petersburg, two other Democratic representatives, Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park and Val Demings of Orlando, are weighing runs for statewide office. All three now hold seats in districts Biden carried handily last November, but with Republicans in control of Florida’s redistricting process, the state’s congressional map is likely to soon be much better for Republicans than it is now. Each of the districts would be exceedingly expensive for a new candidate to run in because of the high cost of media in Florida, further stretching the party’s resources in what is expected to be a difficult election cycle. “You have to assume that because Republicans get to control reapportionment that it’s not going to get any easier,” said Adam Goodman, a Florida-based Republican media strategist, who predicted that the GOP would take two of the three seats now held by Crist, Demings and Murphy. “The Crist seat — it took a Charlie Crist type of person to hold that seat in ’20. The Democrats won’t have that person this time.” Nikki Fried, Florida’s agriculture commissioner who is weighing her own run for governor, echoed that assessment as she tweaked Crist at her own news conference, which competed for attention with his campaign launch. “It’s a time when we need his voice and his vote up in Washington, D.C.,” Fried said. “His seat is one that only probably Charlie Crist can hold on to, so really would like to have encouraged him to stay in Congress.” Democratic strategists said it was hardly unusual for members of Congress to seek a promotion to statewide office. “A lot of us lived through 2009 and 2010, and we’re not seeing that level of rush to the exits that we did then,” said Ian Russell, a former official with the House Democrats’ campaign arm. “It’s not surprising that members of Congress look to run statewide, that has been happening since the founding of the republic and doesn’t indicate a bigger thing.” Republicans, optimistic about being on offense for the first time since 2014, cited potential pickup opportunities in western Pennsylvania, where Rep. Conor Lamb is weighing a run for the state’s open Senate seat; New Hampshire, where Rep. Chris Pappas may run for governor rather than seek reelection in a district likely to become more Republican; and Iowa, where Rep. Cindy Axne told The Storm Lake Times last month that her first two options for 2022 were running for Senate or governor. “House Democrats are sprinting to the exits because they know their chances of retaining the majority grow dimmer by the day,” said Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona, who last year entered an alcohol rehabilitation program after falling on the Washington Metro, also chose not to seek reelection. Rep. Cheri Bustos, whose district covering a swath of Central and Northwest Illinois swung to Donald Trump, announced her retirement last week. Last year Bustos led the House Democrats’ campaign arm through a disappointing cycle, when the party lost 13 seats after it expected to flip Republican-held districts. Along with Florida, Republicans are expected to draw themselves more favorable congressional districts in Georgia, where Democrats hold two competitive districts in Atlanta’s northern suburbs, and Texas, which will add two new seats for the 2022 elections. Ryan’s Democratic district in Northeast Ohio is likely to disappear when Ohio Republicans draw a map with one fewer House seat, and Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas, whose Rio Grande Valley district became 8 percentage points more Republican from 2016 to 2020, chose retirement rather than compete in what was likely to be his first competitive reelection bid. “This is where Democratic underperformance in 2020 really begins to hinder Democrats down ballot,” said Ken Spain, a veteran of the House Republicans’ campaign arm. “Republicans fared well at the state level last cycle, and now they’re going to reap the benefits of many of those red states drawing a disproportionate number of the seats.” Because Republicans hold majorities in more state legislatures, and Democrats and voters in key states such as California, Colorado and Virginia have delegated mapmaking authority to nonpartisan commissions, the redistricting process alone could shift up to five or six seats to Republicans. That is potentially enough to seize the majority if they don't flip any other Democratic-held seats. Democrats are expected to press their advantages where they can, particularly in Illinois and New York, states that lost one House district each in last week’s reapportionment. New York’s new map is certain to take a seat from Republicans in upstate New York, and one Republican-held seat in Central Illinois may be redrawn to be Democratic while another is eliminated. For the moment there are more House Republicans, six, not seeking reelection than the five House Democrats retiring or aiming for a promotion to statewide office. But of the Republicans, only Reps. Lee Zeldin and Tom Reed of New York represent districts that are plausibly competitive in 2022. With Democrats holding supermajority control of the New York state Legislature, Zeldin, who is running for governor, and Reed, who retired while apologizing for a past allegation of groping, could both see their districts drawn to become far more competitive for Democrats. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. © 2021 The New York Times Company

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"I've had it with her": McCarthy caught on hot mic trashing Liz Cheney

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday he's "lost confidence" in Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) during a moment of candor caught on a hot mic, a tape reviewed by Axios shows.What he's saying: "I think she's got real problems," McCarthy told Steve Doocy off-air ahead of a live "Fox and Friends" interview. "I've had it with ... I've had it with her. You know, I've lost confidence. ... Well, someone just has to bring a motion, but I assume that will probably take place."Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe comments, made amid seeming cross-talk with Doocy, outlined how the House conference chair could be removed by a vote from the chamber's Republican members.McCarthy's comments contrasted from the nearly 6-minute, on-air interview where he told Doocy he'd heard members concerned about Cheney's ability to carry out her job as a party leader. "This is about whether the Republican Party is going to perpetuate lies about the 2020 election and attempt to whitewash what happened on Jan. 6," Cheney spokesperson Jeremy Adler said in response to McCarthy's aired Fox interview. "Liz will not do that. That is the issue."Why it matters: To date, McCarthy has left some of his more pointed criticisms to his lieutenants, but this firmly puts him on the record — even if it was accidental.Top Republicans told Axios' Jonathan Swan and Alayna Treene last week that Cheney could be removed within a month.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

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Democratic Sen. Bracy hints at run for Florida governor

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State Sen. Randolph Bracy released a campaign-style video Tuesday strongly hinting that he’ll consider seeking the Democratic nomination to face Republican Gov. In the video, Bracy discusses problems facing the state because of the coronavirus pandemic, says the state needs to change course and needs a governor who will work with both parties to help Florida through the crisis. We need to leave behind the small fights at the Capitol and figure out how to work together to move Florida in the right direction. But in a phone interview, Bracy said the video posted on his website isn't an announcement that he's getting in the race. Bracy, 43, of Orlando, was elected to the House in 2012, where he served before being elected to the Senate in 2016.

The Latest: Ontario wants vaccine shot in adults by June 20

Eric Holcomb received his COVID-19 vaccine shot Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the opening of the state’s first mass vaccination clinic. Holcomb wore a face mask in the front passenger seat of an SUV while getting the shot of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the drive-through clinic. Ad___TORONTO — Canada is getting a fourth vaccine to prevent COVID-19, approving the Johnson & Johnson shot that works with just one dose. Canada has pre-purchased 10 million Johnson & Johnson doses, with options to buy another 28 million. The U.S. approved the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last month.

Florida governor faces growing claims of vaccine favoritism

Bruce Rauner, last week gave the Florida governor's campaign committee $250,000. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried joined Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in calling for federal officials to probe the DeSantis administration’s vaccine distribution programs. AdDuring a Thursday news conference, DeSantis expressed no misgivings about the early vaccinations at the exclusive Key Largo community. In recent weeks, other reports have surfaced of wealthy retirement communities getting exclusive access to vaccine doses through pop-up vaccine sites. Bruce Rauner to the Florida governor's campaign committee.

Poll: Majority of Florida voters approve of DeSantis’ performance as governor

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Mason-Dixon poll released Tuesday finds more than half of registered Florida voters support Ron DeSantis’ performance as the state’s governor. Of those polled, 51% of Florida voters said between Fried and DeSantis, they would vote for DeSantis. Not surprisingly, 63% of North Florida voters said they’d vote for DeSantis, compared to 31% who would vote for Crist, with a remaining 6% undecided. When it comes to Fried, 65% of Florida voters would vote for DeSantis, 32% would vote for Fried and 3% were undecided. Mason-Dixon polled a total of 625 registered Florida voters who were interviewed live by telephone statewide from Feb. 24 through Feb. 28.

Survey sent to Florida Democrats highlights 10 potential challengers to DeSantis in 2022

An inner-party survey is already asking Democrats who they favor to take on Republican Gov. The survey was sent to Florida Democrats via email last week. “Sure, Crist is well known, but things have changed,” said retired University of South Florida political scientist Susan MacManus. Despite former President Donald Trump winning Florida handily in the 2020 presidential election with DeSantis’ help, MacManus argues Florida is still a swing state. “It’s just that Democrats did not run a very good campaign in the presidential contest,” MacManus said.

Eugene Goodman, Capitol officer who led rioters away from the Senate chamber, escorted Kamala Harris to the inauguration

Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman, who risked his life to protect members of Congress when a mob of angry Trump supporters stormed the building on January 6, escorted Vice President Kamala Harris to the inauguration. Goodman also got a promotion: He is now the acting deputy Senate Sergeant at Arms. Goodman was alone guarding the Senate chamber when he stood up to the mob that tried to enter. "The United States Capitol was under attack by armed, violent extremists, and Officer Eugene Goodman was the only thing standing between the mob and the United States Senate," Representative Crist said. Goodman walked the soon-to-be Vice President to the inauguration about an hour before she was sworn in at the Capitol.

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Lawmakers want to award officer Eugene Goodman Congressional Gold Medal for heroism during Capitol riots

Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman was hailed as a hero after he put himself in harm's way during the violent riots last week. While a pro-Trump mob breached security and stormed the Capitol, Goodman diverted a group of rioters away from the Senate chamber. Now, several members of Congress want to recognize Goodman for his bravery. A bipartisan bill to award Goodman the Congressional Gold Medal has been introduced by U.S. "The United States Capitol was under attack by armed, violent extremists, and Officer Eugene Goodman was the only thing standing between the mob and the United States Senate," Crist said.

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With another Florida loss, Democrats begin second guessing

As election postmortems go, the one that began in Florida Wednesday was especially wrenching for Democrats. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Perhaps only in Florida is a loss by fewer than 4 percentage points considered a public drubbing. Democrats zeroed in on two clear explanations: Biden didn't connect with the state's Latino voters, performing particularly poorly with Cuban voters in South Florida. Some Democrats also give Republicans credit for registering thousands of new voters and narrowing the voter registration advantage Democrats have long had. For Taddeo, the Democratic state senator, it means going back to basics.

How starving public health fueled a COVID fire in Florida

“Public health can’t help us get out of this situation without our elected officials giving us the resources.”State officials neither answered specific, repeated questions from The Associated Press and KHN about changes in public health funding, nor made staffers available for deeper explanations. The 1990s saw a move toward privatization, particularly as Medicaid managed care took hold, said a 2004 paper in the Florida Public Health Review. By 2011, budget cuts and lack of money were the most frequently cited challenges in a Florida public health workforce survey, which pointed to growing needs. “Current events demonstrate how bad a decision” the deep cuts to public health were, said Dr. Marissa Levine, a professor of public health and family medicine at the University of South Florida. “Dismantling the system was a complete disregard for the health and well-being of the citizens of Florida.”With an ill-equipped public health system, Wilson, the retired public health nurse, said it falls to everyone to lead Jacksonville, and Florida, out of the coronavirus crisis.

Florida governor: New director for states employment agency

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. State Rep. Dane Eagle was appointed as executive director of the state's employment agency on Wednesday, a little more than two weeks after barely losing a Republican primary for Congress in a heavily GOP district. The agency was widely criticized for long delays in paying out unemployment benefits after the economy tanked during the coronavirus pandemic. Hundreds of thousands of people waited weeks and sometimes months for benefits from the glitch-ridden unemployment system after suddenly losing work amid the outbreak. But Crist dropped out of the Republican primary, ran as an independent and lost to Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Lawson remained as director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, but management of the unemployment system was given to Department of Management Services Secretary Jonathan Satter.

Fried seeks meeting on rules for restoring rights

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the lone Democrat on the state Executive Board of Clemency, called Friday for Gov. Ron DeSantis to schedule a meeting next month to discuss changing rules that govern the state's process of restoring felons' civil rights. Fried said the backlog of cases could be remedied by amending clemency rules, which have changed over the years under different state leaders. Fried said Wednesday she would like to have the rules changed to mirror 2007 rules under former Gov. Fried called on the governor to schedule a clemency board meeting following an Oct. 8 Cabinet meeting.