Desk
Politics
This edition's Politics stories are in the Pulse: the Realtor money paying for Amendment 3, David Jolly's call for Byron Donalds to divest his family's school firms and Miami's Virginia Key marina vote. Every Politics story is on the Politics desk page.
29 stories · Edition XIV · Mon Nov 2
Politics stories
- Politics · TallahasseeRealtors gave $21.5 million to pass Amendment 3. One Gainesville firm got 98 cents of each dollar spentNearly all of the Realtors' campaign spending has gone to SGS Inc., a Gainesville firm that Orlando Weekly reports is owned by longtime GOP operative Patrick Bainter. Three committees fight the measure, and one was formed by Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, CubaHeadlines reported.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Nov 2, 2026
- Politics · TallahasseeJolly asks Byron Donalds to pledge to divest his family's school firms. Erika Donalds calls it sexistFlorida picks a governor Tuesday, Nov. 3, and Democrat David Jolly wants Republican Byron Donalds to give up his family's interests in charter school companies if he wins. Erika Donalds, Byron's wife, runs those companies and says they are hers, not his.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Nov 2, 2026
- Politics · MiamiMiami's Virginia Key marina lease on the ballot lets the promised plans changeMiami votes Tuesday on leasing two city marinas on Virginia Key for up to 75 years to a company half owned by Texas-based Suntex Marinas. Suntex's company has put about $3.8 million into the Yes side, and Rickenbacker Marina Corp, which runs one of them now, about $1.8 million into the No.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Nov 2, 2026
- Politics · MiamiMiami-Dade's sheriff is ending the $4.1 million-a-year bodyguard detail for the mayor and commissionersSheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz says the money will help cover a budget gap she has taken to the state. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who still runs the county jails, plans to fill the job with jail officers, the Miami Herald reports.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 28, 2026
- Politics · TallahasseeKalshi and the Seminole Tribe paid Byron Donalds's PAC on the same dayDonalds's PAC, a political committee that takes donations, got $500,000 from the tribe and $250,000 from Kalshi on Oct. 13. Five days earlier, the tribe backed New Jersey against Kalshi at the Supreme Court.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 26, 2026
- Politics · StatewideBrightline's parent companies are in bankruptcy, but its trains run. A judge weighs the rescue Oct. 29Brightline is Florida's private Miami-to-Orlando railroad. The company that runs its trains is not in bankruptcy and borrows the rescue loan, and about $4.4 billion of muni bonds sit behind it.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 26, 2026
- Politics · MiamiRep. Salazar's donor is charged in Honduras, and she has not answeredWellington businessman Lenir Pérez wrote a $100,000 check to her joint fundraising committee, federal filings show. Most of it went on to House Republicans' campaign arm.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 26, 2026
- Politics · Miami BeachMiami Beach nearly halves Art Basel's rent over Norman Braman's objectionNorman Braman, the billionaire auto dealer widely credited with bringing the fair to Miami Beach, told commissioners to send the city manager back for a better deal. The city will also pay the first $300,000 a year of the fair's police and fire costs through 2031.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 26, 2026
- Politics · TallahasseeRegulators' own staff says deny Duke's data center plan as filedA new Florida law says data centers and other giant power users must pay the full cost of serving them. In the law's first test, the state regulator's own experts say Duke has not shown its plan does that.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 26, 2026
- Politics · TallahasseeSenate President Albritton will vote no on Amendment 3, the tax cut his Senate put on the ballotBen Albritton voted for the property tax cut in June. Now he opposes it, while Realtor groups pay for the campaign to pass it.Old Florida Money desk · Fri Oct 23, 2026
- Politics · NaplesByron Donalds's wife's firm gets most of a charter school's tax moneyA Collier County online charter school plans to pay about $15.7 million this school year, nearly all its money, to OptimaEd, the Naples company of Erika Donalds. Her husband, Byron Donalds, is the Republican running for governor, the office that signs the state budget behind part of that money.Old Florida Money desk · Fri Oct 23, 2026
- Business · StatewideBrightline promised its Tampa bondholders full principal. Their bonds trade, and are valued, far below faceObjections to Brightline’s bankruptcy financing are due Oct. 22, and the final hearing is Oct. 29. First Eagle, whose manager says par is preserved, marked its fund’s junior Tampa-backed bonds at 28 cents July 31.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 21, 2026
- Politics · StatewideUthmeier didn’t sign as 39 states and DC took on Kalshi at the Supreme CourtFlorida was one of ten states not on the Oct. 7 brief asking the Supreme Court to decide whether states can police sports bets on prediction markets. James Uthmeier’s office declined to explain, Politico reported.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 21, 2026
- PoliticsLarry Page’s reported Coconut Grove estates changed hands by deeds dated days before California’s billionaire tax lineMiami-Dade records show Coconut Grove deeds dated Dec. 26 to 29, 2025, to two revocable trusts. California’s Prop 40, on its Nov. 3 ballot, would tax billionaires living there Jan. 1, 2026, but not houses they hold directly or in a revocable trust.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 21, 2026
- Politics · OrlandoOrange County commissioners voted the Dr. Phillips Center $350M of hotel tax two weeks before voters reshape the boardOrange County commissioners voted 6-1 Oct. 19 to commit tourist-tax money, some of it over a decade. Hoteliers and the union Unite Here Local 737 asked them to slow down; the convention center got nothing.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 21, 2026
- Politics · West Palm BeachTwo Florida power regulators took a hosts-paid West Palm Beach retreat. Their commission is set to rule on Duke’s data center plan Nov. 3Commissioners Mike La Rosa and Bobby Payne blocked three July weekdays for a West Palm Beach retreat hosted by a GOPAC-tied group, the Tampa Bay Times reports. The commission says no regulated utility paid.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 21, 2026
- Politics · Boca RatonGEO Group gave Byron Donalds money in early OctoberThe Oct. 8 check to Donalds’ PAC came six days after GEO’s $950 million sale of a California ICE complex to Homeland Security. No record ties it to the sale, a state contract or vote.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 21, 2026
- Politics · StatewideAshley Moody’s Senate race draws outside money: a super PAC backed by Ken Griffin for her, and a new group the Times ties to Florida lawyer Steve Pajcic against herFederal filings show New Deal for All, which The New York Times reports is backed by 1986 Democratic governor nominee Steve Pajcic, spent about $3.1 million against Sen. Ashley Moody this month, while Stronger Safer Nation, a super PAC Ken Griffin gave $2.5 million, keeps spending against Angie Nixon (FEC; The New York Times; Reuters; Tampa Bay Times).Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026
- Politics · MiamiVirginia Key’s marinas, for up to 75 years: Miami voters decide, and Suntex is paying for the YesEarly voting opens today on Referendum 3, which would lease 27.62 acres of public waterfront off the Rickenbacker Causeway to a Suntex partnership at a $2.2 million minimum rent from a 2017 bid. City filings show Suntex has put $2.35 million into the Yes side and the incumbent marina has put $1.1 million into the No (City of Miami; Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections; WLRN; Political Cortadito).Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026
- Politics · StatewideBig Sugar, GOPAC, an auto-insurance agency and you: who’s paying for the governor’s raceFrom Sept. 29 to Oct. 2, 16 donors gave Byron Donalds’ PAC $100,000 or more each, $3,575,000 in all (Division of Elections; our sum). Then the state’s Oct. 9 matching-funds distribution sent Democrat David Jolly six times what it sent Donalds (Florida Department of State; our arithmetic).Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 12, 2026
- Politics · TallahasseeHope Florida: the Trib counts more than $444,000 in public money for private law firms in the grand jury fight, and the order erasing the report is open to rehearing until ThursdayThe Oct. 7 appeals ruling ordering the Hope Florida grand jury report expunged is not final until the rehearing deadline passes Thursday, Oct. 22, and we found no report of a motion; the public case system does not open the court’s docket for the case (1st DCA opinion; Florida courts). The two-year campaign-finance charging deadlines the Florida Trident reads for the October 2024 checks began falling due Saturday, Oct. 17, and the last ones fall Oct. 28 and 29; no one has been charged (WLRN, Florida Trident; Division of Elections; our arithmetic). The Florida Trib counts more than $444,000 in public money paid to three private law firms hired to represent state officials in the fight, and state contract records show no new payments to them since Oct. 5 (Florida Trib; FACTS).Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026
- Storm money · PanhandlePensacola’s Isaias cleanup: DeSantis asks Trump for a major disaster declaration, and Escambia reverses its administrator to bring back its biggest debris haulerFlorida has asked President Trump for a major disaster declaration covering Public Assistance in 15 Panhandle counties and Individual Assistance in eight, Escambia among them; FEMA’s data still showed no approval on Oct. 18 (Executive Office of the Governor; Florida Division of Emergency Management; OpenFEMA). Escambia commissioners voted Oct. 15 to put AshBritt back on debris pickup, with Commissioner Steven Barry voting no, after Administrator Wes Moreno had cut the county to two haulers; the county’s repair bill is about $64 million, $54.87 million of it debris removal (WEAR-TV). Moody’s RMS now puts U.S. private insured losses at $2.5 billion to $4.5 billion, best estimate $3.5 billion (Moody’s; Artemis). Citizens had 9,052 policies and $3.56 billion of exposure in eight Panhandle coastal counties as of Aug. 31 (Citizens).Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026
- Politics · StatewideByron Donalds’ PAC has now sent Florida’s GOP $35 million, $4 million of it this monthThrough Oct. 9, Donalds’ PAC had spent $99.6M by our sum of state records, including $35M to the Republican Party of Florida in 11 payments ($4M on Oct. 5). With his campaign account he has spent $110.7M, which Florida Politics puts at “more than $110 million.” GEO Group and Fighting for Florida’s Families each gave the PAC $1M in the week ended Oct. 9. Polls reported Oct. 13 run from Donalds up 11 to a tie (Division of Elections; Florida Politics; Newsweek). The Seminole Tribe, which has given Donalds’ PAC $5.5M, is suing DraftKings, whose subsidiary gave the PAC $500,000.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026
- Politics · Boca RatonBoca’s GEO Group sells ICE its own Adelanto detention complex for $950 million, and keeps running itGeorge Zoley’s company closed the $950 million sale to Homeland Security on Oct. 2 and expects about $705 million net. Its filings say about $678 million goes to redeem its 8.625% notes, and its new credit terms allow unlimited buybacks while leverage stays at or under 2.25 times. It still runs the complex for ICE; on Friday, Oct. 16, five California House Democrats who visited unannounced reported dirty showers and kitchens, and ICE calls condition claims false (GEO 8-K; LAist; KESQ; Hoodline).Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026
- Politics · Juno BeachFPL’s parent keeps its Florida politics memo eyes-only at its lawyers’ offices as Virginia testimony comes dueNobody has asked Virginia’s full commission to review the Oct. 8 ruling that lets parties read the 2021 “Robo Memo” about FPL and Florida politics only in person, eyes-only, at the companies’ lawyers’ offices (Virginia SCC docket). On Oct. 15 NextEra CEO John Ketchum pitched the Dominion deal in Richmond, and he and Dominion’s Ed Baine were not available to take reporters’ questions; WTVR says it has a partly redacted copy of the memo, more than 150 pages long, first leaked to Florida journalists (WTVR). Clean Virginia’s merger witness testified Oct. 16 that NextEra’s promises not to break the law are worth less than zero, citing violations NextEra acknowledged and the proposed $150 million investor settlement over its disclosures about its political activities (Virginia SCC). NextEra says its investigation found no credible evidence of illegal conduct (Virginia SCC motion).Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026
- Business · StatewideBrightline’s parent companies are in bankruptcy. The trains still run, and its bond insurer and muni funds are lining up $490M to see it throughSeventeen Fortress-backed Brightline parent companies filed Chapter 11 in New Jersey on Sept. 24 over about $2.5 billion of holding-company debt; the company that runs the trains did not file. Judge Mark Edward Hall approved rescue financing of up to $257.7 million on an interim basis, with $190 million available now, and the final hearing is Oct. 29. The plan keeps muni bond principal in place but calls for deferred interest payments.Old Florida Money desk · Fri Oct 9, 2026
- Politics · PanhandleFlorida paid $83.3M for 4 Destin acres. Guidry’s companies wrote at least $350,000 in political checksRobert J. Guidry’s LLCs bought the Norriego Point land for $7.9M in 2016 and 2017, and the state agreed to pay $83,326,520 for it. Division of Elections records show eight checks of $25,000 or more from his companies since February 2025, $100,000 of it this summer. Two went to the committee of Attorney General James Uthmeier, who sits by law on the trustees’ board that approved the deal.Old Florida Money desk · Wed Oct 7, 2026
- Politics · StatewideFlorida’s land trust approved $72.6M for easements on 10,770 acres, the state says, including a ranch once owned by Gov. Doyle CarltonOn Sept. 29 the Governor and Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, approved buying development rights while the owners keep their land. Our arithmetic on the state’s figures: about $6,700 an acre. A year earlier the same board approved $20.8M an acre for 4 acres in Destin, bought outright.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 12, 2026
- Politics · St. PetersburgCharlie Crist’s St. Pete committee pays two firms listed at the Florida Politics addressSt. Pete Shines, the committee backing Charlie Crist for St. Petersburg mayor, is chaired by Michelle Todd Schorsch, who is married to Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch. From Sept. 12 to Oct. 9 it sent $299,754.90 of its $321,906.27 in spending to All Too Strategic and Extensive Enterprises, two firms state records list at the address Florida Politics gives for itself, which the committee also lists as its own (state records; Florida Politics; our arithmetic). In the week to Oct. 9, Shines raised $81,500 and Mayor Ken Welch’s committee raised nothing (state records; Florida Politics). Crist leads 53% to 32% in an Oct. 13 St. Pete Polls survey (Florida Politics). Early voting starts today, Oct. 19.Old Florida Money desk · Mon Oct 19, 2026