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Presented by Alibaba: Kimberly Leonard's must-read briefing on what's hot, crazy or shady about politics in the Sunshine State | | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard | | | |  U.S. Rep.- elect Byron Donalds (R-FL) speaks to the media during the second day of elections for Speaker of the House outside the U.S. Capitol Building on January 04, 2023 in Washington, DC. | Getty Images | Good morning and welcome to Monday. Republican Rep. Byron Donalds has thrown himself into the race for U.S. House speaker for the second time this year — and he's rounding up support from his home state. It’s just the latest Florida-centric storyline to emerge ever since conservative Rep. Matt Gaetz led former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s ouster 20 days ago. Donalds, a Naples conservative, is one of nine in his party vying for the top leadership spot after Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio lost his third attempt at the gavel last week. House Republicans will hear from each of the candidates tonight, then tomorrow morning they’ll vote in secret as they try to narrow down the candidate options to two. At least five Florida Republicans have publicly said they’ll back Donalds, including Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Cory Mills, Mike Waltz and Vern Buchanan. Rep. Carlos Giménez, who spent the last two weeks insisting that he was staunchly “Only Kevin,” surprisingly came out in favor of Donalds for Speaker over the weekend, saying on X that his fellow Floridian was “the present and future of our movement” and telling Fox News that Donalds could unite Republicans and help the party fundraise. Giménez didn’t explain what changed for him, telling Playbook only that he was “proud” to endorse Donalds “as a fellow Floridian and an America First Republican.” Donalds wrote on X that he hoped to be the first African American and first Floridian to lead the U.S. House, and that if elected he’d focus on immigration and “funding our government responsibly.” Donalds conceded during a Newsmax interview this weekend that the House was “having some issues” but insisted they could be repaired with a conservative candidate who could unify the party. “I believe I am the leader who can get that job done,” he said. Donalds has been open about his political ambitions, previously saying he’d be interested in vying for House majority leader and in running to become Florida’s next governor in 2026 — in a crowded primary contest that could pit him against Gaetz (who denies he has plans to run). Donalds, who turns 45 next week and is in his second term, is originally from Brooklyn and was a banker who went on to work in the Florida House. There, he chaired the insurance and banking subcommittee as well as the pre-K-12 subcommittee and sponsored a criminal justice reform bill that became law. His name emerged as a speaker option in January as an alternative to McCarthy. Donalds was a Gov. Ron DeSantis ally and even helped him prepare for his 2018 debate against then-Tallahassee Democratic Mayor Andrew Gillum. Like DeSantis when he was in Congress, Donalds a member of the House Freedom Caucus and was in the Tea Party movement. He was the only other person to speak the night of DeSantis’ 2022 reelection victory. But now Donalds is solidly in Donald Trump’s camp for the 2024 presidential election. In what became yet another proxy war between Trump and DeSantis, Donalds publicly sparred with DeSantis this summer over African American history curriculum in Florida that said enslaved people “developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit.” Donalds became a rising star in the GOP as the party began to make inroads with Black and Hispanic voters. — Mia McCarthy contributed. — WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis doesn’t have anything official announced yet. Tomorrow the governor will appear at a Never Back Down Town Hall with New Hampshire GOP Gov. Chris Sununu. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | A message from Alibaba: U.S. companies sold $66 billion worth of goods last year through Alibaba’s global online marketplace, including Florida-based companies DS Laboratories and Timberwolf Pet Foods. These sales are helping local businesses grow and having a major economic impact – adding $1.7 billion to Florida’s economy, supporting 15,000 local jobs and $936 million in wages. Learn more about how Alibaba is positively impacting Florida’s economy. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
BACK IN TOWN — It’s official: The Florida legislature is headed to Tallahassee for a four-day special session that starts Nov. 6, POLITICO’s Gary Fineout reports. The Legislature plans to pass a pro-Israel resolution, expand sanctions on Iran, make adjustments to its school voucher program, bolster Hurricane Idalia recovery efforts and pass legislation to reduce the backlog of applications for a program that provides financial assistance to homeowners seeking to fix their roofs and windows.
DRAFT REGS — State regulators are deciding how to enforce DeSantis’ ban on DEI in public colleges and universities, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Divya Kumar. “A draft version being circulated for feedback says in part that universities may not spend public money on activities that ‘advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion’ or ‘promote or engage in political or social activism.” ‘DESANTIS AIRWAYS’ — Americans who later took DeSantis-orchestrated flights were stranded in Cyprus for days, reported the Orlando Sentinel’s Jeffrey Schweers: “Nearly two dozen Americans fleeing Israel with the help of the DeSantis’ administration were stranded for days in Cyprus before they finally got to Florida on Wednesday, according to the head of an international rescue organization who blamed contractors that state officials hired to run the operation. Their rush to help DeSantis score political points for his presidential campaign caused the confusion, said Bryan Stern, CEO of Project Dynamo, which partnered with Florida on the missions.” Dynamo later said on X it was quoted “out of context.” The company said it wanted to “express our deep appreciation for Gov. DeSantis and his swift decision to help save Americans. The Governor clearly cares about Floridians and Americans and we applaud his support.” | | | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | | | | | GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here. | | | | | ANTI-UNION PUSH — Public school teachers in Miami Dade have been getting mailers urging them to stop paying their union dues, reports CBS News Miami’s Jim DeFede: “The mail pieces and video come from the Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank that is financed by wealthy conservative donors who have raised tens of millions of dollars over the years for what they say is a non-partisan effort to educate workers about their rights, but that critics charge is a well-orchestrated national campaign to weaken and destroy labor unions representing government employees.” SCHOOL BOARD RACE — Layla Collins, wife of DeSantis protégé state Sen. Jay Collins, received big contributions from GOP political groups and elected officials, reports the Tampa Bay Times’ William March. Collins is challenging Nadia Combs in northwest Hillsborough and raised nearly $40,000 during her first six weeks as a candidate. PAYCHECK — Corcoran could land up to $1M yearly — and more — as New College president, reports POLITICO’s Andrew Atterbury. Pending final approval of state university leaders, Corcoran’s proposed contract is on par with his salary as interim president — which more than doubled that of his predecessor — but also includes new incentives and bonuses that could additionally net him hundreds of thousands of dollars. Critics of Corcoran called the move a “gross overpayment” for offering such a lucrative deal to a president at the state’s smallest university. DEEP DIVE — “Jacksonville struggles to overcome a racism ‘baked into our culture,’” by the Washington Post’s Lori Rozsa: “In a city where nearly a third of residents are Black, impatience and anger are competing with the hope that many have for change.” | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | | | | A message from Alibaba:   | | | THIS WEEKEND — Florida Democrats will have their state convention at the Rosen Centre in Orlando. STRATEGY — “Inside Ron DeSantis' fight to stop Trump's Republican coronation in Iowa,” by Reuters’ James Oliphant and Gram Slattery: “To slow Trump’s momentum, DeSantis is banking on a ground game far more extensive than the one Trump employs in the state, and on a strategy of building support in a cluster of rural and lightly populated Iowa counties.” |  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Pray Vote Stand Summit at the Omni Shoreham Hotel on Sept. 15, 2023, in Washington, D.C. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images |
‘LOSING THE VIRTUAL RACE’ — “DeSantis’s hyper-online strategy, once viewed as a potential strength, quickly became a glaring weakness on the presidential trail, with a series of gaffes, unforced errors and blown opportunities, according to former staff members, influencers with ties to the campaign and right-wing commentators,” reports The New York Times’ Ken Bensinger and Nicholas Nehamas
THE OTHER DESANTIS AIRWAYS — Never Back Down has helped pay for DeSantis’ private flights for him to campaign, reports The New York Times. “The practice, described by three people who spoke about the arrangement on the condition of anonymity, appears to have cut the campaign’s travel bills by hundreds of thousands of dollars in September alone. It could test the limits of campaign finance laws, experts said.” NOT GOING — DeSantis doesn’t have plans to visit Israel, reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. The decision draws a distinction between himself and blue state Democrats such as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. DeSantis said in a Newsmax interview that it wasn’t “productive” for U.S. politicians to visit Israel during the war. | | DATELINE D.C. | | | | | | PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | NO GO — Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) won’t vote in favor of humanitarian aid to Gaza, reported the Palm Beach Post’s Stephany Matat. Scott said he was concerned Hamas would take the aid or that it would indirectly subsidize the Palestine Liberation Organization. BIDEN READIES PRIVATE SECTOR POLICIES FOR CUBA — But they’ll face opposition in Congress, by the Miami Herald’s Nora Gamez Torres. The regulations would “allow private Cuban entrepreneurs to open bank accounts in the United States to facilitate their operations … The regulations would also allow U.S. banks to clear dollar transactions originating in third countries that involve Cuban nationals, a restoration of so-called U-turn transactions previously suspended by the Trump administration.” | | TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP | | |  Walt Nauta, a valet to former President Donald Trump, left, arrives with defense attorney Stanley Woodward, right, at the Alto Lee Adams Sr. U.S. Courthouse for a pretrial conference to discuss procedures for handling classified information, Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Fort Pierce, Fla. | Lynne Sladky/AP |
NO POSTPONEMENT THIS TIME — Trump aide Waltine Nauta decided to continue to work with his attorney, Stanley Woodward, in the classified documents case, reported the Palm Beach Post’s Hannah Phillips. Woodward used to represent a witness in the case who flipped on Trump after securing new representation.
| | | TRANSITION TIME | | |
— Kendall Kelley is now legislative affairs director of the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities. She most recently was legislative affairs director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
| | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | |
NEW LISTING — “Matt Drudge lists very beige Miami compound for $2.9 Million,” by Curbed’s Clio Chang: “The interiors — marble flooring and tan floral couches — look like they were decorated, well, by a man who spends his day writing ellipsis-heavy headlines on the internet. Drudge paid $1.45 million in cash for the house in 2011.”
EXPANSION — “A Florida beach paradise needs millions to keep toilets flushing,” by Bloomberg’s Shruti Singh and Eniola Longe: After an explosion in population growth, Cape Coral “plans to sell $138 million in debt, with proceeds used for water systems to reduce reliance on wells and site-specific septic tanks.” BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Patricia Williams … Former Sen. Mel Martinez | | A message from Alibaba: Florida businesses, like DS Laboratories, are taking their businesses global by selling to consumers on Alibaba’s online marketplace.
Dr. Fernando Tamez, CEO of DS Laboratories, who partnered with Alibaba to expand its international business, said, “Today, China is on track to become the brand’s second-largest market. At first, Alibaba seemed too good to be true. Now we’re jumping into every program they offer.”
American companies sold $66 billion worth of products globally last year by partnering with Alibaba. The impact of these sales reaches far beyond Main Street.
In Florida, sales of American products on Alibaba added $1.7 billion to the state economy in a single year, supporting 15,000 local jobs and $936 million in wages for local workers. Learn more about Alibaba’s positive impact on Florida’s economy. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
