Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 12.7.21

By Peter Schorsch

Good Tuesday morning. Let’s begin with some good news about a great person.

Erin Ballas has been promoted to vice president at Public Affairs Consultants.

Ballas got her start at Public Affairs Consultants as an intern in 2008. In the nearly 14 years since, she’s worked her way up the ladder, holding positions such as legislative assistant and associate before being named VP on Monday.

The firm credits Ballas’ experience forging strong relationships, crafting legislation and securing funding with its significant growth in the 2010s.

“Erin brings a sense of family to our firm, ensuring our clients will always receive excellent service,” Public Affairs Consultants President Keyna Cory said. “We are thrilled to continue to develop as a firm with Erin’s enthusiasm and passion for the process.”

The firm noted that it was unusual — in a good way — for someone in The Process to stick with the firm they started with.

“I have enjoyed every day with Public Affairs Consultants. Our work ethic is unmatched, and we believe in our clients. Our firm is made up of two of the hardest working individuals in politics, and I am blessed to call them my partners,” she said. “I look forward to continuing to grow the firm and help our clients achieve their goals.”

Ballas is a graduate of Florida State University, where she earned a master’s degree in political science and government. She and her husband John Ballas live in Tallahassee with their two children, Dayton and Jett.

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Florida may have the third-largest congressional delegation in the country, but it doesn’t pack the same punch as other states on key committees in the U.S. House.

That may change if Republicans can flip the four seats they need to secure a majority, something that has become an increasingly likely eventuality in recent months.

If that happens, the House Ways and Means Committee will have a new chair: U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan.

The Sarasota Congressman is currently the No. 2 Republican on the panel, which serves as the primary committee responsible for overseeing the U.S. tax code, tariffs, and key social programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

Buchanan’s ascent hinged not only on a Republican majority but on the exit of the U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes, the current ranking member on the committee.

The second half of that equation was solved Monday when the California Republican announced he would leave Congress this year to run the Trump Media & Technology Group — a venture launched by former President Donald Trump.

Buchanan, who is already the only Floridian with a seat on the panel, would make further history as the first member from Florida to hold the gavel.

His business background and experience in Congress make him a natural fit for the position. And, should he land the job, the Sunshine State would have substantially more muscle in the Capitol.

“There is no more solid member of Republican leadership than Vern,” prominent lobbyist Brian Ballard observed.

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Rep. Ralph Massullo is running for the Florida Senate.

The Lecanto Republican told Florida Politics late Monday that he has filed paperwork to run in Senate District 10, the seat currently held by Senate President Wilton Simpson, who is term-limited.

“Over the past five years, I’ve had the honor of representing my district in the Florida House. During that time, I’ve worked tirelessly to live up to the trust my community placed in me by standing up for the conservative values we hold dear. Now, there is a new frontier on which to fight to defend those values — that is why I’m announcing my candidacy for the Florida Senate,” Massullo said in a statement first provided to Florida Politics.

While the current SD 10 includes Citrus County, where Massullo lives, it also consists of all of Hernando, the home base of Spring Hill Republican Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, who also filed to run in the district. Reapportionment could complicate things further by removing Pasco and bringing in Sumter.

Both lawmakers have previously acknowledged that they could meet in a Primary — in a September interview, Massullo said he “wouldn’t have any qualms” about running against Ingoglia, but that going for re-election to the House was also something he was considering.

Massullo later clarified that he would not run against a current House colleague in a Senate race unless he had support from Senate leadership beforehand, though he did not tout the support of any Senate leaders in his announcement. Ingoglia has not either, though he recently landed a high-profile endorsement from U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

Massullo’s biggest hurdle, however, had been the substantial fundraising gap between him and Ingoglia.

The third-term Representative started November with $228,149 on hand between his campaign and political committee. Ingoglia, meanwhile, had $1.86 million banked between his campaign and multiple political committees. Massullo plans to virtually erase the gap by anteing up $1.5 million of his own money on his first day in the race.

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It’s Election Day in Jacksonville. Voters across Duval County can vote in the First Election for the seat left vacant by the death of Tommy Hazouri, a functional primary for the open City Council seat in at large Group 3.

Four candidates are on the ballot: Republicans Nick Howland and Howland “Howdy” Russell and Democrats James “Coach” Jacobs and Tracye Polson. If one candidate somehow gets a majority of the vote, Tuesday’s vote will be decisive. If not, the top two candidates advance to the General Election on Feb. 22.

Polson is the leading fundraiser, though with the caveat that she is heavily self-financing, just as she did in her 2018 campaign for state House. Howland is the choice of the Republican business establishment. They are widely expected to be the top two finishers.

Turnout has been tepid, just below 7% in early voting. Democrats have the edge thus far in the raw vote, and the story of Election Day will be how quickly (or if) Republicans close that gap, which was roughly 6,000 at the close of business Monday.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

Tweet, tweet:

—@JimmyPatronis: There may be no greater failure in American politics than @BilldeBlasio. I have no doubt that blue-checkmark Twitter is loving his vaccine mandate because they don’t like a free people. They like big government. They like obedience. Unfortunately, there are people in this country that think that firing a first responder, and cutting their health care, is good for public health. @BilldeBlasio is their hero. He is their patron Saint. It is literally insane. I know for a fact that @BilldeBlasio does not like New Yorkers. Why? Because he has made his entire career about running his residents out of New York and into @GovRonDeSantis’s Florida

—@AngieNixon: On Friday, myself and 29 of my colleagues sent @GovRonDeSantis a letter demanding that he work with DCF to provide a plan to the U.S. Department of Treasury for more than $660 million in unused Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Funds. What say you Gov?

—@AnnaForFlorida: First, @GovRonDeSantis banned trans students from playing sports, now he’s erasing anti-bullying materials that focus on #LGBTQ+ identity. We warned lawmakers that attacking trans kids was not only wrong, but connected to an agenda of LGBTQ+ bigotry. I hate being right on this.

—@ShevrinJones: It is my hope that the @EducationFL will replace all necessary resources for parents & students, as soon as possible. Our students and parents must know that we care about their well-being, and that includes providing ACCESS to every tool possible to ensure their safety.

Tweet, tweet:

—@ReporterCioffo: Sources: The Gingerbread replica of the Capitol, created and set to be delivered today to its exhibition location, was stymied by a logistical challenge — width. The Capitol, on its cart, was too wide to fit through one of the doors between Longworth and the Capitol.

—@MarcACaputo: Personal news: after almost 7 years at POLITICO, I’m leaving my good friends and colleagues there and moving on to @NBCNews and @NBCPolitics