Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 9.15.21

By Peter Schorsch    

Good Wednesday morning.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has been fighting tooth and nail to stamp out mask and vaccination mandates, but a new poll suggests that may be a losing strategy with voters.

According to a Data for Progress survey commissioned by the Committee to Protect Health Care, more than nine in 10 likely Florida voters are concerned by the delta variant, and they mostly dislike the Governor’s actions to contain it.

The lead takeaway from the poll: An overwhelming 73% of Florida voters say decisions on requiring masks in school should be made at the local level.

The Governor launched a crusade against school mask mandates last month, and his administration has started withholding school board member salaries in some counties that have moved forward with mandates.

Unsurprisingly, the most fervent opposition came from Democrats — 96% said they wanted school boards to make the call without interference from Tallahassee. But a slim majority of Republicans (51%) also told the pollster they wanted locals in charge.

Independents mirrored the overall at 73%.

About half of voters want DeSantis to pull a full 180 and institute a statewide mask requirement, not just for schools but for all indoor spaces. About one in seven voters are on board with the half-measure of requiring masks in areas with a COVID-19 outbreak.

Again, Democratic voters’ strong support for masking bolstered the overall line, but Republicans were not entirely opposed. About a third of GOP voters told Data for Progress they wanted a statewide indoor mask mandate. Another 11% would support the conditional requirement.

Asked directly whether the Governor’s COVID-19 messaging was helping him earn or lose their vote, responses trended toward the latter.

Of all his stances, DeSantis’ war on school mask mandates was the biggest loser — a combined 62% said it was either a “somewhat convincing” or “very convincing” reason to vote against him next year. His forays into vaccine skepticism and his focus on treatments over vaccinations were also underwater.

“Taken together, these results clearly indicate that Florida voters take the threat of the Delta variant seriously and favor the common-sense public health solutions that Gov. DeSantis has repeatedly undermined. DeSantis’ continued dismissal of the science and severity of the crisis is out of step with his electorate — and likely voters have taken notice,” the polling memo says.

The Data for Progress survey was conducted Aug. 27-31 and received responses from 753 likely voters online. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.

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DeSantis won’t be the only statewide elected official speaking at the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting and Future of Florida Forum.

The Florida Chamber announced Tuesday that Attorney General Ashley Moody would also make the trip to Central Florida for the event, set for Oct. 27-28 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando.

“Attorney General Ashley Moody is a proven leader who has a clear vision for free enterprise in Florida,” said Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson. “As a mother herself, Attorney General Moody is committed to offering a safe and bright future for all of Florida’s children.”

During Moody’s segment, titled “Preserving a Crime-Free Environment for Florida Business to Thrive,” she is expected to discuss her vision of making Florida “the most pro-law enforcement” state in the U.S.

“To keep Florida, Florida, we must continue to support the brave men and women who dedicate their careers to protecting and serving. While some states are turning their backs on their law enforcement officers, here in Florida, we back the blue,” Moody said in a news release.

“I am excited to speak at the 2021 Florida Chamber of Commerce Future of Florida Forum about how we are creating the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation — to build a Stronger, Safer Florida.”

Moody and DeSantis are among 80 speakers who will address the state’s business leaders during the Future of Florida Forum. The two-day event will be focused on how business leaders are engaging in the Florida Chamber’s Six Pillars Framework and the 39 goals of the Florida 2030 Blueprint.

More details and registration information for the 2021 Future of Florida forum are available online.

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Democrat Janelle Perez has canceled her bid to beat Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar next year. Instead, she’s aiming to flip the state’s Senate District 37 blue next year by unseating Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia.

“Florida’s state government’s dysfunction has reached new lows,” she told Florida Politics. “Gov. Ron DeSantis has made our children less safe during the pandemic by restricting health and safety measures in schools. Voting rights have been consistently attacked as Republicans are desperate to maintain power, (and) what’s happening in Texas is just an example of the need for Democrats to step up and fight (at) local levels.”

The change from a federal to a local race comes less than a month and a half after Perez announced her candidacy for Florida’s 27th Congressional District. Since then, her campaign self-reported raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in grassroots donations. The most recent tally, nearly $300,000, will go into a new political committee called Democracy and Freedom PC, which longtime Democratic consultant Christian Ulvert will manage.

While Perez’s shift from a federal to state election lowers the general profile of her political aspiration, it likely improves her chances at winning. Salazar’s campaign funds swelled to more than $672,000 by her last reporting. Garcia sits on a less formidable war chest of $256,000. Garcia, a first-time state Senator, supplanted incumbent Democrat Sen. José Javier Rodriguez in November by a mere 34 votes in a race that has since led to a pair of felony charges for election meddling.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle’s office said it had no evidence Garcia, who denied involvement, knew of or took part in the scheme.

Still, Perez said the way Garcia won office in November “absolutely” puts her at risk of losing her seat.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@SenRickScott: It’s unacceptable that Joe Biden‘s failures in Afghanistan have damaged America’s reputation, jeopardized our national security & made the world more dangerous. His complete catastrophe calls for @SenSchumer & @SpeakerPelosi to launch an investigation & hold Biden accountable.

—@akarl_smith: Sen. (Marco) Rubio calls on Biden to “immediately” fire Gen. (Mark) Milley after it was reported he made a pair of secret phone calls to his Chinese counterpart late in (Donald) Trump‘s presidency to assure them the U.S. would not start a war

—@KevinMKruse: In today’s America, the well-informed elder statesman serving as a sober voice of reason and wisdom is … Dan Quayle.

—@JStein_WaPo: Absolutely incredible: Census says poverty rate **fell** in 2020 ***during one of the worst labor market shocks in US history***, due to the combo of stimulus checks/federal relief that reached millions both in and outside the workforce. Reflects limits of jobs to reduce poverty.

—@LeaderBookFL: Gut check — poverty is defined by our federal govt as having an income less than $26,200 for a family of four.  What kind of fever dream is this??? It’s 2021 & clearly well past time to update this formula.

—@Annette_Taddeo: How can any Governor invite someone to the official state platform and not listen to what they said? Is anyone buying it …

—@CarlosGSmith: Well, well, well. After withholding detailed COVID death data for months, #DeSantis suddenly releases the info after WE SUED THEM. Coincidence?  Why not release all remaining data + resume daily dashboard reporting before Monday’s pretrial hearing?

—@FloridaEA: A big announcement JUST was made re: high-stakes testing. The gov announced the intent to drop high-stakes FSA testing in the 2022-23 school year. It will free up time for genuine teaching and learning, a move that the FEA, local unions & our 150,000 members have long advocated.

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