Winners & Losers
This week’s biggest Winners & Losers
Who’s up and who’s down in the Sunshine State?
The “pay for play” culture in Florida journalism vexes state Sen. Jason Brodeur. He’s filed a bill (SB 1316) requiring “bloggers” who get paid to write about “elected state officers” to register and file reports with the state. “Paid bloggers are lobbyists who write instead of talk,” said Brodeur, a Sanford Republican. “They both are professional electioneers. If lobbyists have to register and report, why shouldn’t paid bloggers?” If the bill gets heard, passed and signed, some bloggers could end up losers. Florida Politics suggests a possible motivation, mentioning a ‘ghost candidate’ scandal in his last election. But he says no.
Sabina Covo -
For the next eight months, District 2 has a new voice on the Miami City Commission. This former journalist is the first Hispanic person elected to the seat after surviving a special election that had 13 candidates. It only took 29% of votes to secure her the seat since it was a special election, and she has already committed to run again to hold on to the seat later this year.
Nikki Fried -
The race for the most unenviable job in Florida politics is over. Fried bested Annette Taddeo and other candidates to become the new Florida Democratic Party chair. While she is a winner for now, she faces an uphill battle for a party that faced its worst statewide electoral defeat in nearly two decades. At least Republican leadership is happy to see her in the position. If happy is the word.
Vince Lago -
It’s good to be unopposed. Vince Lago recently got to cruise into a second two-year term as Coral Gables’ mayor after nobody else filed to run for the post. It’s also a win in that he gets to sit on all his money. Between his campaign account and political committees supporting him, he has a political war chest of over $876,000, Florida Politics reported. Ka-ching! Did we mention it’s good to be unopposed?
Keith Ingersoll -
Don’t blame us, it’s the rules: Getting sent to federal prison automatically earns you an “L.” The longtime associate of disgraced former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg was sentenced to more than nine years for “bilk(ing) an elderly investor out of millions of dollars and nearly his entire life savings,” the Orlando Sentinel reported. Of note, Keith Ingersoll gave prosecutors “information to assist in another, non-public, investigation.” Wonder what that could be…?
Laura Loomer -
This far-right activist and election loser can’t even get into a Books-A-Million. She was part of the MAGA crowd barred from attending DeSantis’ book signing because they were wearing Trump gear. She posted a video arguing with the store's security, before later complaining that DeSantis was a “tyrant.” Loomer, you may recall, baselessly cried voter fraud when she lost an election. Now she wasted her gas money to Leesburg.
Nan Rich -
Poor Nan Rich. The Broward County commissioner (and former Democratic state lawmaker) had proposed a resolution defending academic freedom in Florida. Alas, it got diluted after others expressed fears it would offend Gov. DeSantis and the Legislature, South Florida Sun Sentinel Opinion Editor Steve Bousquet wrote. The winning quote was from the commission’s lobbyist, Ron Book, “If you poke the bear, the bear ain't forgetting.”