Ron DeSantis maintained almost his exact lead over Andrew Gillum after a machine recount. Manual recounts are ordered for the Scott-Nelson and Fried-Caldwell races.
Florida
No ‘Remedy In the Dark’: Federal Judge Rejects Nelson Bid To Extend Recount Deadline
The ruling could resolve questions about whether the recount process will move forward and whether official election results will be certified Tuesday as scheduled.
Nature Is Dying. Florida Is Sinking. Are Republicans Up to the Challenge?
A string of recent hurricanes reminded Floridians they don’t have to look across the country to see climate change in action. But the GOP continues to be in climate-change denial mode.
As Nelson Charges Interference, Scott Will Step Down From Canvassing Board
Democrats have alleged that Scott has improperly tried to use his authority as governor to influence the recount, which could decide his political future.
Voters in 3 Red States Approve Obamacare’s Medicaid Expansion, Bringing Total to 36
Florida under Gov. Rick Scott repeatedly blocked Medicaid expansion, which provides benefits to all adults earning up to 38 percent above the federal poverty line, an annual income of $16,753 or less.
Rhetoric Continues to Heat Up As Recount Is Ordered For Three Races
In Flagler, the recount in Flagler begins at 9 a.m. Sunday in the presence of the three-member canvassing board. The process is open to the public. It is expected to take all day.
As Scott-Nelson Margin Shrinks and Fury Surges, Experts Say Process Is Working
Watching his lead shrink, Scott accused elections supervisors in Broward and Palm Beach counties of “incompetence” and fraud though the process is following state law and timelines.
DeSantis Win Paves Way for Most Conservative Supreme Court in Generations
Ron DeSantis’ narrow win in Tuesday’s election for governor will bring an unprecedented expansion of conservative Republican power in Tallahassee.
Hansen, Mullins Win County Commission, Howell and Branquinho Win Palm Coast, McDonald Re-Elected to School Board
The races for Flagler County Commission and Palm Coast council were not close in a mid-term election that saw turnout rise to an astounding 64 percent.
Amendments: Felons Will Get Voting Rights, Dogs Won’t Race Anymore, Homestead Expansion Fails
More than 64 percent of Florida voters had cast ballots for Amendment 4, which is designed to restore voting rights to an estimated 1.4 million felons who have completed their sentences.
Rick Scott Wins ‘Nasty’ U.S. Senate Race, Ending Bill Nelson’s 46 Years in Government
Scott’s win even more firmly cemented control of Florida and the U.S. Senate for Republicans. Nelson for the past eight years has been the only Democrat elected statewide.
Powered by Trump Turnout and ‘Hamilton’ Tickets, DeSantis Defies Polls and Edges Out Gillum
DeSantis’ win was a crushing blow for Democrats, who had pinned their hopes on Gillum making history as the state’s first black chief-of-state and recapturing the governor’s mansion for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century.
A Few Big Legislative Races, Scattered Through Florida
Donors, party leaders and political operatives don’t like to toss away money on lost causes. With that in mind, here are some of the races to watch Tuesday in various regions of the state.
Flurry of Polls Show Gillum and Nelson Decisively Edging Past DeSantis and Scott
Andrew Gillum and Bill Nelson have built solid leads among independents, women and minorities, with Ron DeSantis and Rick Scott leading only among white men.
Buying Their Election: Mullins and Hansen Shatter Spending Records for Flagler County Commission Seats
The nearly $200,000 Joe Mullins and Greg Hansen have spent so far puts them on pace to match or outspend all 26 other county commission candidates in the past three years combined.
Yes, Your Car Can Be A Weapon, Florida Supreme Court Rules, Altering ’95 Definition
The Supreme Court made the somewhat-unusual move of backing away from a 1995 decision, which said a weapon must be “commonly understood to be an instrument for combat.”
In Miami on Final Stretch, Obama Chides GOP For ‘Repeated Attempts to Divide You’
The former president’s trip to the Sunshine State was sandwiched between two appearances in Florida by President Donald Trump, who held a rally Wednesday in Lee County.
Restoring Felons’ Right to Vote:
Why I’m Voting Yes on Amendment 4
In 46 other states, the right is restored either immediately or on completion of probation. Florida stands out for harshness, accounting for a quarter of America’s disenfranchised.
With 3.7 Million Early Votes In, Election Day Delays May Ease Despite Epic Ballot
While the lengthy ballot will cause some delays, it is not expected to be as bad as 2012 as a majority of voters will have already cast ballots.
Amendment 13: ‘Humane Treatment of Animals’ Would End Dog Racing in Florida
Florida is one of a handful of places in the country with dog racing, and passage of the amendment would be a serious blow for an industry that has been in the state for decades.
Showdown Over Local Control as State Aims to Stop Miami Beach From Raising Minimum Wage
Attorney General Pam Bondi claims a state law bars Miami Beach from gradually increasing its minimum wage to $13.31 an hour in 2021. The case also has drawn attention from local governments, which have sided with Miami Beach.
One Email From Serial Litigant Shuts Down Flagler Beach’s Video Access to Public Meetings
Eddie Sierra, a deaf south Floridian, is filing lawsuit after lawsuit against local governments across Florida if they stream government meetings without close-captioning them for the deaf.
Amendments 1, 2 and 5: Taking Aim at Taxes Through Homestead Exemption, a Cap and Supermajorities
Three proposals on the November ballot that would make tax-related changes to the state Constitution have drawn conflicting views from the real-estate industry, local governments and other groups about the measures’ potential economic impacts.
2 Million Floridians Have Already Voted, Republican Registrants Holding 43-40 Edge Over Democrats
As of Friday morning, 869,745 Republicans had cast ballots, compared to 808,288 Democrats and 347,488 unaffiliated voters, out of the state’s nearly 13.3 million registered voters.
All Insults Nearly All The Time As Ron DeSantis and Andrew Gillum Debate a Final Round
It was an hour of jugular attacks, with Andrew Gillum and Ron DeSantis accusing each other of being dishonest and unworthy of leading the state before they exited the stage with a fist bump.
Amendment 9: What Has Vaping Got To Do With Offshore Oil Drilling?
Rather than allowing the vaping ban to stand on its own, the revision commission coupled it with a proposed ban on offshore oil drilling in Florida waters, describing the combination as an environmental amendment.
Surge in Early Voting and Mailed Ballots in Flagler Mirrors Florida’s, Pointing to Strong Off-Year Turnout
On Wednesday, the Flagler County Canvassing Board was going through almost as many mailed-in ballots in a single day as it did for the entire 2014 election. The rest of the state is seeing a similar surge.
Judge Clears Way For Local Governments to Challenge State Ban on Stricter Gun Restrictions
Some 30 local Florida governments are challenging a state law that forbids cities and counties from passing stricter gun regulations than the state allows.
Gillum Leads DeSantis 52-46, Taking 21-Point Lead Among Women, 18 With Independents
Gillum is so far winning key demographics, with a seemingly insurmountable 18-point lead among independents, who usually decide statewide races, but he’s also winning among women by 21 points.
Amendment 3: Not As Clear-Cut As ‘Voter Control of Gambling in Florida’
Amendment 3, placed on the ballot by a political committee largely backed by Disney Worldwide Services, Inc. and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, would give voters the “exclusive right to decide whether to authorize casino gambling” in the state.
Women and Independents Keep Bill Nelson Ahead of Rick Scott By 6 Points in Latest Poll
Sen. Bill Nelson, drawing much higher favorability ratings and strong support from independents–key to all statewide races in Florida–is maintaining a comfortable 52-46 percent advantage over Gov. Rick Scott in the race for U.S. Senate.
Gillum-DeSantis Debate Is a 60-Minute Bout Over Ring-Kissing, Crime, Trump, Race and Algae Blooms
Democrat Andrew Gillum and Republican Ron DeSantis shredded each other Sunday night during a nationally televised debate, as the gubernatorial candidates appeared in their first face-to-face showdown.
Nikki Fried and Matt Caldwell Gun For Agriculture Commissioner Behind Holsters and Consumer Protection
Democrat Nikki Fried and Republican Matt Caldwell offer differing views on Trump, the state’s management of concealed-weapons licenses and how to move forward with medical marijuana.
Bitter Clash Over Charter Schools Behind Supreme Court Decision To Kill ‘Defective’ Ballot Measure
The proposed constitutional amendment could have opened a new avenue for the establishment of charter schools outside the control of county school boards.
Sean Shaw v. Ashley Moody: Race for Attorney General Contrasts Activism With Status Quo
State Rep. Sean Shaw, the Democratic candidate for attorney general, vows to aggressively use the office to take on fraud and other issues, while Former Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Ashley Moody, the Republican candidate, wants to build on the work of her friend, the term-limited Bondi.
Saying Scott ‘Exceeded His Authority,’ Supreme Court Rules Next Governor Will Appoint 3 Justices, Not Scott
The winner of the Nov. 6 election between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum “has the sole authority” to fill the court vacancies, the court ruled.
Help Fill a Relief Truck Parked at Palm Coast Parkway Winn-Dixie for Hard-Hit Residents of Panhandle
The volunteer relief truck, provided by Flagler Broadcasting’s Beach 92.7 FM and WNZF, is at the Winn Dixie on Palm Coast Parkway from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
Flagler County Emergency and Rescue Teams Part of Big Response as Panhandle Reels from Hurricane
Flagler County’s contributions includes Health Department Administrator Bob Snyder and Emergency Chief Jonathan Lord, among others sent to regions that have no functioning government structure.
‘Marsy’s Law’ Protections for Crime Victims Sound Great, but Could Cause Problems
Giving crime victims constitutional rights equal to those of defendants sets up a clash over the accused person’s Sixth Amendment right to due process and the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Amendment 4: With 1.4 Million Florida Felons Banned from Voting, Voters Will Decide On Restoring Right
Amendment 4 would automatically restore the right to vote for felons who have completed their sentences, paid restitution and fulfilled probation. Murderers and sex offenders would be excluded.
‘Unimaginable’ Hurricane Devastation in Florida’s Panhandle as Long Recovery Begins
The Florida National Guard has deployed 3,500 members for search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid, with assistance from National Guard units from as far away as New York and Kansas.
Nearly 400,000 Without Power as Florida Shifts to Search and Rescue in Michael’s Wake
The Category 4 storm created storm surges up to 14 feet in areas, inflicted damages across Tyndall Air Force Base east of Panama City and spawned at least two “devastating” tornadoes in Gadsden County.
Category 4 Hurricane Michael Approaching Panhandle Landfall; Spared Flagler Sends Help
The storm is expected to speed through the Panhandle before moving into the Atlanta area and the Carolinas, Flagler County’s Suzanne Eubanks on Tuesday was deployed to go into Holmes County as part of the state’s Region 3 All Hazards Incident Management Team.
Scott Warns of Hurricane Michael’s ‘Devastation’ and Storm Surge, Flagler Calls Local Impact ‘Minimal’
Current bulletins from the National Weather Service for Flagler County include a high risk for rip currents, a high surf advisory, and a coastal flood advisory. The risk of tropical storm force winds has decreased to 20 percent.
‘Monstrous’ Hurricane Michael Aims For Panhandle, But Effects on Flagler Limited
Michael has the potential to be the strongest storm in the region since Hurricane Eloise swept across Bay County in September 1975 with 110 mph winds.
Tropical Storm Michael: Scott Declares State of Emergency for Panhandle; Impact on Flagler Uncertain
Though distant, what will become Tropical Storm Michael is expected to bring waves of heavy rainfall and embedded thunderstorms beginning Tuesday and persisting through late Thursday in the northeast Florida region.
Attorney General Launches Investigation of Catholic Priests’ Child Sex Abuse in All 7 Florida Dioceses
Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is leaving office in January due to term limits, said it is too early to know how many Floridians, former residents or visitors may have been molested.
Judge Halts Florida’s Medical Pot Licensing Process Over Its Flawed Restrictions
The judge previously ruled that Florida health rules over medical pot were unconstitutional, and set a Wednesday deadline for the deficiencies with the law to be resolved. It passed.
St. Johns River District Was Barreling Into Flagler Beach’s Marshes to “Restore” Them. Then It Met Fierce Opposition.
With little notice, some haphazardness and many unanswered questions, the St. Johns River Water Management District was speeding toward a $500,000, 113-acre “restoration” of marshes at the south end of Flagler Beach, angering residents and businesses, who slowed the project.
Nelson Calls Scott a Liar, Scott Calls Nelson a Do-Nothing, Both Lob Kavanaugh at Each Other
Scott’s and Nelson’s tangle over Brett Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, was one of many points of contentions in the senate-race debate Tuesday.