Update: A Look At Voting Today, Big Races In Florida
November 2, 2010
Voting was steady Tuesday across Florida, with no serious problems reported at polling places, according to the Florida Secretary of State’s office.
Weather, too, was generally good, with vote-rich South Florida clear, sunny and warm, while some rain fell in the Tampa Bay-area shortly after Democrat Alex Sink voted in the governor’s race and just before her opponent, Rick Scott, arrived to wave signs at a crowded intersection.
The fevered pace and bruising tone of the campaign, which polls show is a virtual dead-heat, wearied many voters.
Lynn Burnette voted – but said he was glad it was all over.
“I hate the mudslinging,” Burnette said after casting a ballot at Fellowship Mason Lodge No. 265 in Tampa.
Burnette said he voted for independent Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate, and though he picked the Republican, Scott, for governor, he didn’t like either of his choices in that race.
Voters in Fort Lauderdale, where Scott’s election night party is to take place at a waterside hotel, also were more glad the campaign was over than happy to be participating.
“It seems to become just a lot of bashing at the end, by everybody on both sides,” said Denise Chembri, 42, after casting her vote at a union hall near U.S. 1.
Theodore Jackson, 45, a warehouseman voting at the same Fort Lauderdale precinct, said he had voted a straight Democratic ticket – but didn’t feel any particular motivation in a year where Republicans are expected to make gains in congressional races and statehouses across the nation.
“You vote – and you never know what you’re going to get once people get in office,” Jackson said.
The lack of enthusiasm appears shared, if late polling is accurate. A poll this week from Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University showed Scott, if elected, could start out as governor with half of Florida voters saying they have an unfavorable opinion of him. For Sink it’s a little better, but not much. Forty percent of respondents said they don’t like her.
Sink spent many of the final hours of the campaign at events across the critical Interstate-4 corridor – attending a late Monday night rally in Orlando with former President Clinton.
She voted early Tuesday in her Hillsborough County hometown, Thonotosassa, with husband Bill McBride and their son, Bert. Scott cast his ballot in his hometown, Naples, with his wife Ann, and accompanied by mother, Esther, who has campaigned with him in the homestretch but is a registered voter in Kansas City, Mo.
“We’re going to win,” Scott assured before flying to Jacksonville and Tampa for events before turning to Fort Lauderdale for his final stop of the campaign.
Sink was equally upbeat, saying she felt “fantastic” about her chances.
“We’ve been calling all around the state, the turnout is good, so we’re confident,” Sink told reporters in the Tampa area.
Asked about the feeling of weariness expressed by a number of voters, Sink said she wasn’t negative.
“What the people of Florida have been hearing from me is a positive message out how my plan is going to turn our economy around, get people back to work and we’re going to support public education,” Sink said. Her campaign has, however, run a number of ads taking on Scott’s business background and problems at his former company, Columbia/HCA.
The small-scale appearances marking the campaigns’ close constrasted sharply with the enormous spending that has made the Florida governor’s race the most expensive in state history.
Scott has poured $73 million of his own money into his campaign, while Sink has spent close to $12 million raised from donors.
The Florida Democratic and Republican parties have each raised about $31 million for the campaign’s homestretch, with much of it earmarked for the governor’s race. Outside organizations, like the Florida Police Benevolent Association, which is backing Sink, and business groups including the Florida Chamber of Commerce, behind Scott, also have poured millions of dollars into TV advertising.
With the prospect of a much closer race than when Crist beat Democrat Jim Davis in 2006 or when former Gov. Jeb Bush defeated McBride, Sink’s husband, in 2002, both parties have legal teams in place if prospects of a recount emerge.
Florida law requires a machine recount if returns show a candidate defeated by one-half of one percent or less of the votes cast. In such case, ballots are run through the machines again across all 67 counties after election officials assure the machines are working properly.
If the machine recount yields a race with a victory margin within one-quarter of 1 percent, local election officials must conduct a manual recount of questionable ballots such as those which failed to detect any vote for a particular race despite votes elsewhere on the ballot.
If 5 million people turn out to vote, as is generally expected, a race would have to be decided by 25,000 votes or less to trigger a machine recount. A manual recount would take place if the gap closed to under 12,500 ballots.
Florida Republican Party Chairman John Thrasher, a state senator facing a stern Democratic challenge himself, said Tuesday he felt confident about the prospect for both his own race and for the party. But he conceded, little more could be said until the votes are actually counted.
“The missiles have left the silos,” Thrasher said.
Thrasher, though, said he was counting on a Republican advantage going into Election Day, with 270,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats having cast ballots in early voting or by absentee. Florida Democrats, were hoping for a turnout surge Tuesday to offset that likely disadvantage going in.
“I think it’s going to be a good night for Republicans,” Thrasher said, with polls showing the party likely to win at least three Florida congressional seats now in Democratic hands, while sweeping Cabinet races and making gains in the state Legislature.
Floridians were also treated to a bruising three-way Senate race between Crist, and Republican Marco Rubio and Democrat Kendrick Meek. Rubio was ahead of most polls going into Election Day, threatening to bring a stunning halt to Crist’s political career – though not necessarily a permanent one.
Just two years ago Crist was a front runner to be a candidate for vice president of the United States, and Tuesday he appeared on the verge of being out of a job, after having left the Republican Party in May.
Crist, acknowledged by many in politics to have had a keen sense for which way political winds blow, missed the rise of an angry rightward reaction to policies in Washington this year, said state Sen. Dave Aronberg, a Democrat who is also on the verge of being out of work. Aronberg left his Senate seat to run for attorney general and lost in the Democratic primary to Dan Gelber.
For Crist, called a “raging moderate” by Aronberg, it just “was the wrong year.”
Meek never gained traction and faced the added hardship of losing Democratic voters to Crist, who openly courted Democrats saying he had a better chance of keeping Rubio – who is a staunch conservative – out of the Senate than Meek did.
Sink looked to be the only Democrat in a statewide race for whom a win wouldn’t be a big surprise. All three Cabinet races had Republicans ahead in late polling.
Sink said if she wins and ends up having to work with an overwhelmingly Republican Legislature and an all-GOP Cabinet, it won’t limit her effectiveness.
“I’ve always been able to work across party lines, I have many voters and many, many supporters, a number of Republican elected officials, and sheriffs and state attorneys have come out and publicly endorsed me, so I know I’ll be able to put together a coalition of both Republicans and Democrats and independents to do what’s right for Floridians,” she said at a stop in Tampa for sign waving on Tuesday.
Potentially driving turnout higher, despite the nastiness, were some particularly competitive congressional races, far more than usual. Republicans thought they had a good chance to flip four seats, with Democratic incumbents Allen Boyd in north Florida, Alan Grayson and Suzanne Kosmas in central Florida and Ron Klein in South Florida all seen as vulnerable to challengers.
Democrats held a glimmer of hope in two other congressional races, including in central Florida’s District 12 where operatives thought Democrat Lori Edwards had a chance to beat Republican Dennis Ross in a seat being vacated by the GOP’s Adam Putnam, who is running for agriculture commissioner. Edwards was being given a shot in this Republican-trending year because of the presence in the race of Tea Party candidate Randy Wilkinson who was expected to peel votes away from Ross.
Democrats also were hoping that Joe Garcia might have a shot at winning a Miami-area seat, though late polling showed Republican David Rivera ahead in the race for House District 25.
Also on the ballot were four controversial ballot initiatives, one requiring local referenda before certain changes to local growth plans, two dealing with the rules for redistricting and one giving school districts flexibility in meeting class requirements, allowing them to use averages rather than actually capping the number of students in a class.
By John Kennedy and Keith Laing
The News Service Florida
James C. Darby
November 2, 2010
Mr. James C. Darby, 91, passed away on Monday, November 1, 2010, in McDavid.
Mr. Darby was a native of Uriah, AL, and a resident of McDavid since 1947. He was a veteran and POW of WWII and attended the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by a son, Donald Ray Darby, Sr.; a granddaughter, Tracey Simmons; his parents, Jeff and Ada Darby; a sister, Verna Mae Simmons, and a brother, Dovard Darby.
Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Lois Darby of McDavid; a son, James R. and Nancy Darby, Sr. of McDavid; a daughter, Edna Darby of McDavid; six grandchildren, Jamie and Janine Darby of Lebonon, IL, Kevin and Pam Darby of Herndon, VA, Donald Darby, Jr. of New Orleans, LA, Dana and Doodle Langhorne of McDavid, Deneen and Mike Brazel of Pensacola and Darla and Doug Coburn of Byrneville; 14 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Emma Lee Newton and Elsie Word, both of McDavid.
Funeral services will be held Friday, November 5 at 11:00 a.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Kevin Hasty and the Rev. Doug Coburn officiating.
Burial will follow at Crary Memorial Cemetery with military honors. Pallbearers will be his great-grandsons.
Visitation will be held Thursday, November 4 between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home in Atmore.
Deputy Remains in Critical Condition; Shows Some Improvement
November 2, 2010
Deputy Jeremy Cassady remained in critical condition Tuesday morning in the intensive care unit at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
The Sheriff’s Office is holding a candlelight prayer vigil for Cassady at 7:30 tonight at Seville Square in Pensacola. [Read more...] Donations to the “Benefit Account for Jeremy Cassady” are being accepted at any Gulf Coast Community Bank location.
Family members say Cassady, who was put into a medially induced coma after the shooting, opened his eyes and turned his head Tuesday. He has underwent numerous surgeries and has received over 240 pints of blood. His kidneys have failed.
Hundreds of people have donated blood on Cassady’s behalf at Northwest Florida Blood Services. The blood centers at 2209 N. 9th Avenue and 1999 East Nine Mile Road are continuing to accept donations for Cassady.
Cassady, a native of Jay, joined the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in 2006. He turned 36 just one day before being shot twice.
The victim of home invasion, 45-year old Jackie Rosenbloom, was listed in fair condition Tuesday morning at Sacred Heart Hospital.
Shooter Philip Martin Monier of Hornlake, Miss., remains in the Escambia County Jail with bond set at $2 million. He is charged with three counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and home invasion robbery.
Deputy Chad Brown, who joined the force in September 2009, and Deputy Sam Parker, a deputy since April 2007, were both released Friday from Sacred Heart Hospital.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is continuing their investigation into the shooting.
LIVE Election Coverage Today; Complete LIVE Results Tonight
November 2, 2010
This is an archive of a live election blog from November 2, 2010 on NorthEscambia.com.
7:00 p.m. – Polls are closed. Local election results soon here on NorthEscambia.com.
6:20 p.m. — A steady stream of voters across the area as polls close at 7 p.m. If you are in line by 7, you will be allowed to vote. Don’t forget results from across the area tonight here on NorthEscambia.com.
5:25 p.m. — At the Walnut Hill precinct, over 400 voters had cast their ballot just before 5 p.m., a 28 percent turnout. That would not include anyone in the precinct that voted absentee.
5:00 p.m. – Two hours to get out and vote before the polls close. Don’t forget a photo and signature ID when you go to the polls. With no ID, you will vote a provisional ballot. And don’t forget the ballots in Florida are two-sided. You’ll need to flip it over to vote on the back. If you make a mistake, you can ask for a new ballot and start over.
4:25 p.m. — Slow and steady…that’s the word on the flow of voters and the rainfall across the area at this hour. school. Many of those people are stopping by to vote on their way home, increasing voter turnout. The flow of voters as North Escambia precincts should only increase as the time gets later.
4:00 p.m. — Just three hours until the polls close across the area. Light rain is falling in many areas, but voters are still turning out in large numbers.
3:55 p.m. – For a look at voting across the state, click here for a NorthEscambia.com article.
3:30 p.m. — Steady voter turnout is being reported across the area. The two hottest races in the area are the race for Pensacola’s first strong mayor and the race for sheriff in Escambia County Alabama — so those locations are seeing higher traffic.
3:10 p.m. – Don’t forget NorthEscambia.com is the place to be tonight to get all of the election results from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in Florida, Escambia County in Alabama, as well as the statewide races in Florida and Alabama. As soon as the results are in after 7 p.m., they will be posted here on NorthEscambia.com. This is the place to be tonight for all the election results.
2:45 p.m. — Scattered showers are morning through North Escambia (Fla.) and western Escambia, Alabama. There will be breaks in the rain, but it remains to be seen if the rain will dampen turnout.
2:15 p.m. — Heather Leonard’s Danceworks classes normally held on Tuesdays at the Byrneville Community Center have been canceled for today because the community center is used as a voting precinct.
1:10 p.m. – We’ve had a few emails asking about Highway 97 road construction and the Walnut Hill precinct. The paving crews are working south of Highway 99, so no road constructions at the Walnut Hill Community Center. But be careful around Highway 97 and Arthur Brown Road (at Ernest Ward Middle). There’s lots of heavy equipment moving in and out of Arthur Brown Road where they are dumping asphalt mix. Rain is putting an end to today’s roadwork shortly.
12:30 p.m. — Have an absentee ballot in your hands? It must be returned to the Supervisor of Elections office by 7 p.m. You can not return it to your local precinct. They won’t accept it, and your vote will not be counted. The elections office is in Escambia County is on the second floor at 213 Palafox Place downtown. Need to call them? (850) 595-3900.
12:25 p.m. – Voter turnout is reported to be steady during the lunch hour.
Noon – It’s the lunch hour. Voting usually picks up during this time. No major problems reported at any of the area precincts.
11:10 a.m. — There is, of course, voting in Century today at the Century Town Hall. But you won’t find the Century Town Council runoff race between incumbent Henry Hawkins and political newcomer Jacke Johnston on the ballot. The runoff election for the Century Town Council seat will be next Tuesday for voters that live in the town limits.
10:25 a.m. — A busy period is winding down at the polls. Traffic will pick up again about 11:30-1:00 as people vote during their lunch hour. Avoid the rush and the rain that is forecast for this afternoon — go vote now.
10:15 a.m. — It’s interesting to see how Facebook has played in this year’s local elections. In Escambia County, Alabama, there’s a hotly contested race between incumbent Sheriff Grover Smith and Heath Jackson, a drug investigator for the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office. We could not find Grover Smith on Facebook (if we overlooked it, please email us), but there are supporters encouraging their Facebook friends to vote for Grover Smith. Challenger Heath Jackson does have a Facebook page (click to see) with over 1,800 Facebook friends. Jackson also embraced the net with a website, while we were unable to find one for Smith. Smith has been the sheriff in Escambia County (Ala.) for eight years and has several other years of law enforcement experience that he believes qualifies him for the job. Jackson has been in drug and law enforcement for 11 years, and he says his management experience also qualifies him for the job.
9:50 a.m. – Our phone is still ringing with the automated “robo calls” asking us to vote for candidates. So tired of seeing “Private Number” on the caller id when it’s a political candidate recording on the other end. Every call is a strike against the candidate in our book. Our most interesting call this week: Sarah Palin reminding how important it is for us to get out and vote today in Illinois. Huh?
9:10 a.m. — Moderate turnout is being reported for the hour at precincts across the area. Lots of voters still undecided on governor races in both states. Many voters are expressing sentiments of disgust over the TV ads and telephone calls for candidates and all of the mud slinging.
8:00 a.m. — The old adage about rain on Election Day affecting voter turnout won’t be put into play Tuesday with partly cloudy skies and warm temperatures projected for throughout most of the state. According to weather.com, the major metro areas of Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa and Tallahassee all have only about a 20 percent chance of precipitation. the Pensacola area, however, is expected to see stormy weather by afternoon.
7:30 a.m. – The polls are open in Alabama and Florida until 7 p.m. tonight. There is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms by this afternoon. Get out and vote this morning if you want to avoid the rain.
Century Can’t Conduct Business; Considers $1.5 Million Investment
November 2, 2010
The Century Town Council was unable to conduct business Monday night with two council members out ill and another absent for an unknown reason.
The council had few action items on the agenda — approving a “Hospice Month” proclamation, approving previous minutes and considering a $1.5 million investment proposal. But without the quorum of members present, the were unable to vote on any issues.
Council member Nadine McCaw is recovering at home after having a kidney removed, and Councilman Gary Riley was sick according to council President Ann Brooks. Councilman Henry Hawkins was expected at the meeting, according to Brooks, but he did not attend. Brooks and Councilwoman Sharon Scott were unable to vote on any issues without a third member present.
$1.5 Million Investment Proposal
Robert Lasher, a local financial advisor for Edward D. Jones, presented a investment proposal that he said would increase the towns earnings five-fold on $1.5 million currently invested with the state.
The $1.7 million total investment with the state currently earns a half percent interest, while Lasher said the Treasury securities would earn a current rate of 2.83 percent return. The Treasury securities are risk-free, backed by the federal government.
Lasher suggested that the town invest $1.5 million, leaving $200,000 in reserve in the state fund. He recommended that the investments be laddered in $100,000 increments, with each investment maturing in different years over a 15 year period.
“You would have to look and see what the cash needs are,” Robert Hudson, the town’s accountant, said. “To me, 15 years is long time.”
Lasher said the investments could be structured over a shorter period, like seven and a half years.
“We’ve been talking about using some of that money for paving, Brooks said, adding the town might need faster access to those funds. Lasher said the investments could be sold within one business day — with a possible loss — if the town needed the cash.
Without a quorum present, the council took no action on the proposal.
Hospice Month
Covenant Hospice asked the town to approve a resolution proclaiming November as “Hospice Month”. The council was unable to approve the resolution without the quorum present.
Pictured top: Empty seats surround Century Town Council members Ann Brooks (left) and Sharon Scott Monday night as the council did not have a quorum to conduct business. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Photos: No Monkeying Around
November 2, 2010
No monkeying around — the ladies of the Molino Homemaker’s Club took a first place prize for their booth at the Pensacola Interstate Fair.
The booth entitled “No more MONKEYS jumping on the bed” featured a happy family of handmade sock monkeys in a playful setting of an old fashioned bedroom. The booth also includes instructions for making the simple toys.
Members of the club that worked on the booth, stitched quilts and created sock monkeys were Nancy Holland, Elizabeth Barlow, Barbara Jones, Carolyn Peterson, Frances Cheney, Becky Dorch, Terri Brown, Dawn Johnson, April Glass, Lucile Whitegon and Millie Brantley.
The next meeting of the Molino Homemakers Club will be Wednesday, November 3 at 10 a.m. at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino. Annual membership dues are just $5, and anyone is welcome to join.
Submitted photos by Terri Brown for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Escambia Election Day Tips
November 2, 2010
Here are some tips to help voters prepare for Election Day from Escambia County Supervisor of Elections David Stafford:
- Verify your registration status using our online tool
- Know the location of your polling place – check your sample ballot, voter information card, our website
- Photo and Signature ID is required for all voters (if you do not present valid ID, you may vote a provisional ballot)
- Your ballot is two-sided — be sure to vote both sides
- If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new ballot
- You may select only one choice in each contest on the ballot
- Study your sample ballot in advance, pre-mark it and bring it with you to the polls (sample ballots are available online)
- You may not return your voted absentee ballot to your precinct on Election Day — it must be returned to the Elections Office by 7 pm for it to be counted
- If you need any type of assistance or have questions, simply ask one of the election officials at your polling location
- Early voting ended Saturday — you must go to your precinct’s polling location
- Busiest times at the polls are from 7:00 am until 9:00 am, and from 4:30 pm until the polls close at 7:00 pm
For additional information, contact us by phone (850-595-3900), email at soe@escambiavotes.com, or visit EscambiaVotes.com
Meeting: New I-10 Exit Under Consideration For Beulah
November 2, 2010
A new exit on I-10 at Beulah Road is under consideration, and the public will have the opportunity to offer their input next Tuesday.
A public meeting to discuss the proposed interchange in the vicinity of the overpass where I-10 and Beulah Road intersect has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 9, from 5:30 until 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Beulah Baptist Church, 5805 Beulah Church Road.
The meeting is being held to allow local officials, affected property owners and the public an opportunity to express their views and comments concerning the proposed interchange in an informal environment. The meeting will be hosted by PBS&J, the engineering firm retained by the county for the feasibility study and project design.
For more information, contact Eugene Harris, Escambia County Project Manager, 595-3434, or Greg Allen, PBS&J Project Manager, at 478-9844.
Rain, Then Turning Colder For the Weekend
November 2, 2010
There are a couple of a big weather events this week. The first is rain today through Thursday, and the second is much colder and drier air beginning Thursday night. By the weekend, we will have overnight lows in the middle 30’s.
Here is your official North Escambia Election Day forecast:
- Tuesday…Mostly cloudy. Chance of showers in the morning…then showers likely and chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
- Tuesday Night…Rain showers and chance of thunderstorms. Lows around 60. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
- Wednesday…Cloudy. Rain showers likely and chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 70s. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
- Wednesday Night…Cloudy. Rain showers likely and slight chance of thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 50s. Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
- Thursday…Cloudy. Chance of rain showers in the morning…then slight chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 60s. Chance of showers 50 percent.
- Thursday Night…Colder. Mostly clear. Lows in the lower 40s.
- Friday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 60s.
- Friday Night…Mostly clear. Lows in the mid 30s.
- Saturday…Sunny. Highs in the mid 60s.
- Saturday Night…Clear. Lows in the mid 30s.
- Sunday…Sunny. Highs in the upper 60s.
- Sunday Night…Mostly clear. Lows in the upper 30s.
- Monday…Sunny. Highs in the lower 70s.
Party Money Is Big; Scott Dumps $73 Million Into Campaign
November 2, 2010
Spurred by a neck-and-neck race that has them smelling the governor’s office, Democrats had their best two-month fundraising period ever, making the electoral money race with the Florida Republican Party mirror the contest between Rick Scott and Alex Sink: pretty much tied.
The Florida Democratic and Republican Parties both raised just under $31.6 million in the two months since the primary election.
It’s hardly a toss-up, however, in terms of what will be spent overall because of Scott’s willingness to dip into his own incredible personal wealth. Scott reported late Friday night that he dumped another $11.6 million into his campaign, bringing the total amount he’s put into the race to an astounding $73 million, boosting the governor’s race to the most expensive ever in the state.
Sink finished the fundraising part of the campaign having raised about $11.2 million in cash and got about $6 million in in-kind contributions, not counting the money spent on her campaign by the party.
As pundits talk of a big year for the GOP and an expected landslide win for Republicans in national congressional race this Tuesday, Democrats in Florida have been encouraged by Sink’s strong showing in polls – she has been ahead slightly in some, trailing slightly in others – while the Florida GOP all year has faced difficulties from a leadership and financial scandal that resulted in the criminal indictment of its former chairman earlier this year.
The Florida Republican Party’s $31.6 million for the general election campaign brings its total contributions for the 2010 election cycle to just about $60 million, according to finance reports filed Friday night. Despite its highly-publicized internal troubles, the RPOF still bested Democrats by more than $10 million during the entire two-year period.
Thanks to the Democrats’ big cash grab during the last two months – besting by $11 million its previous best reporting period, which came during the party’s giddy run-up to the 2008 election of President Barack Obama – the Democrats finish the two year cycle having collected just under $49 million.
Republican Party officials have acknowledged that the bad press over the excessive spending on the watch of indicted former Chairman Jim Greer, and the defection from the party of one of its big fundraising draws, Gov. Charlie Crist, have hurt their money-raising cause this year.
But the party needed less for this gubernatorial election – because of Scott’s $70-plus million from his own pocket. Scott spent more than the Democratic Party on the election.
Still, Republicans had plenty of enthusiastic donors.
Underscoring the importance of which party commands the governor’s office heading into 2012 legislative and congressional redistricting, the Republican Governors’ Association was the single biggest contributor to the state GOP — pumping $6.4 million into Florida between Aug. 20 and midnight Thursday, the state’s fundraising deadline for next week’s election.
The Democratic Governors’ Assocation is also a major contributor to Florida Democrats. The DGA pumped money into Sink’s campaign, and was a major donor to the party through an intermediary, a Tallahassee Democratic PAC called MARK Pac that took in $1 million from the DGA this month and then was one of the largest contributors to the state Democratic Party.
Other big givers to the Republican Party included U.S. Sugar Corp., which gave $1.6 million to the state party, despite Scott’s condemnation of Florida’s $197 million buyout of company land on the edge of the Everglades. U.S. Sugar completed the sale of 27,000 acres to the South Florida Water Management District, which intends to use the land to help restore the Everglades — although Scott has said the purchase was mainly to benefit the company. Scott’s vanquished primary rival, Bill McCollum, supported the deal — which the nominee said made him “bought and paid for” by U.S. Sugar.
Indeed, amid scores of contributions from health-care companies, utilities, Realtors, developers, and pari-mutuel companies, some of the GOP’s biggest donors were those who had fought hard against Scott in the governor’s race primary. Insurer Blue Cross/Blue Shield, gave $475,000 in homestretch cash to the state GOP after siding heavily with McCollum. Automated Healthcare Solutions, a Miramar company headed by a pair of doctors, Paul Zimmerman and Gerald Glass, steered $605,000 to the party after also helping finance some of the primary’s fiercest attacks on McCollum.
The doctors, who played a central role in fighting legislation supported by Sink that would have reduced the cost of prescription drugs in workers’ compensation cases – a measure vetoed by Crist — donated $1 million through companies they lead to political spending committees controlled by incoming legislative leaders Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park. The money was used to air TV ads during the primary against Scott.
Another organization which flipped its support was the Florida Chamber of Commerce, which had backed McCollum but put $115,000 into the state party through its Florida Jobs Political Action Committee. Scott has made peace with the chamber — and today is scheduled to attend a Winter Park airing of the film “Waiting for Superman,” which the state and national chambers have been promoting as part of a push to revamp the public school system and diminish the strength of teachers unions.
Sink is attending a statewide conference today with the union, the Florida Education Association, where she is expected to echo her resistence to ending teacher tenure, which Scott supports.
And as expected, teachers’ unions have been one of the major bases of support for Sink and the Democrats. The aforementioned MARK Pac that has pumped so much money into the state party counts the National Education Association among its major donors, having received a half million dollars from the NEA just this week.
And the Florida Education Association is among the biggest donors directly to the party, giving about $2.8 million just during the last two months.
Other unions are big names on the Democrats’ list. The party’s big donors also include AFSCME, which represents state and local government workers, the Service Employees International Union Healthcare union, which represents nurses and nursing assistants, including the many front line nursing home workers. Teamsters locals and the Police Benevolent Assocation also made several major donations to the Democratic Party during the period.
But Sink and other Democrats will also benefit from some corporate largesse. One of the major contributors to MARK Pac and a contributor directly to the Democratic Party is Florida Power & Light, the state’s largest electric utility.
As it always is, the list of Democratic donors is also heavily made up of trial lawyers, who are expecting a major fight in the coming year over lawsuit rules. Incoming Republican legislative leaders have made it clear they want to again pursue some of the major tort reform fights of the last decade, particularly in health care.
Both of the state parties spent more than $35 million each this fall, mainly paying for the TV ads and staff for Scott and Sink, as well as pitching in for other candidates.
Lawmakers’ 527 committees also ponied up big, particularly for Republicans. Cannon’s Florida Liberty Fund gave $300,00 to the party this fall; Senate President Jeff Atwater, now the Republican nominee for chief financial officer, gave $438,000 to the party this month from his Preserve the American Dream Committee; and another, the Alliance for a Strong Economy, run by a half-dozen senators, including Haridopolos, gave $310,000.
Other big GOP contributors included the Seminole Tribe, which gave $550,000 to the party which controls the Florida Legislature, which last spring ended a three-year standoff by approving a lucrative gambling compact with the tribe. The tribe also gave at least $75,000 to the Democratic Party.
Joe Anderson, the retired president of paving giant Anderson-Columbia Corp., individually gave $505,000 to the Florida GOP, while the company donated another $125,000.
Management of The Villages, the sprawling Central Florida retirement community that has been ground zero for a handful of Republican Party rallies, including those by Scott and former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, also has contributed $300,000 to the party this fall, records show.
Some contributions to the state GOP may have been made defensively against the expected tort reform proposals. With Scott already unveiling a proposed legislative package that makes it harder for doctors, car manufacturers and insurers to be sued, the state’s trial lawyer-backed Florida Justice PAC gave $10,000 to Republicans, while major law firms, Tampa-based Wilkes & McHugh, and Orlando-centered Morgan & Morgan each gave $100,000 to the Florida Republican Party.
The Florida Justice PAC, as expected, was also a major donor to the Democratic Party, having given about $150,000 to the party just during the last two months.
The state parties were about even in fundraising during the previous period leading up to the primary as well, with the Republican Party of Florida having raised $7.72 million from April 1 to Aug. 19 and Democrats raising $7.69 million during the same time period.