Latest news with #Crist
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ex-GOP Congressman David Jolly Announces Run For Florida Governor, As A Democrat
The first major candidate to announce a run for the Democratic nomination for Florida governor is a former Republican member of Congress who could possibly roll through the primary without a serious challenge. David Jolly, who served three years in the House representing a Tampa Bay district and is likely best known now as an MSNBC contributor, on Thursday announced his bid to become the first Democrat in Tallahassee's governor's mansion since Buddy MacKay held the job for three weeks finishing out the term of Lawton Chiles, who died in late 1998. 'Something is happening in Florida,' Jolly told HuffPost, describing the town-hall style meetings he has held around the state, including in solidly Republican areas, over the past several months. 'We've got a shot in this governor's race.' MacKay, who had been Chiles' lieutenant governor, lost to Republican Jeb Bush in November 1998, and a Republican has held Florida's governorship ever since. The closest Democrats have come to winning over that stretch was 2018, when Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum came within 32,000 votes of defeating then-congressman Ron DeSantis. DeSantis won reelection, however, by 19 points over Charlie Crist, another Republican-turned-Democrat. Jolly said he and Crist came to the Democratic Party quite differently. While Crist has said that the Republican Party left him by moving away from his values, Jolly said he over the years changed his views on issues ranging from gun control to abortion. He left the Republican Party in 2018, after its takeover by President Donald Trump, but was an independent for seven years before formally registering as a Democrat in late April. 'I test the theory in politics: Is it OK to change your mind?' he said. 'I think I reflect where a lot of voters are.' Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party and the last Democrat to serve on the elected Cabinet as agriculture commissioner, said that it was conceivable that no well-known Democrat will enter the race between now and the qualifying deadline next year. Whether that happens or not, though, Jolly has his work cut out for him to persuade hardcore Democrats in Florida that he truly is one of them. 'He will need validators from the progressive community…. There is some skepticism in the Black community,' said Fried, who herself ran for governor in 2022 but lost the primary to Crist. She added, though, that Jolly has impressed her thus far with his willingness to go everywhere and to talk to everyone. 'He is showing up,' she said. Crist held two elected statewide positions before running for governor as a Republican in 2006. He decided to run for U.S. Senate in 2010, but was on course to losing that primary to Marco Rubio, leading him to leave the GOP and run as an independent. Rubio ended up winning the Senate seat and Crist two years later became a Democrat. He ran for governor again in 2014 against then-incumbent Rick Scott and came within 1 percentage point of winning. From there, he ran for Congress against Jolly in 2016, beating him and serving three terms before leaving to run for governor again in 2022 against DeSantis, getting crushed this time. Fried said Jolly probably has a better chance at winning than Crist did, particularly if the mood of the electorate is similar to what it was in 2018, when Trump had energized Democrats everywhere including Florida. 'People are willing to give him a shot,' she said of Jolly. Florida is a tough and expensive place to run for statewide office, with 11 different television markets across a thousand miles and two time zones. To win, Jolly or any Democrat would need tens of millions of dollars or more to compete, at a time when many donors may be skeptical of a state that DeSantis won in a landslide in 2022 and Trump won easily in 2024. Florida's term limits disallow another four years for DeSantis, although his wife, Casey, is considering a run while GOP House member and outspoken Trump ally Byron Donalds announced his candidacy in February. Jolly, though, said that Democrats nationally understand the importance of Florida in the elections to come given that the 2030 Census will likely give Florida and Texas four more House districts between them and thus a near-lock on the Electoral College unless Democrats can put at least one of them in play. 'If we win the governor's race in '26, the road to the White House runs through Florida in 2028,' he said. Republicans, even anti-Trump ones who would love to see Jolly win, say that is a sizeable 'if.' 'I think his only path even to the Democratic nomination is a large and steady influx of soft money and outside support,' said one Republican consultant who spoke on condition of anonymity. 'He will need to catch lightning in a bottle to get the small-donor national network engaged to help him, and they won't be as likely to give to a very recent Democrat.' Mac Stipanovich, a decadeslong Republican who left the party after Trump's rise, agreed that Jolly faces a steep hill. 'The fundamentals, and, therefore, the odds, are against him. He will need to run a well-funded, nearly error-free campaign and be lucky to boot, catching some breaks beyond his control,' he said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Editorial: Reconsider, Sen. Pizzo — Independent candidates can't win
In the current state of Florida politics, the only thing rarer than a Democrat being elected governor, which hasn't happened in three decades, would be for someone to win as an independent — which has never happened. That is what Sen. Jason Pizzo wants to do. He should reconsider. The ex-Democrat from Sunny Isles Beach still has more in common with his old party than the GOP, and his third-party run would assure a Republican successor to Gov. Ron DeSantis, because a Democrat will also run, so the anti-Republican vote would be split in two. Independent candidates have a steep uphill climb in states as large as Florida. They do better in New England (think Bernie Sanders) and the Midwest (remember Jesse Ventura?) with their progressive traditions. Sidney Catts was elected Florida governor on the Prohibition Party ticket in 1916. It's the only time a candidate won statewide who was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. As a Baptist preacher and an anti-Catholic demagogue, Catts played well to a certain constituency at the time. The state's population was 924,000, less than half of the population of today's Broward. NPA candidates (no party affiliation) have run many times in Florida but barely register most of the time. Former Gov. Charlie Crist ran as an NPA candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010. He withdrew from a Republican primary he realized he couldn't win as a moderate in a time of Tea Party strength. Republican Marco Rubio won that Senate race as Crist ran second and Democrat Kendrick Meek third. But together, Crist and Meek got 54,742 more votes than Rubio. That a well-known sitting governor could not win as an NPA should give pause to Pizzo, who has virtually no statewide recognition. He does have more personal wealth — $59 million, according to his latest financial disclosure. Pizzo said he would invest up to $25 million on his race. But in today's outrageously expensive campaigns, that won't go far against the likely fundraising prowess of any Republican running with Donald Trump's favor, such as U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds of Naples. Nor would it likely match John Morgan, the billionaire Orlando trial lawyer who hints that he might run under the banner of a new party he may create. By running as an NPA, Pizzo hopes to appeal to a vast electorate alienated by both major parties. Pizzo's switch nearly coincided with an announcement by David Jolly, a former one-term Republican congressman from St. Petersburg, that he had become a Democrat and plans to run for governor, having created a political fundraising committee. As an MSNBC commentator, Jolly already has name recognition among Democrats and a reputation as a moderate that could appeal to the same constituency that Pizzo or Morgan would need. Florida is better served, we think, without an NPA or new party candidate splintering the opposition, which helps Republicans. The early options on the GOP side are bleak: Neither Donalds nor Casey DeSantis, the governor's wife who's said to be interested in succeeding him, is the moderate Florida so desperately needs now. In a red-and-blue America, people are accustomed to political parties, as much as many deplore them. The GOP now claims 40% of all registered Florida voters, compared to 31% Democrats and 26% NPAs. Minor parties, including Libertarians, account for only 3%, which ought to warn off Morgan. The surge in NPAs owes much to dissatisfaction with both major parties, according to findings last year by the public relations firm Sachs Media. The poll by the firm said NPAs have been decisive in close elections such as the historically close wins by less than 1 percentage point by both DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott in 2018. The poll also found that while a slight majority of younger NPAs (52%) consider themselves liberal, voters older than 45 — the majority — identify as conservative, ranging from 59% to 62%. The poll found that NPAs favor legal abortion, legal marijuana and higher taxes on the wealthy, but there aren't nearly enough of them to get Pizzo to the Governor's Mansion. In addition, Florida is a closed primary state, which means NPA voters are prohibited from casting ballots in either party's primaries. The people of Florida deserve open primaries, at least to the extent of allowing NPAs to vote. Indeed, a majority of voters — 57% — favored an open primary initiative on the 2020 ballot, but that fell short of the 60% needed for approval. With Pizzo and Morgan in the race, falling short is what will happen to Florida Democrats once again in 2026. The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board includes Executive Editor Roger Simmons, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Executive Editor Gretchen Day-Bryant, Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney and editorial writers Pat Beall and Martin Dyckman. Send letters to insight@
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Kettering Health works to return to normal amid payroll, MyChart issues from cyberattack
It's been nine days since Kettering Health Network was hit with a ransomware cyberattack. They say their specialty care offices are now open for walk-in visits from established patients. This announcement comes 24 hours after they said their emergency departments are back to being fully operational, and able to take patients brought in by first responders. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On average, when Harrison Township medics leave their fire station, half the time they are taking a patient to a Kettering Health facility. These medics stay busy, doing emergency runs over 20 times per day, according to the Harrison Township Fire Chief Michael Crist. TRENDING STORIES: Smoke, flames pour from large fire at local Catholic church Ohio lawmakers work together to ban ticket, arrest quotas for law enforcement Sheetz to open 10th Dayton-area location; to offer free soda, coffee When News Center 7 spoke to Crist, his department had been able to take patients to any Kettering Health emergency room for about a day since the cyber attack diverted them last Tuesday. 'We've been partners with the Kettering Network for a very long time,' Crist said. 'Fortunately for us, our crews are there a lot, every single day. So being able to be back in that hospital and back in that network as it normally would be, without any kind of diversion status is a very good thing for our community.' News Center 7 spoke with a Kettering Health spokesperson about payroll after we received an internal message that read in part, 'employees will be paid tomorrow, May 28, though we anticipate short falls that will need corrections.' One employee claims they were short $1,100 on this paycheck. 'Employees received their pay on schedule. Guidance from Kettering Health Human Resources has been shared with leaders to help employees if their pay is incorrect. We will work with any employee to ensure they are paid accurately throughout this situation,' Kettering Health said. 'We are very grateful for the patience and understanding our employees have shown during this time.' News Center 7 asked about getting prescriptions to pharmacies and getting them filled. Kettering Health says existing patients can reach their retail pharmacies and staff here. Patients can also bring their empty prescription bottles to their practice location for refills. When asked about internal lab blood work, Kettering Health says they are fully prepared for tests while their technology is down. News Center 7 asked again Thursday, and Kettering Health said it still does not have a specific timeline on the availability of MyChart or when elective surgeries will fully resume. Right now the health network says elective surgeries are 'on a case-by-case basis' and is telling patients to show up to scheduled appointments or surgeries unless a clinical team calls you to reschedule. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Team of Mercy's 12th 'Surviving the Color' set for May 17
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The 12th annual 'Surviving the Color' run/walk is set to bring color, community and hope to Terre Haute on May 17. 'Everybody is invited,' Christina Crist, Executive Director for Team of Mercy, said. 'Get your dogs, get your grandparents, get your parents, get your kids, get your youth group, your athletic teams, get whoever, your friends. Grab someone that you know is struggling, most importantly.' The event is organized by the Team of Mercy to raise awareness for suicide prevention while honoring lives lost. The day begins at 9:00 a.m. at Brown and Ohio Streets in Terre Haute with an opening ceremony. The ceremony includes guest speakers and a butterfly release. WATCH: Paint the Town Pink to raise funds for mammograms 'Life is taken away when someone takes their life,' Crist said. 'So, we incorporated the butterfly release to show giving life back into our community.' The 5K run winds through Deming Park, where participants will be covered in color. After the run, food, music, and mental health resources will be available. 'I didn't know or understand how much mental health and suicide affected our area until it happened to me,' Crist said. 'So, I want to reach those individuals who are in my shoes.' Crist lost her 15-year-old daughter Hannah to suicide. 'My why is all of the Hannahs out there, who struggle a silent battle of stigma, or whatever it may be, that is silent, and they think that they're alone,' Christ said. Registration is underway now. In order to receive a t-shirt, registration must be completed by Friday, May 9. Participants can sign up until the day of the race, but will not receive a t-shirt after that date. To sign up for the race, click here. For more information on Team of Mercy, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
