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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jolly enters governor's race as a Democrat: ‘The Free State of Florida is a lie'
David Jolly, the former Tampa-area congressman who left the Republican Party seven years ago, is holding court with the press in an Aventura Hilton conference room, rolling out an announcement that everyone knows is coming: He's running for governor as a Democrat. 'We have an affordability crisis in the state that has people from all walks of life questioning whether or not they can continue to live in Florida,' says the 52-year-old attorney and father of two kids, ages 6 and 4. 'I think the affordability crisis is hitting everyone from every walk of life, and I think there's a strong case to be made that Republicans have largely created this environment.' Jolly is the first Democrat of note to launch a campaign ahead of the November 2026 election, despite joining the party only six weeks ago. For the Republicans, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is running with President Donald Trump's endorsement, and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is mulling her own campaign to succeed her term-limited husband. Jolly, who left Congress in 2017 and registered without party affiliation a year later, has been on something of a charm offensive of late. He has been traveling the state and meeting with voters in churches to raise his profile and listen to frustrations with Florida's Republican-dominated government. 'This is a home for the rich and the reckless under [Gov.] Ron DeSantis,' he says. Politically, Jolly is moving in the opposite direction of the state he wants to lead. Florida is becoming more Republican, voting for Trump in the last three presidential elections. Miami-Dade County, where Jolly, the son of a Southern Baptist minister, lived as a young boy, voted for a Republican president for the first time since 1988. But in a wide-ranging, half-hour interview, Jolly said Floridians are waking up to the other trends in Florida under Republican rule: The Sunshine State is becoming less affordable, less tolerant and less accommodating to those who don't share the governor's religious and ideological beliefs. 'The 'Free state of Florida,'' Jolly said, 'is a lie.' Political handicappers aren't likely to give Jolly — or any Democrat — much of a chance to win in 2026, even with an open governor's seat up for grabs. Republicans now control every statewide elected position and hold super-majorities in the state Legislature. Active GOP voters outnumber active registered Democrats by more than 1.2 million. Even Jason Pizzo, Florida Democrats' former Senate leader — whose district includes the Hilton where Jolly met with reporters Monday — declared the Democratic Party 'dead' when he announced in April that he was registering as an independent ahead of his own planned run for governor. Jolly, who lives in the Gulf Coast town of Belleair Bluffs with his wife and kids, also shares some common threads with the most recent Democratic candidate for governor: Charlie Crist, a former Republican governor and ex-congressman from the Tampa Bay area who lost by nearly 20 points to DeSantis in 2022. Jolly knows Crist well, having lost his Pinellas County seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to the former governor in 2016. 'Charlie would always say, 'I didn't leave the party. The party left me,'' Jolly said, explaining how his political experience is different. 'I left the Republican Party. I changed.' What follows are exchanges from Jolly's interview with the Miami Herald, edited for brevity and clarity. Q: Why in this environment today, in Florida, are you running for governor as a Democrat? A: I'm running for governor because we have an affordability crisis in the state that has people from all walks of life questioning whether or not they can continue to live in Florida. That is a lived experience for my wife and I. We have two young kids, 6 and 4. I think the affordability crisis is hitting everyone from every walk of life, and I think there's a strong case to be made that Republicans have largely created this environment, refused to do anything about it, and I hope to change that. Q: You were Republican, you became independent, and now you are full on embracing the Democratic ideas. How do you tell people that we should believe you now? A: Charlie [Crist] would always say, 'I didn't leave the party. The party left me.' I left the Republican Party. I changed. I tested a different theory in politics. Is it okay to change your mind? Is it okay to grow? … That journey was a 10-year journey, not a 10-month journey … I supported, as a Republican, marriage equality, gun control, climate change, campaign finance reform. Republicans didn't want me. Democrats didn't need me. I conflated religious beliefs with being anti Roe [v. Wade] when I entered politics. That's true. I also, though, was someone looking for solutions. I was the only Republican in Congress to vote against the Planned Parenthood investigation, the only one when Republicans moved to defund it. I offered a compromise to move the money to community health centers so that there would be a continuation of care in communities across Florida and across the country. It wasn't really a pivot for me to register as a Democrat. I had kind of been there all along — not all along — but you know, during my [no-party-affiliated] years, I was an ally of the Democratic Party. So it has not been a significant pivot. Q: What are your thoughts on the current state of Florida Ron DeSantis has created? A: This is where it's a lived experience. We have a 6 and 4 year old. We wrestle with the question, 'Do we raise our kids in Florida?' This is a home for the rich and the reckless under Ron DeSantis. Whether that's because he favors developers, he favors the billionaires over the working class, whether it's because he ignores public health … denies science where it matters. Whether it's his attack on academia, whether it's his notion that he wants to divide us over who we love or who we worship … The implicit biases behind the DeSantis administration are ugly, they're gross … The 'Free state of Florida' is a lie. We've got a shot to change this. Q: From your perspective, what have [Democrats] gotten wrong? A: I've run more campaigns than I've been a candidate in so I know national Democrats and state Democrats have failed to meet voters where they're at. This is not a federal race. This is about the affordability crisis, education vouchers, corruption in Tallahassee. If Democrats start talking about Donald Trump in the governor's race, we lose. This race isn't about Donald Trump. It's arguably not about DeSantis. It's about the direction DeSantis has taken us. And so part of that is just kind of messaging. Are we on the right message for where voters are? Q: Democrats have a serious problem in South Florida with the Hispanic vote. How do you plan to handle that? A: We have to build a coalition that is broad and deep in communities across the state that includes socioeconomic, demographic subject matter, regional. We have to build and invest in communities where people believe in change. I do think in the past, Democrats have been too hesitant to condemn the regime, to condemn communism, to condemn socialism. We can embrace capitalism that has fair rules that allow for opportunity for all people. We can condemn the regime but lift up the Cuban people. That is true of Venezuela, to Haitian Americans and others. … If we can change a conversation on this in Florida, we've changed it nationally. Republicans for too long have succeeded in conflating immigration with crime. It's ugly, it's xenophobic, it's wrong and it's immoral. We can recognize and celebrate the contribution of immigrants, their contribution to our economy, their contributions to our culture. Lift them up. Celebrate them. Welcome them. Q: How does Jason Pizzo play into the upcoming elections? A: I'm going to say something you don't hear a lot of Democrats say. I have enormous respect for Jason Pizzo because he followed his political convictions. I didn't know Jason Pizzo 90 days ago. This isn't an area that I'm from. I disagree with him when he says the Democratic Party is 'dead.' I think the Democratic Party is alive and well and capable of winning next November. But I'm not going to criticize Jason … My job is to build a coalition that he can believe in and everyone else can. Q: You alluded to the Hope Florida scandal, what's your take? A: It sure appears criminal, and I think an investigation is merited, and I think investigation is likely being obstructed by Republican allies of the governor. And I think it's clear that $10 million was stolen from the Medicaid program. I think the governor and First Lady are reacting with vanity, which doesn't surprise me, and they'd be smart to just shut up. Q: What do you think of DeSantis' immigration blueprint? A: When Ron DeSantis plays theater with our migrant community, putting them on planes, sending them to Martha's Vineyard, or using tax dollars to go to Texas to grab a plane or whatever he was doing, that is just ugly, immoral behavior, and should be condemned. Q: Should Florida force local law enforcement to join the 287(g) task force program? A: The federal government has a responsibility to provide for immigration enforcement. That's just the reality … My concern is that I think Republicans are just racing to embrace the president in a way that it's skipping over due process, skipping over funding, it's ignoring enforcement in criminal justice in other areas where local law enforcement should be looking … I think it's just a matter of getting it right. Q: And the affordability crisis that you're talking about specifically is housing? A: It is largely driven by housing costs, access to housing, contributed to mainly by the property-insurance crisis and the property-tax crisis. But I think we need big and bold changes … I think we need a CAT fund for property insurance, a state catastrophic fund that removes hurricane and natural disaster risks from the private market. You can actually reduce private insurance by about 60% if you do that in a lot of policies. Q: Are you not prepared to offer a property tax solution because you don't have one yet, or because you just don't want to let it out today? A: I believe we need property tax reform, but I believe it needs to be sober, reflect math, reflect revenue needs, include experts and economic growth and a real study, and then ultimately put those proposals in front of the voters, so that voters can decide. I don't have a 10-point-plan on property-tax relief, but I think it is something that we need to do. I'm glad Tallahassee is talking about it. I just think they're talking about it with a level of irresponsibility that should concern us. Q: Are any of our local billionaires endorsing you? A: I'm gonna leave that for next week. … we do have many of the traditional Democratic donors, supporters, electeds, former electeds … We have built a broad coalition.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Jolly enters governor's race as a Democrat: ‘The Free State of Florida is a lie'
David Jolly, the former Tampa-area congressman who left the Republican Party seven years ago, is holding court with the press in an Aventura Hilton conference room, rolling out an announcement that everyone knows is coming: He's running for governor as a Democrat. 'We have an affordability crisis in the state that has people from all walks of life questioning whether or not they can continue to live in Florida,' says the 52-year-old attorney and father of two kids, ages 6 and 4. 'I think the affordability crisis is hitting everyone from every walk of life, and I think there's a strong case to be made that Republicans have largely created this environment.' Jolly is the first Democrat of note to launch a campaign ahead of the November 2026 election, despite joining the party only six weeks ago. For the Republicans, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is running with President Donald Trump's endorsement, and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis is mulling her own campaign to succeed her term-limited husband. Jolly, who left Congress in 2017 and registered without party affiliation a year later, has been on something of a charm offensive of late. He has been traveling the state and meeting with voters in churches to raise his profile and listen to frustrations with Florida's Republican-dominated government. 'This is a home for the rich and the reckless under [Gov.] Ron DeSantis,' he says. Politically, Jolly is moving in the opposite direction of the state he wants to lead. Florida is becoming more Republican, voting for Trump in the last three presidential elections. Miami-Dade County, where Jolly, the son of a Southern Baptist minister, lived as a young boy, voted for a Republican president for the first time since 1988. But in a wide-ranging, half-hour interview, Jolly said Floridians are waking up to the other trends in Florida under Republican rule: The Sunshine State is becoming less affordable, less tolerant and less accommodating to those who don't share the governor's religious and ideological beliefs. 'The 'Free state of Florida,'' Jolly said, 'is a lie.' Political handicappers aren't likely to give Jolly — or any Democrat — much of a chance to win in 2026, even with an open governor's seat up for grabs. Republicans now control every statewide elected position and hold super-majorities in the state Legislature. Active GOP voters outnumber active registered Democrats by more than 1.2 million. Even Jason Pizzo, Florida Democrats' former Senate leader — whose district includes the Hilton where Jolly met with reporters Monday — declared the Democratic Party 'dead' when he announced in April that he was registering as an independent ahead of his own planned run for governor. Jolly, who lives in the Gulf Coast town of Belleair Bluffs with his wife and kids, also shares some common threads with the most recent Democratic candidate for governor: Charlie Crist, a former Republican governor and ex-congressman from the Tampa Bay area who lost by nearly 20 points to DeSantis in 2022. Jolly knows Crist well, having lost his Pinellas County seat in the U.S. House of Representatives to the former governor in 2016. 'Charlie would always say, 'I didn't leave the party. The party left me,'' Jolly said, explaining how his political experience is different. 'I left the Republican Party. I changed.' What follows are exchanges from Jolly's interview with the Miami Herald, edited for brevity and clarity. Q: Why in this environment today, in Florida, are you running for governor as a Democrat? A: I'm running for governor because we have an affordability crisis in the state that has people from all walks of life questioning whether or not they can continue to live in Florida. That is a lived experience for my wife and I. We have two young kids, 6 and 4. I think the affordability crisis is hitting everyone from every walk of life, and I think there's a strong case to be made that Republicans have largely created this environment, refused to do anything about it, and I hope to change that. Q: You were Republican, you became independent, and now you are full on embracing the Democratic ideas. How do you tell people that we should believe you now? A: Charlie [Crist] would always say, 'I didn't leave the party. The party left me.' I left the Republican Party. I changed. I tested a different theory in politics. Is it okay to change your mind? Is it okay to grow? … That journey was a 10-year journey, not a 10-month journey … I supported, as a Republican, marriage equality, gun control, climate change, campaign finance reform. Republicans didn't want me. Democrats didn't need me. I conflated religious beliefs with being anti Roe [v. Wade] when I entered politics. That's true. I also, though, was someone looking for solutions. I was the only Republican in Congress to vote against the Planned Parenthood investigation, the only one when Republicans moved to defund it. I offered a compromise to move the money to community health centers so that there would be a continuation of care in communities across Florida and across the country. It wasn't really a pivot for me to register as a Democrat. I had kind of been there all along — not all along — but you know, during my [no-party-affiliated] years, I was an ally of the Democratic Party. So it has not been a significant pivot. Q: What are your thoughts on the current state of Florida Ron DeSantis has created? A: This is where it's a lived experience. We have a 6 and 4 year old. We wrestle with the question, 'Do we raise our kids in Florida?' This is a home for the rich and the reckless under Ron DeSantis. Whether that's because he favors developers, he favors the billionaires over the working class, whether it's because he ignores public health … denies science where it matters. Whether it's his attack on academia, whether it's his notion that he wants to divide us over who we love or who we worship … The implicit biases behind the DeSantis administration are ugly, they're gross … The 'Free state of Florida' is a lie. We've got a shot to change this. Q: From your perspective, what have [Democrats] gotten wrong? A: I've run more campaigns than I've been a candidate in so I know national Democrats and state Democrats have failed to meet voters where they're at. This is not a federal race. This is about the affordability crisis, education vouchers, corruption in Tallahassee. If Democrats start talking about Donald Trump in the governor's race, we lose. This race isn't about Donald Trump. It's arguably not about DeSantis. It's about the direction DeSantis has taken us. And so part of that is just kind of messaging. Are we on the right message for where voters are? Q: Democrats have a serious problem in South Florida with the Hispanic vote. How do you plan to handle that? A: We have to build a coalition that is broad and deep in communities across the state that includes socioeconomic, demographic subject matter, regional. We have to build and invest in communities where people believe in change. I do think in the past, Democrats have been too hesitant to condemn the regime, to condemn communism, to condemn socialism. We can embrace capitalism that has fair rules that allow for opportunity for all people. We can condemn the regime but lift up the Cuban people. That is true of Venezuela, to Haitian Americans and others. … If we can change a conversation on this in Florida, we've changed it nationally. Republicans for too long have succeeded in conflating immigration with crime. It's ugly, it's xenophobic, it's wrong and it's immoral. We can recognize and celebrate the contribution of immigrants, their contribution to our economy, their contributions to our culture. Lift them up. Celebrate them. Welcome them. Q: How does Jason Pizzo play into the upcoming elections? A: I'm going to say something you don't hear a lot of Democrats say. I have enormous respect for Jason Pizzo because he followed his political convictions. I didn't know Jason Pizzo 90 days ago. This isn't an area that I'm from. I disagree with him when he says the Democratic Party is 'dead.' I think the Democratic Party is alive and well and capable of winning next November. But I'm not going to criticize Jason … My job is to build a coalition that he can believe in and everyone else can. Q: You alluded to the Hope Florida scandal, what's your take? A: It sure appears criminal, and I think an investigation is merited, and I think investigation is likely being obstructed by Republican allies of the governor. And I think it's clear that $10 million was stolen from the Medicaid program. I think the governor and First Lady are reacting with vanity, which doesn't surprise me, and they'd be smart to just shut up. Q: What do you think of DeSantis' immigration blueprint? A: When Ron DeSantis plays theater with our migrant community, putting them on planes, sending them to Martha's Vineyard, or using tax dollars to go to Texas to grab a plane or whatever he was doing, that is just ugly, immoral behavior, and should be condemned. Q: Should Florida force local law enforcement to join the 287(g) task force program? A: The federal government has a responsibility to provide for immigration enforcement. That's just the reality … My concern is that I think Republicans are just racing to embrace the president in a way that it's skipping over due process, skipping over funding, it's ignoring enforcement in criminal justice in other areas where local law enforcement should be looking … I think it's just a matter of getting it right. Q: And the affordability crisis that you're talking about specifically is housing? A: It is largely driven by housing costs, access to housing, contributed to mainly by the property-insurance crisis and the property-tax crisis. But I think we need big and bold changes … I think we need a CAT fund for property insurance, a state catastrophic fund that removes hurricane and natural disaster risks from the private market. You can actually reduce private insurance by about 60% if you do that in a lot of policies. Q: Are you not prepared to offer a property tax solution because you don't have one yet, or because you just don't want to let it out today? A: I believe we need property tax reform, but I believe it needs to be sober, reflect math, reflect revenue needs, include experts and economic growth and a real study, and then ultimately put those proposals in front of the voters, so that voters can decide. I don't have a 10-point-plan on property-tax relief, but I think it is something that we need to do. I'm glad Tallahassee is talking about it. I just think they're talking about it with a level of irresponsibility that should concern us. Q: Are any of our local billionaires endorsing you? A: I'm gonna leave that for next week. … we do have many of the traditional Democratic donors, supporters, electeds, former electeds … We have built a broad coalition.
Business Journals
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
Christopher Massie
Banking & Financial Services | New Hire Christopher Massie Hired at LMCU With over a decade of experience in business lending, I'm passionate about helping Tampa-area businesses grow. I'm active in the Secured Finance Network and CREW Tampa Bay, serving on the Excellence Awards Committee. Whether leading my team or working directly with clients, I believe in building genuine, human connections. By understanding what drives business owners, I can better support their goals. At LMCU, I'm proud to work alongside a talented, committed team.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Versatile Florida DB D'Montae Tims decommitts from Missouri
John Garcia, Jr. One of the Sunshine State's offseason risers is back on the market. Seffner (Fla.) Armwood secondary prospect D'Montae Tims is no longer committed to the Missouri Tigers. "I'm decommitting today," he told Rivals. "I'm just reopening my my options." Advertisement Tims collected several scholarship offers into the New Year and initially pledged to the Tigers in early April. He says the program will remain among those under consideration moving forward. In the meantime, the three-star talent will be in the Peach State over the weekend, expected to visit both Georgia and Georgia Tech while in the area. The rising-senior, who helped Armwood High to a 12-1 record in 2024, also reports increased interest from programs like Texas A&M, Miami and Florida State, among others. CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker Rivals' Take: Tims jumped on board with Mizzou as his recruiting ascent was ongoing, so there were always going to be other programs jumping into the race beyond the pledge date. At that time, even, the Floridian had been considering taking visits to other contenders on his growing scholarship offer list. The Tigers will remain in the thick of this one, but the increased contact with SEC and ACC programs closer to home for the Tampa-area standout will also hold his attention. Trips will be taken to most of the newer programs to inquire about him and any resulting offers could play well by the time a final college decision goes down.
NBC News
01-05-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Deported to Cuba, mom says she never had an 'option' to take her 17-month-old daughter with her
Heidy Sánchez was so distraught that she got on the rooftop of a house in Havana to get Wi-Fi connection and send her daughter a bedtime lullaby via WhatsApp. The Tampa-area mother was deported to Cuba last week without her 17-month-old U.S.-citizen daughter, who has a history of seizures and was still being breastfed, she and her lawyers told NBC News. 'My daughter tells me over the phone, 'Come, mama.' And when she cries, she just keeps saying, 'Mama, mama, mama.' It's overwhelming ... I can't even sleep at night,' Sánchez said by phone from Havana. Sánchez's case illustrates the stepped-up pace of deportations of immigrants who don't have criminal charges or convictions, even though President Donald Trump said during his election campaign the focus would be on deporting violent criminals. Sánchez's deportation occurred around the time two other mothers were deported to Honduras with their U.S. citizen children, including one with stage 4 cancer. In those two cases, attorneys have said the mothers wanted their children to stay in the U.S. but were not allowed to make the arrangements. In the case of Sánchez, she said everything happened very fast. 'They never gave me the option to take my daughter,' said Sánchez. Her attorneys said the same. ICE did not respond to a request for comment on the case, but the administration has said in previous comments that deported parents have been given the choice to take their children or not. Sánchez said her daughter starting having seizures three months ago and is seeing a neurologist in the Tampa area. Her daughter's bedtime routine consisted of breastfeeding, lullabies and then sleeping together in bed. Now her daughter just cries, Sánchez and her husband, Carlos Valle, said in separate interviews. Valle, who's a naturalized U.S. citizen, remains in Tampa with their child. Sánchez was scheduled to check in at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Tampa on April 30, but her appointment was bumped up, her Miami-based attorney, Claudia Cañizares, said. Sánchez went to the appointment with her daughter and Cañizares' associate in Tampa, while Valle, Sanchez's husband, waited outside because he was not allowed in the room. At the appointment Sánchez was informed she was being detained and she needed to arrange for someone to pick up her child. According to Sánchez and the attorneys, Sánchez started crying, saying she couldn't leave her baby. The officers told her the child could visit her in Cuba. The child was handed to the attorney who was in the room and she carried her outside to her father. According to the attorneys, the officers didn't let Sánchez say goodbye to her husband or give the baby to him. When Valle asked if he could say goodbye, they told him no and said he had to leave. Valle said he does his best to console his daughter. He has reached out to members of Congress seeking help to bring Sánchez home. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla. sent a letter to Trump, which was shared with NBC News, asking for the return of Sánchez to the U.S. Valle will meet with Castor's office on Friday. The office of Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., responded with a letter, viewed by NBC News, which stated that 'our office is unable to assist you in this legal matter' and suggested Valle speak with a private attorney. Cañizares said she was given the 'run-around' when she found out Sánchez had been detained on Tuesday and was working to file a stay of removal on humanitarian grounds so she wouldn't be deported. 'It's very taxing and very overwhelming,' Cañizares said, adding she couldn't contact Sánchez or confirm her exact whereabouts. She said when her firm went to file documents on Thursday she was told Sánchez had already been removed from the country, though she thinks she was still there and deported later. 'It's very scary because we have rule of law, and as an attorney I have to abide by those rules,' said Cañizares. 'But if the government is not abiding by those rules, then what can I do? Sánchez applied for U.S. asylum in 2019 during Trump's first administration. Under his 'Migrant Protection Protocols,' asylum-seekers had to wait in Mexico for their hearings in U.S. immigration court. Sánchez said she missed her scheduled hearing in the U.S. because at the time she was required to wait in Nuevo León, Mexico, where she said it was too dangerous to cross the international bridge at 4 a.m. Because of her missed hearing, she was ordered deported in absentia. But she later went to the port of entry and was allowed into the U.S.; she was placed in detention for nine months and later released under ICE supervision with regular check-ins. Sánchez's husband is a naturalized U.S. citizen who is also from Cuba. He was in the process of trying to get Sánchez a green card. Cañizares is considering requesting humanitarian parole for Sánchez, though she acknowledged it's 'going to be a stretch,' because she has an order of removal that's already been executed. Other processes being considered are complex and could take years. 'The only thing we are asking for is to be reunited once again,' said Sánchez. 'We're not asking for money. We're not asking for food ... our daughter is suffering. She is the most affected one and that scares us. We hope this message reaches the pertinent people.'
