The Buzz | The final midterm countdown

Plus: Our General Election Voter Guide is here

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View this on the Web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Thursday, October 20, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Good morning.   The midterms are only 19 days away, and you can feel that the pace of election season has picked up. Campaigns are holding back-to-back events across the state, national political figures are flying to Florida and our TVs are blaring political ads on repeat.   This week's newsletter is chock full of political coverage, but first I wanted to flag our 2022 General Election Voter Guide. It includes information on a whopping 87 candidates on Tampa Bay voters' ballots, including who they are and where they stand on key issues. I hope it helps you make informed decisions as you get ready to fill out your ballots.   — Emily L. Mahoney, emahoney@tampabay.com [THOMAS CORDY | Associated Press] The final midterm countdown has begun The Rundown: Gov. Ron DeSantis was already a favorite to win reelection when this race started. But in the final few weeks before Election Day, he looks especially strong.    For one, Hurricane Ian, in addition to inflicting catastrophic damage on the state, instantaneously disrupted the Florida governor's race.   Democrat Charlie Crist went from having a bit of momentum to being left out of the conversation as DeSantis and President Joe Biden touted their bipartisan collaboration on storm recovery. One Democratic pollster told me the hurricane was as close as it gets to being "the final blow" for Crist's campaign.   Whatever the outcome is will depend on a list of permutations, including whether Democrats can hold their gains with suburban voters or Republicans continue to build support among Florida Hispanics, for example. Other factors, including DeSantis' big advantages in fundraising and voter registration numbers, will also be key.   We talked to pollsters, strategists and political activists about three ways DeSantis could win, or the less likely ways Crist could pull off an upset. Here's what we found.   Now to the U.S. Senate race: Florida's other top-of-the-ticket race, in contrast, has been closer when it comes to fundraising (though Sen. Marco Rubio has held a consistent edge in polling).   The two candidates, Rubio and Rep. Val Demings, squared off in their first and only scheduled debate Tuesday night. The debate was contentious and had the pair squaring off on the biggest issues of the midterms, from abortion to elections to guns. Read more for five takeaways from the event. PolitiFact also fact-checked several claims.   More debates! Today, I will be co-moderating a debate between Republican Laurel Lee and Democrat Alan Cohn, who are running to win the open seat for Florida's 15th Congressional District, which includes parts of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. Get information on how to watch that here.   And Monday, DeSantis and Crist are scheduled to have their only debate.  If you read nothing else this week ... Body cams show confusion: When police arrested Hillsborough residents with felony convictions on voter fraud charges, body-worn cameras showed how confused and outraged they were — and how some of the officers were similarly perplexed. Since the videos went viral, the state's most prominent felon voting rights group has demanded change. What we're watching Will DeSantis testify? That's a central question in the legal case challenging the governor's ouster of Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren. Other DeSantis administration officials are scheduled to give depositions in the case.   Implications of Parkland verdict: A Broward County jury's decision to recommend life in prison, rather than the death penalty, for the Parkland shooter stunned many of the victims' families and elicited strong responses from political leaders. It could also affect future death penalty cases.   Pot pardons: Here's what Tampa Bay law enforcement officials had to say about Biden's decision to pardon people convicted of marijuana possession, and whether the state should take similar actions. What we're buzzing about  [CARL JUSTE | Miami Herald] More info on migrant flights: Records suggest top DeSantis aides were involved in the program and at least one traveled to Texas to oversee it. This story offers a behind-the-scenes look at the flights and one man who helped recruit people onto the planes.    PLUS: Undocumented immigrants are expected to be a big part of our state's recovery from Hurricane Ian. A recovery worker was one of the people promised a free flight to Delaware as part of Florida's migrant flights.   New St. Pete City Council member: Brother John Muhammad, whose legal name is John C. Malone, was appointed to fill the seat representing the southwestern part of the city after an emotional council meeting.   Memo recommended demotion: A high-ranking prosecutor who supervised Hillsborough State Attorney Susan Lopez when she was a deputy division chief recommended in 2020 that she be demoted due to "continuous issues" with her job performance, an internal memo shows.   School board candidate's legal setbacks: Pasco School Board candidate Al Hernandez suffered another legal blow when a judge declined to put a stay on the ruling that found Hernandez ineligible to run while he appealed. Meanwhile, other local school board races are getting ugly, including questions about whether one candidate believes 9/11 was a "hoax." Get the latest coverage from the Times Subscribe to the Tampa Bay Times in print or online to get the full story on local, state and national politics from Emily L. Mahoney and the rest of the Buzz team. Subscribe now! Your Thursday distraction Who among us hasn't bought a bagged salad that subsequently liquified in the fridge — or more delicately phrased, was "lost to the sands of time"?    In this hyper-busy election period of pre-made food and neglected vegetables, this TikTok is a little too perfect. Contact Emily L. Mahoney at emahoney@tampabay.com. Follow @mahoneysthename. Did someone forward this to you? Get The Buzz in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. Contact us Privacy policy Terms, Conditions & Copyright Standard of accuracy © 2022 • All Rights Reserved Tampa Bay Times • 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 To ensure this email is delivered to your inbox, add custserv@elist.tampabay.com to your address book. 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