Welcome to “The Florida Project”, a newsletter for people who want smart takes on Florida political developments.
Last September, I began writing a column with the same name for On the Record, the newsblog run through Georgetown’s Institute of Politics and Public Service. There, we covered a variety of 2020 stories, as well as the early stages of DeSantis-mania among conservative activists across the country.
I paused the column in April after interviewing State Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-FL); I then became an editor for the blog in September and decided to shelve the column. As much as I wanted to stop talking about Florida, Florida hasn’t stopped being a treasure trove for stories.
There’s a three-way Democratic Primary for Governor now that Annette Taddeo announced her bid this morning; Val Demings is becoming a fundraising darling and giving Marco Rubio a run for his money; Miami is (still) Miami, as now-former Chief Art Acevedo just learned. Plus, the state is still being threatened by huge challenges, including climate change, a lack of affordable housing, and a growing right-wing dominance in Tallahassee that seeks to hurt working Floridians. Not to mention, the Parkland shooter’s trial is fast approaching and local politics has no shortage of weird stories to talk through right now.
As I continue contributing more long-form pieces about Florida politics to On the Record, this newsletter will serve as the amuse-bouche, giving you concise and snappy takes on the day’s biggest events. I’ll link to the main story too of course, just in case you want to read the full, unadulterated takes.
So much is going on in Florida and you won’t want to miss it. Sign up below for a free subscription and enjoy this trip through the weird world of Florida politics.