Florida's Latest News

October 22nd, 2026 

Here's your roundup of the important stories shaping Florida this week. Stay informed — and share with someone to keep them updated!

Jon Fay up 24 over Johnny Austin Thompson in HD 2, right about where Alex Andrade left it

Alex Andrade won his last race for House District 2 by 22 points. The first public poll of the race to replace him has the Republican trying to succeed him ahead by 24.

Jon Fay leads Democrat Johnny Austin Thompson 56% to 31% in an online survey of 545 respondents conducted Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 by 5PT Strategy, a Republican consulting firm. Another 13% are undecided. No other public polling of the race has surfaced.

The lead barely changes when the survey pushes undecideds to lean (57% to 33%) or screens for likely voters (56% to 32%). About 85% of each candidate’s supporters say they are absolutely certain of their choice.

Most of the vote is explained by party. Ninety-six percent of Fay’s support comes from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, while Thompson gets 77% of his from Democrats and Democratic leaners, 14% from independents with no lean, and 8% from the Republican side. Of the 150 respondents in the Democratic bloc, three said they would vote for Fay.

Jim Jordan to rally votes with Anna Paulina Luna in battleground CD 13

A get-out-the-vote rally for U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna will feature House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan.

Statewide candidates Byron Donalds, the GOP nominee for Governor, and U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody are also slated to attend.

Doors will open at the 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at the OCC Road House in Clearwater. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP for the event.

Jordan, an Ohio Republican, has long been popular with guests and has spoken at fundraisers for Florida Republicans in the past. Luna backed Jordan for House Speaker on the first and second ballots in January 2023, her first month in Congress.

Luna notably supported Jordan to become Speaker of the House after she was first elected to Congress, supporting him on a first and second ballot in January 2023.

A perfect-storm type of soaked weekend looms for Florida's east coast

The highest tides of the year are expected to join forces with repeat rains and wind-stoked surf through the weekend, upping the potential for freshwater and saltwater flooding along Florida’s east coast.

On their own, the annual autumn appearance of so-called king tides — bloated summer-warmed water combined with the cosmic alignment of the sun, Earth and moon — are enough to turn streets to streams along the Intracoastal Waterway.

But the addition of heavy rain beginning Oct. 23, east to northeast winds gusting up to 40 mph and towering ocean waves could exacerbate water woes.

Pounding surf ramming water into porous inlets from Miami to Jacksonville means even more swollen tides and less room for rainfall to drain.

$3 million federal grant to advance AI education at Santa Fe College

Advancing efforts to be a leader in responsible AI adoption, while preparing graduates for an economy in which AI competency is expected, Santa Fe College has been awarded a $3 million, five-year Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grant from the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of U.S. Department of Education.

“This grant will allow SF to build a coordinated, college-wide approach to artificial intelligence that supports student success, workforce readiness, responsible AI use, faculty development, and institutional governance,” said Santa Fe College President Paul Broadie II. “It is a significant investment in Santa Fe’s long-term capacity to lead responsibly in the use of AI across teaching and learning.”

Anchoring this work is the development of an AI Institute and Learning Lab, a centralized home for AI literacy, faculty development, curriculum innovation, governance, and institutional planning. It will complement the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE), which supports professional development and serves as a professional learning community for faculty.