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Florida’s new leaders see hope emerging from year of crisis

After a tumultuous national election year in which a virus has gripped the world with fear, Florida’s two new legislative leaders gave a message of hope for 2021 as lawmakers met in a one-day session Tuesday.

It came at a time when President Donald Trump convincingly carried the state and Republicans gained seats in the Legislature. But the message Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls sent was one that seeks to cross a divide.

“When I say that patriotism is about love, I don’t use that word lightly. I would never use it lightly,” Sprowls said. “Real love recognizes that no one is perfect and that we are not simply the sum of our worst moments. We forgive those we love because we can separate the person from the mistakes they have made. That kind of love, when applied to our country, that is patriotism.”

Mysterious candidate who likely swayed tight Florida Senate race under investigation

The razor-thin victory that delivered Latinas for Trump co-founder Ileana Garcia to the Florida Senate and ousted Democrat José Javier Rodríguez continues to raise eyebrows for one reason: a mysterious third candidate named Alex Rodriguez.

Alex Rodriguez, a one-time mechanic with no history in local politics, never started a campaign website, attended no candidate forums and received no donations, save for a $2,000 loan from himself. Mailers pitching his name sent to voters in the Coral Gables area were sent by a shadowy political group that, so far, has been untraceable.

When a television reporter recently tracked Alex Rodriguez down, he pretended to be someone else.

‘I’m not a f---ing socialist’: Florida Democrats are having a postelection meltdown

It wasn’t just one bad cycle. For Democrats in Florida, Election Day 2020 was a tipping point in a long, painful buildup to irrelevancy.

After suffering crushing losses from the top of the ballot down, the state party now is mired in a civil war that could have profound consequences for future elections.

High hopes for gains in the state Legislature have given way to recriminations and finger-pointing. Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo is almost certain to lose her job, but no one has stepped up to claim her mantle. Prospective 2022 gubernatorial candidates, including state Rep. Anna Eskamani and state Sen. Jason Pizzo, are slinging blame. And redistricting, which could deliver Democrats into another decade of insignificance, is around the corner.

As Coronavirus Cases Climb In Florida, Health Department Top Spokesperson Resigns

With the pandemic worsening in Florida, the person in charge of reminding residents to wear a mask and stay six feet apart has abruptly resigned.

Alberto Moscoso, the chief public information officer for the Florida Department of Health throughout the pandemic, bowed out Nov. 6 amid a reshuffling of personnel at the state agency. He would not elaborate on why he left, or where he was going.

In a statement, Fred Piccolo, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis, did not provide a specific reason for why Moscoso resigned. Piccolo said that Moscoso will be moving to a new position in state government. Neither Moscoso nor Piccolo could say what that was.