| | | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard and Gary Fineout | Presented by the University of Central Florida | |  WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - JANUARY 15: Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis greets supporters at his caucus night event on January 15, 2024 in West Des Moines, Iowa. Iowans voted today in the state’s caucuses for the first contest in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating process. Former president Donald Trump has been projected winner. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) | Getty Images | Good morning and welcome to Wednesday. While there was much anticipation in the media and among pundits that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would retreat from the frozen plains of Iowa back to the governor’s mansion, he's taking a different path for now. Undeterred by his distant second place finish behind former President Donald Trump, DeSantis ventured to both South Carolina and New Hampshire a day after Monday night’s Iowa caucuses. Despite warning signs that more losses are in store, DeSantis and his team are pressing ahead with a simple goal: Wait until rival Nikki Haley drops out. The hope, his campaign says, is for DeSantis to finally get the one-on-one matchup with Trump he has wanted for so long. "While it may take a few more weeks to fully get there, this will be a two-person race soon enough," said Andrew Romeo, a spokesperson for the DeSantis campaign. This isn’t really a surprise for those who know DeSantis. People in the governor's orbit have suggested for weeks that the combative governor was prepared to fight on even if he failed to win Iowa after visiting all 99 counties and pouring tons of resources into the midwestern state. “I’m taking the governor at his word that he’s in it for the long haul,” said state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, who arrived back in Florida from Iowa just hours after the caucuses ended. Those close to the campaign maintain DeSantis and his allies — which includes the super PAC Never Back Down — have enough money to wage a campaign all the way through the Feb. 24 primary in South Carolina. While DeSantis' team is projecting strength, the reality he's facing is grim. The governor was still about 30 points behind Trump in Iowa and his poll numbers in New Hampshire are even worse. He's far behind Trump and Haley in the Granite State and isn't faring much better in South Carolina. At this point, it appears Republican voters are coalescing around Trump. A longtime DeSantis supporter and fundraiser, who was granted anonymity in order to share a candid assessment, said this about the Iowa result: "It was definitely not a great night but it was not devastating." But the supporter, like DeSantis himself, said that this showed that there is a large segment of Republicans who still want an alternative to Trump. The thinking is there is now pressure on Haley and if she falls to Trump in both New Hampshire and South Carolina, that could open the door back to DeSantis. (Of course the Haley camp has a different take on the situation.) “Despite spending $24 million in false negative ads against Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley couldn't buy herself the kill shot she so desperately wanted last night, and now she will be out of this race after failing to win her home state on February 24,” Romeo said. Olivia Perez-Cubas, a spokesperson for Haley, was dismissive of the DeSantis campaign’s assertions. “There's a reason this is a two person race between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley,” Perez-Cubas said. “Because our campaign is living in reality. Ron DeSantis' campaign is living in Disney's Magic Kingdom.” — Gary Fineout — WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis is attending two town halls in New Hampshire with Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting his candidacy. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com | | A message from the University of Central Florida: Florida needs skilled talent to grow its $79.9 billion high-tech economy. UCF’s impactful research, innovative approaches and powerful talent pipeline provides our state with in-demand engineering, technology and healthcare talent — fostering a new generation of innovators leading the charge where industry needs it most. That’s why UCF has been ranked a “Most Innovative University” by U.S. News — and why 1 in 4 of Florida’s engineering and health graduates earn degrees from UCF. See what UCF is doing to meet Florida’s talent demand. | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | |
THE LIST — News Service of Florida unveiled its “Florida 40 Under 40” list of the rising stars in the world of politics and policy.
AZAR RETURNS — “Trump official who OK’d drugs from Canada chairs company behind Florida’s import plan,” reports Phil Galewitz from KFF News. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar “is chairman of the board of LifeScience Logistics, a Dallas-based company that Florida is paying as much as $39 million to help manage its Canadian drug importation program, not including the cost of drugs. LifeScience officials confirmed Azar’s position but didn’t respond to questions about how much he is paid or whether he’s involved in the Florida work. Azar didn’t return messages left with his employers or sent to a personal email address.”
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Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks during a news conference on Operation Warp Speed and COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool) | AP | ON PAUSE — “Florida House puts brakes on Senate school testing deregulation,” reports Ana Goñi-Lessan of USA TODAY Network – Florida. “An education deregulation measure that sped through the Florida Senate could stall in the House because of a provision that would remove testing requirements for high school graduation.” TAXPAYER FUNDING FOR CAMPAIGNS — “The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee voted 4-2 on Tuesday to advance a proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 1114), filed by Sen. Travis Hutson, R-St. Augustine, that seeks to do away with a matching-funds program that voters approved in 1998,” reports News Service of Florida’s Jim Turner. The fund has “given more than $33 million in state matching money to gubernatorial and Cabinet candidates over four recent election cycles.” DISCLAIMER — “Florida bill to force disclosure on political ads that use AI adds criminal penalty,” reports News Service of Florida’s Ryan Dailey. “Under the bill (SB 850), political ads or any ‘miscellaneous advertisement of a political nature’ that feature video, audio, text or images created using generative AI would have to include a notice making clear that the technology was involved.” PROPERTY INSURANCE — “Senate looks to increase Citizens caps, boost wind mitigation grants,” reports Florida Politics’ Gray Rohrer. “The Senate Banking & Insurance Committee unanimously passed two bills that would allow pricier homes to be covered by Citizens Property Insurance, a state-run company, and to provide $100 million for a grant program to improve homes’ protection against windstorm damage.” $447M IN DAMAGES — “Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson Tuesday launched a first-of-its-kind revolving loan program for farmers, ranchers and growers who suffered losses when Hurricane Idalia struck the Big Bend last August,” reports James Call of USA TODAY Network – Florida. VOTER REGISTRATION — “Boca Raton Republican files legislation to address 'glitch' changing voter party affiliations to NPA,” reports Stephany Matat of the Palm Beach Post. “State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-Boca Raton, said she has been working during the past months with Dave Kerner, who heads the Florida Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles, Wendy Link, the Palm Beach County supervisor of elections, and the Florida Department of State to repair the software used by motorists to also update voter registration cards as they renew or replace driver licenses.” MAGIC KINGDOM — “Disney is hoping a recent decision bolstering a Florida prosecutor’s First Amendment case against DeSantis helps its own free speech lawsuit against the governor, per The Associated Press | | | | JOIN 1/31 FOR A TALK ON THE RACE TO SOLVE ALZHEIMER’S: Breakthrough drugs and treatments are giving new hope for slowing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. But if that progress slows, the societal and economic cost to the U.S. could be high. Join POLITICO, alongside lawmakers, official and experts, on Jan. 31 to discuss a path forward for better collaboration among health systems, industry and government. REGISTER HERE. | | | | |
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | | | 
Former President Donald Trump. | Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images |
DOCS CASE — “Trump Signals Plans to Go After Intelligence Community in Document Case,” reports the New York Times' Alan Feuer: "Lawyers for former President Donald J. Trump said in court papers filed on Tuesday night that they intended to place accusations that the intelligence community was biased against Mr. Trump at the heart of their defense against charges accusing him of illegally holding onto dozens of highly sensitive classified documents after he left office.
The court papers, filed in Federal District Court in Fort Pierce, Fla., gave the clearest picture yet of the scorched earth legal strategy that Mr. Trump is apparently planning to use in fighting the classified documents indictment handed up over the summer." MORE PRESSURE — “Dozens at Sarasota County School Board meeting call for Bridget Ziegler to step down,” reports WFLA’s Alessandra Young. “Emotions ran high at the packed school board meeting. Many people asked Ziegler why she hasn’t stepped down yet. ‘Don’t you think that you owe us that at least? An apology for your lies, for your political theater, for victimizing our children, for being a first-grade hypocrite, and for making Sarasota a national embarrassment?’ one speaker asked. LAWSUIT — The ACLU of Florida filed a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of five city residents challenging the Daytona Beach City Commission’s newly redrawn redistricting map. BACKLASH — “Florida school district bans 2 Bill O’Reilly books. ‘It’s absurd,’ he says,” reports the Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek. “The Escambia County school district banned two of his books — ‘Killing Jesus’ and ‘Killing Reagan’ — from its shelves, citing concerns that the titles violated that same law.” | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | |
FLIPPED — “Democrat Keen wins state House 35 special election over GOP’s Booth,” reports the Orlando Sentinel’s Steven Lemongello. “In a race seen as a bellwether for Democratic chances in November, Democrat Tom Keen flipped what had been a Republican state House seat in Central Florida in a special election held Tuesday. Keen, a Navy flight officer who works in the aerospace training and simulation industry, defeated Republican Erika Booth, a teacher and member of the Osceola School Board. Unofficial totals for the District 35 seat had Keen with 51.3 percent of the vote to Booth’s 48.7 percent … Keen, who made abortion rights and property insurance key issues in the race, got between 65 percent to 70 percent of nonpartisan, or NPA, voters to make up for Republicans turning out in larger numbers than Democrats, said Matt Isbell, a Democratic elections analyst”
|  Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters during a caucus night party, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) | AP | STAYIN’ ALIVE — “How DeSantis salvaged a distant second place in Iowa,” by the Tampa Bay Time’s Emily L. Mahoney and Jay Cridlin. Will Rogers, the former chairperson of the Polk County GOP, “likened DeSantis’ dogged pursuit of traditional metrics for success, like visiting every county and locking up coveted endorsements, to cramming for an important test. The problem was, he was competing in a popularity contest.” STATE OF PLAY — “DeSantis is in survival mode as Nikki Haley battles Trump in New Hampshire,” reports NBC News’ Matt Dixon, Natasha Korecki and Jonathan Allen. “DeSantis advisers told NBC News that the campaign is busy collecting data and plotting a post-Iowa path forward through at least the South Carolina primary in late February. Inside a DeSantis finance team meeting at the Surety Hotel in Des Moines, Iowa, Tuesday morning, campaign manager James Uthmeier painted the picture of a difficult, but manageable, fundraising environment for the campaign, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.” MORE ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT — “4 things to watch after DeSantis gets his ‘ticket punched out of Iowa,’” reports the Miami Herald’s Max Greenwood, from an uphill battle in New Hampshire to questions about his campaign’s financial standing and how to overcome Trump. LONGREAD — “The inside story of how Ron DeSantis got crushed by Donald Trump,” by The Messenger’s Marc Caputo. “There’s dispute about whether Trump was ever beatable in a GOP primary. But there’s little disagreement among connected political pros about the multiple problems with the campaign of DeSantis, an aloof not-ready-for-primetime candidate who didn’t know what he didn’t know and was arrogant about it, according to more than a dozen insiders who shared their insight to The Messenger since March.” | | | | A message from the University of Central Florida:   | | |
| | DATELINE D.C. | |
CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION — “Frankel, Diaz-Balart lead condemnation of sexual violence by Hamas,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Anthony Man. “The congressional resolution condemns rape and sexual violence as weapons of war, including acts committed by Hamas terrorists; calls on all nations to criminalize rape and sexual assault; asks international organizations to condemn sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists, and expresses support for independent, impartial investigations.
REJECTED — “Federal judge blocks proposed JetBlue takeover of South Florida-based Spirit Airlines,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s David Lyons. “U.S. District Judge William G. Young spent more than a month at the end of last year hearing dueling testimony from top company executives and a variety of experts who opined on the impact JetBlue’s acquisition would have on consumers. In the end, he concluded that the transaction “would substantially lessen competition in a relevant market.’ Upon hearing the news, investors moved to sell Spirit stock, with its shares plunging more than 53 percent.’” | | | | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS: From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics. | | | | |
| | TRANSITION TIME | |
— Anthony C. Williams, former legislative affairs secretary for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, is joining Florida-based Ballard Partners to lead the firm’s new office in Sacramento as managing partner.
| | | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | |
BIRTHDAYS: U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez … U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost
| | A message from the University of Central Florida: Florida offers a high-tech economy with booming opportunities. Home to the fourth-largest tech workforce in the U.S. — and aiming to be in the top three by 2030 — Florida is a destination of choice for high-tech industries including cybersecurity, experiential tech, aerospace and healthcare.
At its heart in Orlando, the University of Central Florida leads as a metropolitan research university fueling this tech talent surge. It’s why we’ve committed to educating more than 25,000 engineering and technology students annually and recruiting 150 new faculty with $40 million in state support. Through future-focused initiatives that align with industry demand, we are ready to meet Florida’s needs and cultivate the skilled workforce of tomorrow. Find out why UCF is a leader in providing Florida’s tech talent. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
