| | | |  | | By Kimberly Leonard and Isa Domínguez | | 
The undercurrent of the still-far-out 2026 race will be flowing as lawmakers and lobbyists wait to see whether the governor — who has made his dismissal of Donalds known — will veto their bills or spending requests. | Rebecca Blackwell/AP | Good morning and happy Friday. Lawmakers head to Tallahassee next week to kick off their regular session Tuesday. They’ve got a long policy to-do list and are angling to get hometown projects funded. Then there’s the politics. With Rep. BYRON DONALDS (R-Fla.) having made a gubernatorial run official, lawmakers are sure to face questions about whether they’ll support him in the race. The undercurrent of the still-far-out 2026 race will be flowing as lawmakers and lobbyists wait to see whether the governor — who has made his dismissal of Donalds known — will veto their bills or spending requests. Adding to that: Donalds’ early fundraising numbers for his political committee will post publicly April 10, with weeks left in the session. Some Republicans aren’t waiting to be asked about their support: State Sens. JOE GRUTERS of Sarasota and RANDY FINE of Melbourne Beach, along with state Rep. JUAN CARLOS PORRAS of Miami, have all announced they’re on Team Donalds. State Rep. BERNY JACQUES of Pinellas, who’s been one of Gov. RON DESANTIS’ staunchest supporters in the House, also threw his support behind Donalds. “I have been in touch with Byron Donalds himself,” he said on Manny Munoz’s NewsRadio WIOD radio show. Early endorsements were a big factor in DeSantis’ bid for the Republican presidential nomination against President DONALD TRUMP. DeSantis was able to get support from most of the Legislature early on, while Trump locked in most of the congressional delegation before DeSantis declared. Trump was also able to snag the endorsements of several state lawmakers who'd initially endorsed DeSantis, parading them in front of a crowd during a rowdy Republican Party of Florida event. The bid for support is likely to play out similarly for Donalds, though some state lawmakers may not relish being caught in the middle. A handful didn’t respond to Playbook about where they stood, while others said they were still undecided, including state Rep. MICHELLE SALZMAN (R-Pensacola). “The only 2026 race I want to talk about is my own,” said state Sen. JASON BRODEUR (R-Sanford). State Rep. ALEX RIZO (R-Miami) said he was leaving his options open. “No one has asked me for support for governor yet, and I’m sort of weighing options to see who else is going to jump in,” he said. But Rizo, the former chair of Miami-Dade Republicans, stressed to Playbook his county would be crucial in the race and that it would be interesting to see which gubernatorial candidates spend the most time there. Trump won the former blue county by 11 points in November, after DeSantis won by a similar margin in 2022. “Whoever runs for governor is going to have to key in and be here a lot,” he said, “especially during a primary.” WHERE'S RON? Gov. DeSantis has a press conference at Florida International University at 10 a.m. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget that Playbook should look at? Get in touch at: kleonard@politico.com.
| | | | Donald Trump's unprecedented effort to reshape the federal government is consuming Washington. To track this seismic shift, we're relaunching one of our signature newsletters. Sign up to get West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government in your inbox. | | | | | |  | ... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ... | | TODAY — Federal Judge MARK WALKER, an appointee of former President BARACK OBAMA, will hear oral arguments on a new law that bans social media for young teens, reports Fresh Take Florida. The law aims to block anyone younger than 16 from using social media — with an exception for some teens who have parental permission — and fine any company who violates the ban. Tech companies sued and enforcement of the law, which was supposed to take effect at the start of this year, got put on hold. PIZZO’S PROPERTY PORTFOLIO — “State Sen. Jason Pizzo could wind up with a lasting legacy in Tallahassee — regardless of whether or not he runs for governor next year,” reports POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. “The Senate Democratic leader, now one of the wealthiest members of the Legislature, last year put together a deal putting him in control of prime downtown Tallahassee real estate located right across the street from the Capitol. And Pizzo wants to take down these two small office buildings — one that housed a drugstore for decades — and replace it with a 12-story building within the shadow of the 22-story Capitol.”
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Driskell “leads a caucus of just 33 members — compared to 86 Republicans, the largest GOP conference in the history of the Florida House.” | Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP | GOING INTO SESSION — Florida House Minority Leader FENTRICE DRISKELL (D-Tampa) spoke at a town hall in Tampa discussing some of the bills she has filed for regular session and taking questions, reports the Florida Phoenix’s Mitch Perry. After last fall’s election “and the stunning defection of two members to the Republican Party in December,” Driskell “leads a caucus of just 33 members — compared to 86 Republicans, the largest GOP conference in the history of the Florida House.” — “Beware of crypto ATM scams, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, AARP Florida warn,” by Florida Politics’ Jesse Scheckner. LEGISLATION ROUNDUP — State Sen. DANNY BURGESS (R-Zephyrhills) filed a bill that would establish a program in six Florida school districts that bans students from using cellphones throughout the school day, reports Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics. … State Sen. NICK DICEGLIE (R-St. Petersburg) and state Rep. LAUREN MELO (R-Naples) filed legislation that would create “a transparent and fair funding framework for registered apprenticeship programs, pre-apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, and workforce development,” reports Andrew Powell of Florida Politics. ... Rep. DANA TRABULSY (R-Fort Pierce) introduced legislation that would require schools to watch videos of human fetal development, similar to those in Tennessee and North Dakota supported by anti-abortion groups, reports Steven Walker of the Orlando Sentinel. A DOGE AMENDMENT — Florida House Majority Leader TYLER SIROIS (R-Merritt Island) introduced a proposal to that would scrap the job of lieutenant governor and “create a new Florida Cabinet-level position to root out and do away with government waste — in effect, a DOGE leader for the Sunshine State,” reports Florida Today’s Dave Berman. If approved by the Legislature, it would be on the 2026 ballot as a constitutional amendment. HOME-HARDENING GRANT LEGISLATION — Chief Financial Officer JIMMY PATRONIS announced legislation that would create the “My Safe Florida Home Trust Fund,” to make properties more resilient against storms. Five percent of sales tax dollars from hurricane-impacted counties would be allocated to the fund.
| | PENINSULA AND BEYOND | | SENIORS STRUGGLE — Housing costs for senior citizens in Central Florida have been escalating alongside property values, but income and affordable housing options are drying up, reports Michael Cuglietta of the Orlando Sentinel. Efforts from the Trump administration “to cut federal spending suggest that help, in the form of higher benefits or additional rental or construction subsidies, is not coming any time soon.” THE BATTLE FOR NASA HQ — “Texas and Florida shine as two of the brightest stars in the conservative universe. But the two are on a collision course as they eye one possible prize of the Trump administration’s cost-cutting blitz: The next location of NASA’s new headquarters,” reports POLITICO’s Sam Skove and Isa Domínguez. “The space agency’s Washington lease expires in 2028. And a move to the Lone Star or Sunshine State would not only require NASA employees to relocate, but potentially transform how the agency operates and what its priorities should be.” TATE BROS IN FLORIDA — “Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have arrived in Florida after departing from Romania by private plane, according to their media representative,” reports POLITICO’s Csongor Körömi. “Both Tate brothers were required to remain on Romania’s territory, but prosecutors later lifted the travel ban. The Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism issued a statement clarifying some aspects of the case ‘as a result of the interest shown by the media representatives,’ but did not say when the ban was lifted.” — “‘Hostile and unsafe’: NAACP chapter calls FSU out ahead of Charlie Kirk’s campus visit,” by Tarah Jean of the Tallahassee Democrat. — “Federal lawsuit accuses Publix of deceptive pricing practices — and brings receipts,” by the Miami Herald’s David J. Neal. — “U.S. aid cuts are making it difficult to help Haitians affected by gang violence, UN says,” by the Miami Herald’s Jacqueline Charles.
| | CAMPAIGN MODE | | | 
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) speaks with reporters as he departs a vote at the U.S. Capitol Feb. 26, 2025. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | MR. NICE GUY — “DeSantis has made it clear he doesn’t want Rep. Byron Donalds to succeed him in Florida. In the earliest days of the gubernatorial campaign, however, Donalds is opting to play nice back, praising the governor’s record and siding with him in policy fights,” reports POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard. “Rather than ignore their disagreements or cast his own candidacy as a referendum on the governor, Donalds has talked about running for the state’s top job to continue what DeSantis, and former Gov. Rick Scott before him, accomplished.” THE RACE IS ON — HOWARD SAPP, a Fort Myers Democrat who has previously run for a seat in the Florida House, is the first candidate to file for Donalds' seat, reports Florida Politics’ Jacob Ogles. A FUNDRAISING BIRTHDAY JUBILEE — Sen. ASHLEY MOODY (R-Fla.) is hosting a reelection fundraiser that will also serve as a 50th birthday celebration, reports Florida Politics. The invitation obtained by Florida Politics says: “Help us launch her into her new role and into a new decade.” THIS WEEKEND — The Election Law Center at Florida State University’s College of Law is hosting a two-day conference on the 25th anniversary of Bush v. Gore.
| | DATELINE D.C. | | EPSTEIN RECORDS — Rep. ANNA PAULINA LUNA (R-Fla.), leader of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, is “furious” over not receiving the Epstein files that Attorney General PAM BONDI promised, reports Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics. “THIS IS NOT WHAT WE OR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ASKED FOR and a complete disappointment,” she wrote on X. (View the documents, via Axios.)
| | TRANSITION TIME | | — University of Florida’s vice president for government and community relations MARK KAPLAN is stepping down on his role and taking a medical leave, reports Florida Politics’ Gabrielle Russon. He took on the position in 2018 and has previously worked for all three branches of government at the state and federal level.
| | ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN | | LOVE OF READING — The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy held a “Florida Celebration of Reading” event at the Loews Coral Gables Hotel on Thursday evening, which featured remarks from COCO MELLORS and JESSICA SOFFER, both New York Times best-selling authors whose books were featured in the “Read with Jenna” book club. The event is part of a yearlong series honoring the 100th anniversary of the late first lady BARBARA BUSH’s birth. It featured appearances from former Florida Gov. JEB BUSH (who made a few DOGE jokes) and JEB BUSH JR. Also attending was Miami-Dade County Commissioner KEVIN CABRERA, Trump’s pick for ambassador to Panama. Bush highlighted reading initiatives from when he was governor, including a program that created mentors across Florida to help third-graders struggling with reading. “When we see a problem in our society today … we can't just blame government,” he said. “We can't just blame somebody else. … We need to get engaged.” — “Apollo, space shuttle astronauts become literal faces of moonbound payload,” by Richard Tribou of the Orlando Sentinel. BIRTHDAYS: Attorney Matthew Weidner … (Saturday) former Rep. Carlos Curbelo … former state Rep. Travaris McCurdy ... Journalist and writer Rosanne Dunkelberger. | | | | 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 | | | |
