Florida’s 2018 midterm election is one of the most important in years. The governor’s office and all three Cabinet seats are on the ballot, Republican Gov. Rick Scott is challenging three-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, several congressional seats will be competitive, and Floridians will vote on 13 proposed constitutional amendments, ranging from property tax cuts to banning greyhound racing. The following are items of political interest from the past week:
THE FINAL TALLY
Florida’s wide-open race for governor attracted a long line of candidates, who in turn raised millions upon millions of dollars to fund their campaigns.
The final tally for the seven main Republican and Democratic candidates ahead of next week’s primary? Nearly $168 million according to campaign reports turned in on Friday.
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That includes money that the candidates either raised or donated themselves to their campaigns and their affiliated political committees. Part of that total also includes $3.72 million that U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Gwen Graham and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum received in public matching money.
Palm Beach businessman and billionaire Jeff Greene, one of the five main Democrats running, raised more than $43 million, although nearly all of it came from his own pockets. That total includes $5 million that Greene put in a newly formed political committee that he said he would use to help flip…
