It's starting to get real in this year's midterm in Florida. In addition to early voting beginning in Pinellas and many other counties today (but not Hillsborough, which doesn't start until Thursday), there are just two full weeks left for all of the candidates vying to win election on November 4 to lay it all on the line.
The biggest news on the gubernatorial front is the report posted Friday by Palm Beach County political blogger Brian Crowley that said Rick Scott will drop between $20-$22 million of his own cash into the race. The report is not being denied by the Republican Party of Florida. Neither has it been confirmed. But it's been given credence because unlike 2014, Scott so far has not dropped a dime into his own race, nor has he had to, as he's still dominated Charlie Crist in fundraising so far.
Scott spent over $70 million — all his own cash — in his narrow victory over Alex Sink in 2010. He vowed going into this year's election cycle that he would not do that in 2014, and he hasn't had to, thanks to the contributions that have come into his own campaign, as well as the Republican Party of Florida and his political action committee, Let's Get Back to Work.
Much of that money goes into funding local television stations, of course, in the form of ads played nonstop. A report yesterday said that Scott and the Republicans have spent $56.5 million on ads, while Crist and the Dems have spent $26.5 million. But you ain't seen nothin' yet, apparently. Then again you can avoid all those ads.
Simply don't turn on your television.
In other news...
The Hillsborough County Commission race between Al Higginbotham and Pat Kemp is extremely interesting. On Friday the countywide District 7 opponents discussed the issues in Tampa at a Tiger Bay Club forum.
It was all Ebola, all the time, on the Sunday morning talk shows. On Friday President Obama appeased some critics by naming an Ebola "czar" to coordinate the White House' efforts to deal with the health crisis. Unfortunately, that czar is a known Democratic operative whose selection isn't appeasing those critics.
And Kathryn Browne died last month. CL's Ashley Whitney has a tribute to this woman and why her passing has saddened so many people in the Tampa Bay area.