Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 10.16.26 — Burnin’ today: Trump, Crist & Welch, Gaetz, Donalds & Jolly, Amendment 3, Uthmeier, Miami Beach towers & the Governor’s Mansion

The first word in Florida politics — Sunburn ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Good Friday morning. First in Sunburn — “Donald Trump to hold rally in Fort Myers ahead of Midterms” via Florida Politics — President Trump will rally voters in his home state ahead of the Midterm Elections. The Commander-in-Chief will hold an event in Fort Myers on Oct. 23. A venue will be announced later, and tickets will be available online through the Republican National Committee. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Trump is expected to take the stage and address the crowd at 2 p.m. Florida has a considerable number of competitive, nationally watched elections this year, including the U.S. Senate and Governor’s races. ___ St. Pete Polls gives former Gov. Charlie Crist a 21-point lead over incumbent Ken Welch in the St. Petersburg Mayor's race, 53%-32%. Charlie Crist and Ken Welch enter the St. Petersburg mayoral homestretch with a sizable polling gap. Asked whom they support, 50% of likely voters pick Crist and 32% pick Welch, with 18% undecided. Add in voters leaning toward a candidate, and Crist rises to 53%, Welch holds at 32%, and the undecided pool shrinks to 15%. The math leaves Welch no path. Even if every undecided voter broke his way, he would top out at 47%. It's only the second poll of the race since the Primary, and both show Crist with at least a 20-point lead.

Situational awareness   Tweet, tweet: Tweet, tweet: —@SenAlbritton: I'm incredibly privileged to be an honorary deputy of Sheriff Mac McNeill of Jefferson County. Sheriff McNeill defended our nation as a United States Marine and served on the protective detail of three Florida Governors. He is highly valued! Thank you, Sir Tweet, tweet:

Days until   Optional General early voting begins — 3; 'Six Kings Slam' on Netflix — 5; Florida TaxWatch Fiscal Accountability Leadership Summit begins — 5; FEC Pre-General Report due — 6; General Election ballot request deadline — 6; Mandatory General early voting begins — 8; Meta’s new political and issue ad freeze begins — 11; General Election — 18; ‘Godzilla Minus Zero’ premieres — 21; ‘Wild Horse Nine’ premieres — 21; Florida Automated Vehicles Summit — 26; 'Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol' starring Johnny Depp premieres — 28; 'Paper Tiger' starring Adam Driver premieres — 28; Joe Biden’s memoir, ‘Promise Me, America’ is released — 32; New legislator training sessions — 32; Senate convenes for general organization and selection of officers — 32; ‘Madden’ premieres — 33; ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ premieres — 35; 'Blade Runner 2099' premieres on Prime Video — 40; ‘The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,’ with Brad Pitt, directed by David Fincher and written by Quentin Tarantino, premieres in IMAX — 40; Committee Week #1 — 45; ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ premieres — 63; ‘Dune: Part 3,’ directed by Denis Villeneuve, premieres — 63; Committee Week #2 — 80; Committee Week #3 — 87; 'Ahsoka' season 2 premieres — 96; College Football Playoff national championship game in Las Vegas — 101; Committee Week #4 — 108; The 2027 Florida State Fair begins — 111; 'Remain,' directed by M. Night Shyamalan, premieres — 112; Grammys — 114; Committee Week #5 — 115; Super Bowl LXI — 121; Committee Week #6 — 122; Opening day of the 2027 Regular Legislative Session — 137; Tampa Mayoral Election — 137; ‘The Thomas Crown Affair,’ directed by and starring Michael B. Jordan premieres — 140; Jacksonville First Election — 144; Oscars — 149; Miami Marlins Opening Day/Home Opener — vs. New York Mets — 160; Tampa Bay Rays Opening Day/Home Opener — vs. Baltimore Orioles — 160; Democratic Mayors Association 2027 annual summit in Miami begins — 180; Jacksonville General Election — 214; 'Star Wars: Starfighter' premieres — 224; ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ premieres — 245; Citrus Series — Tampa Bay Rays at Miami Marlins — 273; 'The Bluey Movie' premieres — 294; Citrus Series — Miami Marlins at Tampa Bay Rays — 329; ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ premieres — 427; 2028 South Carolina Democratic Presidential Primary — 463; College Football Playoff national championship game in New Orleans — 465; 2028 Nevada Presidential Primary — 473; 2028 New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary — 480; 2028 New Mexico Democratic Presidential Primary — 487; ‘The Batman Part II’ premieres — 490; 2028 Michigan Democratic Presidential Primary — 494; 2028 Virginia Democratic Presidential Primary — 501; Oscars — 506; 'X-Men' premieres — 567; ‘Miami Vice '85’ reboot premieres — 581; ‘Lilo & Stitch 2’ premieres — 588; 'Days of Thunder' sequel with Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway premieres — 595; ‘Incredibles 3’ premieres — 609; 2028 Los Angeles Olympics Opening Ceremony — 637; 'Ghost Rider' premieres — 651; 2028 U.S. Presidential Election — 753; ‘Black Panther 3’ directed by Ryan Coogler premieres — 791; College Football Playoff national championship game in Tampa — 829; ‘Avatar 4’ premieres — 1,162; ‘Avatar 5’ premieres — 1,890.

Top story   “Matt Gaetz accused of sex trafficking, publicly targets alleged victims” via Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald — Former U.S. Rep. Gaetz faces a federal civil lawsuit accusing him of participating in a sex trafficking operation involving young women, drugs and interstate travel. Two women filed the 33-page complaint in Florida, alleging misconduct spanning 2017 through January 2019. The plaintiffs accuse Gaetz, former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg and former state Rep. Christopher Dorworth of recruiting vulnerable women for paid sexual encounters. Both plaintiffs were in their early 20s when they allegedly met Gaetz. Matt Gaetz faces new civil allegations stemming from a federal sex trafficking investigation. The complaint alleges that Greenberg coordinated introductions, supplied drugs and arranged travel to destinations including Miami, Las Vegas, the Florida Keys and New York City. One plaintiff also alleges witnessing Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz denies much of the alleged misconduct and says the lawsuit will finally allow him to confront his accusers through depositions. After filing, he posted a photograph on X, apparently attempting to identify the anonymous plaintiffs, though he acknowledged uncertainty about their identities. The lawsuit incorporates findings from a House Ethics Committee investigation that concluded substantial evidence existed that Gaetz violated House rules and federal laws, including through payments for sex with a minor and illegal drug use. Attorney Spencer Kuvin, representing the plaintiffs, says sworn testimony will allow them to question Gaetz under penalty of perjury. Greenberg is serving an 11-year federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple crimes, including sex trafficking of a minor.

2026   “Democratic donor Steve Pajcic emerges to blitz red-state Senate races with late ads” via Shane Goldmacher and Theodore Schleifer of The New York Times — Pajcic, a lawyer and philanthropist in Florida, and his children are spending at least $7 million for a blitz of ads in Florida, Kansas, Mississippi and South Carolina, a quartet of Senate seats in traditionally Republican territory. Pajcic, a co-founder of the personal-injury law firm Pajcic & Pajcic, is behind a new group called New Deal for All, formed in early October, that began running ads in Kansas and South Carolina. The group will soon expand to Florida, where it plans to spend most of its money. He served in the Legislature in the 1970s and ’80s and was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 1986. Steve Pajcic puts millions behind a late advertising push in Republican-held Senate states. “David Jolly channels Ronald Reagan to challenge Byron Donalds” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jolly is borrowing Reagan’s famous 1980 campaign question to challenge Republican Donalds and Trump. In a new 30-second advertisement, Jolly asks Floridians whether they are better off under Trump and Donalds, answering emphatically that they are not. The spot attempts to link Donalds to Trump’s political vulnerabilities while positioning Jolly as an alternative to Republican leadership. Jolly has compared Donalds’ relationship with Trump to Republicans distancing themselves from unpopular Presidents after Watergate and in 2006. He also claims White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles urged Trump to avoid Florida’s gubernatorial race, an allegation people close to Wiles deny. “Donalds’ energy plan could leave Floridians paying more” via Emily L. Mahoney of the Tampa Bay Times — Republican gubernatorial candidate Donalds promises cheaper electricity through expanded natural gas and nuclear power, but energy experts warn his approach could increase costs. Florida already generates roughly 75% of its electricity from natural gas, exposing consumers to volatile fuel prices. Nuclear construction carries substantial financial risks. Jolly proposes expanding renewable energy, limiting utility profits and appointing regulators focused on affordability. Experts generally favor solar power paired with battery storage as a cheaper alternative and support tighter limits on utility returns. With Duke Energy seeking another rate increase next year and data centers creating additional uncertainty, electricity costs are becoming a major issue in Florida’s Governor’s race. Happening today — Donalds and running mate Bryan Avila will discuss communism: 10 a.m., Bay of Pigs Museum & Library, 1821 SW Ninth St., Miami. Media check-in at 9:30 a.m. "Annette Taddeo plans 8-stop campaign swing with Maxwell Frost, Angie Nixon, Gwen Graham" via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Former state Sen. Taddeo is taking her CFO campaign on a four-day swing across the Sunshine State. Taddeo announced eight stops beginning Thursday, with appearances alongside notable fellow Democrats stretching from Sarasota and The Villages to Orlando and South Florida through Sunday. Taddeo will appear with U.S. Senate nominee Nixon in Sarasota and join U.S. Rep. Frost, state Rep. Anna Eskamani and Democratic Lieutenant Governor nominee Graham at the University of Central Florida. TO SEEMORE SUNBURN CLICK HERE