Florida voters made a lot of decisions Tuesday night in races up and down the Primary ballot. But more appears on each ballot than mere votes. Reputations are built or squandered as Supervisors count votes each election, and Florida Politics keeps score.
Incumbents were ousted, upsets were made and, like always, there were players who stood out and players who took a nosedive. In our Winners and Losers list, we look at the people behind the scenes making calls that could make or break races.
— Winners —
Team DeSantis — A no-brainer if ever there was one, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign team pulled off what few before had in Florida — a massive victory in a state that just four years ago required a recount to determine who would occupy the Governor’s mansion. The effort was led by Campaign Manager Generra Peck and political director Ryan Tyson, with Heather Barker on fundraising (with a strong assist from Tucker Obenshain), Dave Abrams as a spokesperson and head of communications, and firebrand Christina Pushaw running rapid response (read: master of owning the libs on Twitter.) The team is dynamic, with a combination of young faces hungry to grow and succeed and seasoned veterans who know how to navigate Florida’s unique political terrain. Together, they mounted an unprecedented fundraising operation, nearing $200 million and dwarfing the $31 million Democrat Charlie Crist raised, which would have been plenty to run a solid statewide campaign under normal conditions. And their messaging never wavered, whether through the heart-wrenching and inspiring personal testimonial from First Lady Casey DeSantis, or through Pushaw’s full-throated defenses of the Governor’s sometimes prickly public appearances. The team never lost sight of what would win the day in Florida, sticking to their guns on improving the economy, tying its failures to Joe Biden and Democrats, promising parents the freedom to raise and educate their children and keeping Florida the…