Bloomberg gives $500,000 to juice Democratic turnout in Miami-Dade
WASHINGTON — Billionaire former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is donating $500,000 to juice Democratic turnout in Miami-Dade County, a place where the party must bank a massive number of votes if it hopes to win the pivotal swing state of Florida.
The donation, the largest ever made to the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party, could not only lift Joe Biden’s chances of winning the state, which would all but eliminate President Donald Trump’s path to a second term. The effort to increase turnout also could improve the fortunes of Daniella Levine Cava, the Democratic candidate for mayor of the county, whose victory could have statewide and national implications that transcend the local nature of the office.
Though Miami-Dade County is a Democratic stronghold, Republicans have controlled the office for 16 years, which has allowed them to exert considerable sway over the way local elections are conducted. And in a state that is typically decided on razor-thin margins, changes that make it easier for Democrats to turn out their voters could have a ripple effect on future statewide races, as well as on the presidential election in 2024.
“Having a strong mayor who is a registered Democrat for the first time in 16 years with Florida as a continuing political landscape is a big deal,” said Christian Ulvert, a Democratic consultant who is advising both Levine Cava and Biden’s Florida campaign.
This year, under the leadership of Carlos Gimenez, the county’s term-limited mayor who is now running as a pro-Trump Republican for Congress, Miami-Dade limited the number of ballot drop box locations, denied a plan by the Miami Heat basketball team to turn its arena into an early voting site and sent out mail-in ballots later than was allowed under state law. Democrats contend those efforts have suppressed turnout in the deep blue county.
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/politics/os-ne-bloomberg-gives-500k-to-juice-dem-turnout-in-miami-dade-20201013-tqxqsj4c6be4fjgcnzpy5vbwfm-story.html
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I don't know if this guy is better....worryingly appointed by Rick Scott
Peter Antonacci began his legal career in the Tallahassee office of Rogers, Towers, Bailey, Jones and Gay. He was later appointed an Assistant State Attorney in the Second Judicial Circuit. Over the next eight (8) years, Antonacci prosecuted numerous cases across North Florida, was twice appointed Special Assistant United States Attorney, and was appointed by Governor Graham as a specially assigned prosecutor throughout the State. During this period, Antonacci served on the Supreme Court’s Rules of Criminal Procedure Committee and chaired the Forfeiture Law Committee of the Florida Bar.
In 1988, Antonacci was appointed Florida’s Statewide Prosecutor. Over the next three years, Antonacci focused the newly created Office of Statewide prosecution on complex white collar crimes including securities and insurance fraud, ponzi schemes and pyramid marketing schemes. Under Antonacci’s leadership, Florida was the only state to successfully extradite Columbian citizens to face drug smuggling charges in a state court.
From 1991 to 1997, Antonacci served under Attorney General Bob Butterworth as Deputy Attorney General of Florida. In that role, Antonacci directed and supervised over 300 lawyers, implementing the Attorney General’s Cabinet, Legislative and other policy initiatives. Florida’s Attorney General represents virtually every state agency in their day-to-day litigation. Antonacci also managed and coordinated major state litigation involving, among other things, state lands, gaming issues generally, antitrust and economic crime cases, health care fraud, elections litigation, and the landmark case against tobacco companies.
In 1987 and 2004, Antonacci represented Governors Graham and Bush respectively, as special prosecuting counsel in the Senate removal trials of Supervisors of Elections. From 2001 – 2005, Antonacci was a member of the Florida Commission on Ethics. In 2005, Governor Bush appointed Antonacci to the Second Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. In 2006, Governor Bush appointed Antonacci to the Governing Board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District and Antonacci was reappointed in 2008 by Governor Crist. In 2008, Governor Crist appointed Antonacci to the First District Court of Appeals Judicial Nominating Commission. From 2000 until 2012, Antonacci was a shareholder in the GrayRobinson law firm.
In March 2012, Governor Scott appointed Antonacci the State Attorney of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit to serve an unexpired term in office. In 2013, Governor Scott appointed Antonacci as his General Counsel. In 2015, The South Florida Water Management District Board appointed Antonacci Executive Director of the largest water management system in the United States. In August 2017, Enterprise Florida Board of Directors appointed Antonacci their Chief Executive Officer and Florida’s Secretary of Commerce. In December 2018, Governor Scott appointed Antonacci the Broward County Supervisor of Elections.
BACKGROUND
Antonacci was raised in Hialeah, Florida attending Roman Catholic schools and received a B.S. in 1970, and M.S. in Health Planning in 1973, and a J.D. in 1979 from Florida State University. Antonacci was a public school teacher in Newton, Georgia; a health planner for the Health Planning Council of South Florida; while in law school interned with the Tourism and Economic Development Committee of the Florida House of Representatives, and clerked for a Circuit Judge.