In a county where voter turnout consistently falls below the state average, South Florida politicians plan a rally to spur the region to exercise its demographic — and Democratic — might.

Wednesday’s announcement of the “Stay Woke Go Vote” campaign on Saturday in Miramar lists all the reasons Black voters should beat a path to the voting booth, along with some participants whose names will resonate with political junkies.

“Fed up with the constant attacks on Black people in the state of Florida, including attacks on the freedom to protest, elimination of Black congressional districts, and the silencing of Black voices at the voting booth, members of the South Florida Legislative Black Caucus will join leaders and activists across the state in rallying,” the call to the rally says.

Miami Sen. Shevrin Jones will be there with central Broward’s Sen. Rosalind Osgood, former presidential candidate, and Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam. Other lawmakers on the schedule are state Rep. Marie Woodson of Hollywood, Felicia Robinson of Miami Gardens, Dotie Joseph of North Miami, Christopher Benjamin of Miami Gardens, and Daryl Campbell of Fort Lauderdale.

In the last Midterm Election, just 61% of Broward County’s 1.1 million voters cast a ballot. That’s about 2% less than the state average.

If voter turnout in Broward County increased by 2% more than the last Midterms, it would mean 95,450 more Broward County voters.

And that could make an enormous difference, considering that Gov. Ron DeSantis won with a 32,463-vote margin in 2018.

The call to the 2 p.m. rally at Miramar City Hall, 2300 Civic Center Pl., details what’s at stake and how things could worsen.

“The “Stay Woke Go Vote” campaign comes on the heels of a Legislative Session in which Gov DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Legislature built upon their years of attacks on historically marginalized communities, doing everything in their power to make it harder for people of color to vote,” the announcement says. “These actions included passing and signing into law SB 524, which gave Gov. DeSantis his own private police force to attack political opponents under the fake cover of ‘election integrity,’ and the Legislature’s relinquishment of control over congressional redistricting to the Governor as they passed extreme district maps that cut the state’s majority Black districts by 50%.”

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Gov. Ron DeSantis is gifting Okaloosa County $3.2 million for infrastructure improvements at the Shoal River Ranch industrial site.

DeSantis is distributing the funds through the Job Growth Grant Fund, a pot of infrastructure dollars over which the Governor’s Office has sole discretion.

The funding will help expand roads, rail lines and utility infrastructure at the industrial “gigasite.” The project will bring an estimated 11,000 jobs to Okaloosa County, including doubling manufacturing jobs with 4,000 new openings.

Speaking in Crestview, which is just 7 miles west of the Shoal River Ranch Gigasite, DeSantis told reporters a number of companies are on the verge of announcing partnerships there.

“This commitment to the services at the industrial park is going to be huge, because this is going to give them the confidence that they have all the infrastructure they need to be able to be successful,” DeSantis said. “I anticipate there willll be some announcements in the not-to-distant future.”

The Shoal River Ranch Gigasite will have access to Interstate 10, Highway 90 and the Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, which the administration touts will allow easy access to transportation routes. The 10,500-acre site is projected to have an economic impact of more than $47.6 million after infrastructure improvements are completed.

The Okaloosa County Commission approved the purchase of the site in 2020 for nearly $2.5 million.

“The Shoal River Ranch Giga Site is a critical infrastructure project and the award made today is a difference maker,” said Mel Ponder, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners and a Republican former state Representative.

“There is nothing else this size, with this much access to a major interstate, in the state of Florida. Future tenants will have access to people trained and led by our education system, our college system, and our transitioning military who are technically trained. Opportunities at this site will create thousands of jobs in multiple sectors, another great win as we diversify our local economy. This opportunity will be transformational for our area.”

The Republican Governor had asked for $100 million for the Job Growth Grant Fund, distributed through the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), for the coming fiscal year because of the program’s “high impacts.” However, lawmakers only approved $50 million, continuing the level of funding from the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

“DEO is proud to assist the Governor in his mission to stimulate job and business growth in Florida,” DEO Secretary Dane Eagle said. “This funding will support economic development in Okaloosa County by creating available, ready-to-access sites for industrial development, which will have lasting impacts throughout the region.”

In keeping with his critiques of the Big Tech industry, DeSantis expressed his preference that Florida attract manufacturing jobs. He alluded to the post-pandemic influx of tech businesses leaving California’s Silicon Valley or shifting to remote work.

“The thing about it is, technology, there’s all these other types of jobs. There’s nothing wrong with that. But a technology company can just pick up and move somewhere else,” DeSantis said.

“When you have an industrial capacity, you’re there, you have a lot of capital invested. You’re there as part of the community. That not only means jobs that can fill now, but that also means, as more students graduate, as more people need employment, that this becomes something that people in the community can rely on. I think it’s a sturdier way to have a foundation of an economy.”

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Belleair Beach Mayor Dave Gattis has become the 13th Pinellas County Mayor to endorse Amanda Makki in the race for Florida’s 13th Congressional District.

Gattis was elected Mayor in March, defeating incumbent Joseph Manzo by collecting a whopping 77% of the vote. He previously served on the Belleair Beach City Council and as Vice Mayor.

“Amanda Makki is the real deal. She took the time to meet with me one-on-one and was not afraid to answer the tough questions,” Gattis said in a statement. “She is a genuine conservative with the experience and motivation needed to make a positive difference in Washington D.C., Florida, and Pinellas County. As a fellow conservative, I am proud to endorse Amanda Makki.”

Makki has now been endorsed by 13 Pinellas County Mayors, more than any candidate in the congressional race. Most recently, she was endorsed by Oldsmar Mayor Dan Saracki and Redington Shores Mayor Marybeth Henderson following the approval of the state’s new congressional map.

“I’m grateful for Mayor Gattis’ support in this race,” Makki said in a statement. “He recognizes the value of a Community Conservative who can deliver for the people of Pinellas and has the experience needed to go to Congress and fight for us on Day 1.”

Makki has also been backed by SEAL PAC, former Pinellas Congressman Bill Young’s wife, Beverly, and Maggie’s List Florida in addition to her mayoral endorsements. Makki, a GOP strategist, faces a crowded Republican Primary against former prosecutor Kevin Hayslett, nonprofit founder Audrey Henson, Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna and Christine Quinn. Makki lost the Republican Primary to Luna in 2020.

However, the chances of a Republican flipping the seat are looking better under the new map. Democrats have held the CD 13 seat since 2016 when Rep. Charlie Crist defeated incumbent Republican Rep. David Jolly. Crist this year is running for Governor instead of for re-election.

But a new map just signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis substantially reconfigures Tampa Bay. While CD 13 remains contained within Pinellas County, Downtown St. Petersburg and many Democratic portions of the old district end up in Florida’s 14th Congressional District, represented by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat.

The result for CD 13? The district goes from one where Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election by 4 percentage points to a seat Republican Donald Trump won by 7 points.

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