Collier County, Florida

With Gov. Ron DeSantis term-limited, Florida's November 3 election will determine who succeeds First Lady Casey DeSantis, known for her cancer-prevention advocacy and the Hope Florida welfare initiative. Erika Donalds, wife of Republican nominee Byron Donalds, is a former Collier County school board member and founder of the Education Freedom Foundation, and says she would continue pushing for school choice. Laura Jolly, wife of Democratic nominee David Jolly, has not committed to specific duties given the couple's two young children but says she would lend her voice to issues benefiting Floridians. The race's outcome will shape both Florida's governorship and its next First Lady's priorities.

Indiana State Sen. Ron Alting, already facing scrutiny over alleged shoplifting at Walmart stores in Lafayette and Monticello, is now also suspected of a similar incident at a Walmart near Naples, Florida, according to a source familiar with the investigations. No charges have been filed; a special prosecutor is reviewing six alleged Lafayette incidents from August and September, and local authorities have withheld case details. Alting has acknowledged "concerning changes" in his judgment and cognitive functioning, saying he is seeking medical evaluation and treatment, and apologized for his actions. His campaign ads have continued airing despite saying he would step back from campaigning. Democratic opponent Natasha Baker called for accountability.

Families of disabled Floridians say Hope Florida, the signature initiative of Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis, failed to deliver meaningful help even as a leaked grand jury report found the affiliated Hope Florida Foundation took part in a "sophisticated scheme" diverting $10 million in Medicaid settlement funds toward political campaigns. Parents and disabled adults described navigators sending generic lists of nonprofits, churches, and job boards instead of substantive assistance for needs like wheelchair transport, aides, or job placement. Reporting found the $10 million was part of at least $35 million in taxpayer funds steered toward efforts opposing a marijuana legalization measure and an abortion-rights ballot initiative.

James Uthmeier, DeSantis' former chief of staff and now attorney general, was found to have held authority over the settlement's arrangement; U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, then attorney general, advised approving the deal. A Florida House committee and a grand jury convened by a Tallahassee-area state attorney investigated, though witness silence discouraged charges. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities defended its record, saying it serves more than 60,000 Floridians, while the governor's and Uthmeier's offices did not respond to requests for comment.