Tallahassee, Florida

With one week until Election Day, Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly are campaigning across Florida to close out the governor's race. Donalds, touring by bus, cast Jolly as inconsistent and pledged cost-cutting measures and government transparency. Jolly, framing his campaign around change, argued a Democratic win would defy Florida's deep-red lean. A new University of North Florida poll shows a tightening race, with Donalds and Jolly close and a small share of voters undecided. Transgender athletes in women's sports has also emerged as a flashpoint, with Donalds' campaign highlighting past remarks by Jolly on the issue and attacking his position, while Jolly has called for leaving related decisions to courts and sports leagues.

With early voting underway and the election a week out, Republican Rep. Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly have both campaigned across north Florida, including a joint appearance in Tallahassee and stops in GOP-heavy Panhandle cities like Pensacola and Panama City. The moves reflect a closer-than-usual race for Florida governor: Democrats are working to energize their base while Republicans hope to cut into traditionally Democratic areas. Donalds retains structural advantages, including stronger national party backing, a fundraising edge, and the benefit of running in a conservative-leaning state, but polling shows a tighter contest than Florida has seen in recent statewide elections.

With the midterm election days away, Florida's U.S. Senate race pits Republican incumbent Ashley Moody, appointed to the seat by Gov. Ron DeSantis, against Democratic state Rep. Angie Nixon, who upset Alex Vindman in the August primary. Moody is campaigning on her record as a former attorney general and prosecutor, emphasizing law enforcement, individual freedoms, and Florida's conservative policies while casting Nixon as a socialist. Nixon is focused on affordability, government corruption, and working families, accusing Moody of using office for personal enrichment. Both candidates reject the other's characterizations as the race heads into its final week before November's vote.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the proposed "Safe Screens Act," new legislation aimed at tightening restrictions on minors' use of social media and AI chatbots. The proposal builds on Florida's existing ban on social media accounts for users under 14, recently upheld by the Eleventh Circuit, by adding further requirements for parental control and platform design aimed at curbing addictive features. Violations would be treated as unfair trade practices under state law, carrying fines of up to $50,000 per incident. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd voiced support, praising Uthmeier's focus on child safety against large tech and gaming companies. The bill would need legislative approval to take effect.

With under two weeks until Election Day, Florida has drawn heavy national attention, with surrogates from both parties campaigning across the state. President Trump is set to rally with Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, whose campaign faced scrutiny after briefly removing Trump references from its website, which Donalds called routine updates. Vice President JD Vance has framed the election as a choice between continuing current GOP policies or returning to Biden-era priorities. Democrats, hoping to flip seats, deployed Bernie Sanders for Senate candidate Angie Nixon against incumbent Ashley Moody, while Bill Clinton campaigned with gubernatorial candidate David Jolly. Competitive U.S. House races in Florida's 13th and 14th districts are also drawing close attention.