Republicans Dominate Top Races

Sen. Ashley Moody held onto the seat Marco Rubio left behind, defeating Democrat Angie Nixon 50.9% to 47.9% in Tuesday’s special election. Appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, Moody will serve the final two years of Rubio’s term. The seat is up again in 2028.

Rep. Byron Donalds will be Florida’s next governor, beating Democrat David Jolly 50.1% to 48.7% to succeed the term-limited DeSantis. The three-term congressman will be the state’s first black governor and the first black Republican elected governor in U.S. history.

Republicans won all three Cabinet races. Attorney General James Uthmeier defeated José Javier Rodriguez 51% to 49%, CFO Blaise Ingoglia beat Annette Taddeo 51% to 49%, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson beat Joey Mendoza Atkins 51.1% to 48.9%.

Florida amendments need 60% of the vote to pass. Voters approved Amendment 3, which raises the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with 62%. Amendment 1, on the rainy day fund, failed with 41%. Amendment 2, on farm machinery taxes, failed with 58.2%.

In Hillsborough County, Democrat Ashley Herrmann unseated Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez in Florida House District 69, 51.6% to 48.4%. Endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, she is the first socialist in the Legislature in more than a century, according to DSA’s Tampa chapter.

Two Dead in Space Coast Flooding

Two people died, and crews rescued hundreds of others by boat and high-water vehicle in Palm Bay after up to 2 feet of rain fell on southern Brevard County Sunday and Monday.

Grant-Valkaria logged 23.69 inches of rain, with Malabar close behind and Palm Bay near 20 inches, in preliminary National Weather Service totals. Parts of Brevard saw a 1-in-100-year flood.

Farther south, Indian River County got about 13 inches, and Port St. Lucie about 12 inches. Schools closed Tuesday in Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties. Emergency managers had warned of “life-threatening conditions” across Central Florida.

In Palm Bay’s Turtle Creek neighborhood, Rick Addante helped wildlife officers carry an 80-year-old neighbor recovering from open-heart surgery and his dog, Bella, to a waiting airboat. By Tuesday, residents in affected areas had begun ripping out soaked carpet and flooring.

Learjet Parts Found Miles from Crash Site

Federal investigators found most of the crashed Learjet’s left elevator in three pieces up to 3.8 miles from Sunday’s Greenacres crash site, indicating that the jet was breaking apart before it hit the ground.

The elevator tilts a plane’s nose up or down, and NTSB board member Tom Chapman called its discovery a “very significant bit of evidence.” He said the jet may have been out of control before the pieces fell off.

The jet had flown into a rapidly intensifying thunderstorm. Co-pilot Nathalia Filgueiras, 20, a West Boca Raton High graduate, radioed that it was “descending 20,000 feet per minute.” A longtime friend called the audio “the worst thing I’ve ever heard.”

The captain, 55-year-old Jeff Gregory of Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania, held airline transport pilot and flight instructor certificates. He was a husband, father, and devout Christian who loved flying. A colleague started a fundraiser for his family.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Palm Bay: A canal overflowed Monday, collapsing part of Fallon Boulevard and sending waist-deep water into a family’s home. Homeowner Ty Hayes had to swim to get them out, and his cars ended up in a sinkhole. (More)

➤ Miami: The Coast Guard detained the cruise ship MSC Poesia at PortMiami on Sunday for an expanded inspection. MSC canceled the ship’s 11-night sailing, citing an unresolved “regulatory matter,” and promised guests full refunds. Guests may stay aboard until Thursday. (More)

➤ Merritt Island: Residents of Newfound Harbor Drive put out a homemade no-wake sign to stop trucks from pushing floodwater into homes. (See Signs)

➤ A Jacksonville City Council oversight committee may subpoena a former Jacksonville Transportation Authority finance chief who didn’t appear at Monday’s hearing on the agency’s $40 million deficit. Raj Srinath held the job from 2023 to 2025, when the agency’s finances slid. (More)

➤ Melbourne: Melbourne Orlando International Airport resumed flights Tuesday, but water main breaks closed every terminal restroom, and officials urged travelers to go before they arrive. Restaurants couldn’t cook meals either. (More)

➤ Orlando: A large metal holiday star hanging over an escalator at the Mall at Millenia fell on a shopper’s head Saturday, sending the person to the hospital. OSHA said it lacks jurisdiction, and police called it a civil matter. (More)

➤ Offshore: A gale warning is up for the Atlantic as low pressure forms near the Bahamas, pushing seas to 10 to 16 feet through Thursday. Forecasters give it a 40% chance of developing within a week. (See Forecast)

Enjoy reading Flyover Florida? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️

➤ Two Florida schools made the College Football Playoff committee’s first rankings Tuesday. Unbeaten Miami debuted at No. 1, a spot that would earn a first-round bye, and visits Notre Dame Saturday. Florida checked in at No. 24; Florida State was left out. (More)

➤ The Jacksonville Jaguars are 10-1 at EverBank Stadium in two seasons under coach Liam Coen, including Sunday’s 42-7 rout of Indianapolis. Jacksonville (5-2) hasn’t won more than 10 home games over a two-year span since 2006-07. (See Streak)

➤ Florida State’s coaching search lost one of its most-rumored names Tuesday. “I’m not a candidate at Florida State,” Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz said, days after FSU fired Mike Norvell. Drinkwitz signed a six-year deal worth $10.75 million a year. (More)

➤ Florida State receiver Duce Robinson reportedly tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Robinson posted 1,081 receiving yards last year, 11th-most in the country. The 3-5 Seminoles visit Boston College on Saturday. (More)

➤ Florida State basketball beat Charlie Ward’s FAMU squad 113-69 in Monday’s season opener in Tampa, the teams’ first meeting since 1991. Sebastian Rancik scored 25, and freshman Marcis Ponder posted 15 points and 11 rebounds. (Read Recap)

Yesterday’s Results: NHL | NCAAF | NCAAM | NCAAW | Tennis | Soccer | NCAA Volleyball

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Take the Daily History Quiz. Most of us learned history once, at seventeen, from someone who was also bored. It holds up better the second time. Five minutes of history, every morning, across every era. Learn More

➤ A Southwest Ranches compound with an “NBA-level” indoor basketball facility hit the market for $38.9 million, the highest asking price in the Sunshine Ranches enclave. Once owned by Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, it sold for $9 million in 2022. (See Photos)

➤ Electric-aircraft maker Pivotal is hiring flight operations staff, mechanics, and technicians for a new Miami-based team. The Palo Alto, California, company, which builds light electric vertical-takeoff aircraft, recruited at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. (More)

➤ Ormond Beach commissioners vote Wednesday on a $2.5 million contract to buy the 11.6-acre former Osceola Elementary School site, which closed in 2021, for a possible park. A private sale could put 30 to 40 homes there, preliminary plans showed. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Does Your Washing Machine Smell? If your washing machine smells funky, this could be why. Over time, mold, mildew, and detergent buildup create a hidden mess that leaves clothes, and your laundry room, smelling sour. This powerful cleaner dissolves the gunk you can’t see in just minutes. Thousands are already using it to refresh their washers and keep the odor from coming back. Learn More

Flying together with our sponsor

The Missing Nutrient Behind Thin Hair

After 50, many women run low on one mineral that helps keep DHT, a hair-thinning hormone, in check.

Biotin won’t fix that. Neither will another bottle of thickening shampoo.

A menopause specialist and an Austin hairstylist found that pairing this mineral with one B vitamin, plus three other targeted nutrients, may help support fuller, stronger-looking hair from the inside out. No serums, no foams. Just two capsules with your morning coffee.

See what it is >>

➤ A $148,000 aircraft nicknamed Astro joined Florida Polytechnic University’s police fleet in Lakeland as a flying patrol vehicle. The single-seat electric craft tops out at 63 mph but can’t fly regular patrols until the FAA signs off. (Meet Astro)

➤ A whale festival on Amelia Island opens Friday, celebrating endangered North Atlantic right whales’ return to their only known calving grounds. Fewer than 70 breeding females remain, but this year’s calving season produced the most calves since 2009. (More)

➤ An ER nurse in Sarasota wrote a psychological thriller during hospital lunch breaks, and it hit No. 1 on Amazon within two days. Chelsea Whetsel, a mother of three, self-published They Should Have Listened as her first book. (Meet Author)

➤ Tampa’s Greek Festival, running for more than 40 years, returns Friday and Saturday to a Hyde Park church with lamb shank, gyros, and loukoumades (Greek doughnuts). Admission is free, and proceeds help fund charities. (See Schedule)

➤ A University of North Florida program that turns leftover hospital food into free meals for Jacksonville seniors has served 250,000 meals since 2019. Students with Meals on Wings deliver to 300 seniors three times a week. (See Program)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Statins May Be Helping… and Hurting. Statins are meant to protect your heart — but they can also block something your body desperately needs. CoQ10 fuels every cell, from your brain to your muscles. As you age, or if you take statins, your CoQ10 levels can plummet up to 40% — leaving you tired, foggy, and drained. Click here to discover the right form of CoQ10 you need to support your today. Learn more

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. 

➤ The warnings about drinking coffee on an empty stomach just ran into some inconvenient science. (Hear Story)

➤ Bomb threats forced diversions and searches on at least four European flights, part of an escalating wave of aviation scares. (Listen Now)

➤ The White House plans to end nearly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel, upending decades of U.S. policy. (Hear Details)

How many cruises have you been on?

1. None
2. 1 or 2
3. 3 to 9
4. 10 or more

Yesterday’s Results:

How many stone crab claws could you eat in 16 minutes?

1. None, not a fan: 44%
2. 10 or fewer: 43%
3. 11 to 25: 11%
4. I’d beat 25: 2%

Which Florida river was called Rio de la Paz by Spanish explorers and flows through Paynes Creek Historic State Park?

Show me the answer