Florida Deserves Candidates Who Care, Not Political Appointees Who Steal - The Midterms Matter!


This week we finally saw a copy of the grand jury report that found the DeSantis administration misappropriated stole $10 Million of FL taxpayer money and routed it via non-profits (starting with Casey DeSantis' Hope Florida charity) into political action committees, with $7 million sent to the Republican party of Florida. The grand jury found that this was a well-orchestrated scheme to funnel millions of dollars meant for Florida taxpayers into political campaigns to defeat citizen-led initiatives on the November 2024 ballot. Many of the officials at the heart of this scheme were directly called out in the grand jury report, including James Uthmeier (DeSantis' Chief of Staff at the time), Ashley Moody (FL Attorney General at the time) and John Guard (FL Deputy Attorney General at the time). All three have since received significant promotions by DeSantis: Ashley Moody was appointed to the U.S. Senate in January 2025, James Uthmeier was appointed Florida Attorney General in January 2025, and John Guard was appointed to Florida's 2nd District Court of Appeals in January of this year (after his nomination to the federal bench stalled in 2025 due to scrutiny.) Please watch this fantastic piece by CBS News Miami for a full breakdown of the theft and cover-up. Even here in Florida ("a sunny place for shady people"), this brazen corruption is shocking.

Despite bipartisan outrage, DeSantis claims "the only crime is leaking the grand jury report," and he is threatening to go after whoever leaked the report, which he and his cronies had kept under seal for more than nine months. Ashley Moody, who received a copy of the grand jury report over six months ago (Feb. 2026), is still refusing to answer reporters' questions, even though she is running for office to represent Floridians! Uthmeier, who is also asking Floridians to vote for him in November, is not only refusing to admit his role in this scheme, he is threatening to use his position to go after reporters who ask him about the report! But Floridians are sick and tired of the arrogance, corruption and illegality of these elected officials. There are calls for both Moody and Uthmeier to resign and for all of these crooks to be held accountable.

C'mon Florida - we deserve SOOOOO much better than this! The good news is that we can make our voices heard at the ballot box this November. Local shero, Rep. Angie Nixon, is running to replace appointed Ashley Moody as U.S. Senator from Florida. Jose Javier Rodriguez (JJR) is running to replace appointed James Uthmeier as Florida's Attorney General. Annette Taddeo is running for Florida's CFO to replace DeSantis appointee, Blaise Ingoglia, who somehow missed all of this obvious waste, fraud, and abuse. And David Jolly, who's running for Governor of Florida, has called for the grand jury probe to be reopened. Let's do everything we can to demand accountability and elect leaders who care about Floridians and won't steal from us. (Look for updated endorsements and recommendations soon.)

Key Midterm Election Dates:

October 5 - deadline to register to vote in the midterms *Please check you're registered!*

October 22 - deadline to request a Vote-by-Mail ballot

October 19 - November 1 - early voting in Duval County

🗳️ November 3 - ELECTION DAY 🗳️

To see a sample ballot and for information on the candidates and precincts, visit the Supervisor of Elections website for your county: DUVAL l ST. JOHNS l CLAY l NASSAU l FLAGLER l PUTNAM l BAKER

🎬 ACTION: Please do what you can over the next nine weeks to support voter registration efforts as well as the candidates running to make life better for all Floridians, not just their rich donors. Check out Mobilize for opportunities to canvas, phone bank and more.

Celebrate Jax on 904 Day



This Friday, September 4 is 904 Day - a day to support all things local - from one-of-a-kind shops and independent restaurants to attractions and destinations that contribute to Northeast Florida’s unique quality of life. Check out the list below for ways you can support local businesses, community non-profits, parks and attractions on Sept. 4 and all throughout the year. Encourage your friends and family to join you in celebrating 904 Day and if you have a small business or something local you want to promote, check out this toolkit with resources for businesses, non-profits, and individuals, created by Visit Jacksonville.

🎬 ACTION: Check out one of Jacksonville's many trails! Explore the Black Heritage Trail or one of Jacksonville's nature trails. Or check out food and drink trails like the Jax Ale Trail, the Jax Coffee & Donuts Trail or the Mayport Shrimp & Seafood Trail. These are great ways to support local businesses and to try local delicacies. Plus, you receive prizes along the way.

Other ideas for celebrating 904 Day:

• Create a 904 Day bucket list with your family, and see how many items you can cross off between 9:04 am and 9:04 pm on Friday
• Post a list of your favorite NE FL destinations, experiences, or causes on social media. Don't forget to tag #904Day
• Commit to visiting at least one local business on Friday, September 4.
• Leave a review for a local business you love.
• Support a local non-profit focused on helping our community.
• Visit one of Northeast Florida’s public parks, beaches, or green spaces.
• Explore a new-to-you neighborhood in Northeast Florida.
• Get inspired at a local museum, music venue, or cultural center.
• Take a selfie at your favorite Northeast Florida waterway and tag with #904Day
• Drink coffee/tea from a local café at 9:04 am or visit your favorite bar/brewery at 9:04 pm

🗓️ Jax NOW Meeting on Wed., Sept. 9 - Join Us!

We hope you can join us for this month's membership meeting next Wednesday, September 9th at Mavi Waterfront Bar & Grill, 2309 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach. You don't have to be a member to attend and we welcome anyone who would like to learn more about Jax NOW's feminist advocacy and activism in Northeast Florida and beyond. The meeting will start at 6:30 pm, but feel free to come early (6:00 pm) to socialize.

We'll be discussing the midterm elections, providing information on the property tax amendment, and sharing Jax NOW PAC's updated candidate endorsements and recommendations. We'll also discuss ways we can support local candidates and plan events leading up to November. Donna Westrich, candidate for Duval County School Board (Dist. 2) will join us and can provide additional insight into the 1-mill tax extension to fund teacher salaries, school security, arts, and athletics that will also be on the ballot in Duval County.

Please RSVP below and feel free to email us with any questions. Hope to see you there!