After trust fund baby Andrew “Kid” Korge jumped into another Senate race, 
the common political thought was that Sen. Anitere Flores had nothing to worry about. In fact, we thought Korge jumped because polls showed him she had nothing to worry about. Now with Korge and his attack money out, everyone thought Flores would coast.
But she is campaigning like she never has. Flores is spending money on bus benches and TV ad buys — her first TV commercial aired this week — and driving regularly to the Florida Keys and securing endorsements from almost every group of firefighters there is.
Does she actually think she has a race?
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Flores faces some unknown Democrat named Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who filed right before the deadline. Mucarsel. Mucus (moco) plus carcel (jail). Debbie “Boogerjail.” La pobre. She’s a fundraiser for Florida International University who is just as pretty as the senator and who has raised a respectable-for-a-newby $66,230. She’s only had to spend $4,000 because the Florida Democratic Party has provided in-kind consulting and research worth $46,000.
This is one of the seats they’re desperate to flip, because it’s in a newly redrawn district that President Barack Obama won by five points in 2012. It might be slightly more red, but it appears that the independent voters will make the difference.
So the senator is sweating it.
Flores, who has raised close to $1 million ($946,243) since 2013, has spent a quarter million of it just since June 25. That includes $113,000 on media buys and $62,000 on outdoor advertising (like bus benches and/or billboards) in the same six weeks. The senator still has about $343,000 left to spend. She also has about $400,000 left in her PAC, Floridians for Strong Leadership.
Ladra saw the first TV ad over the weekend. Like her website, it stars her husband and their two cute little boys, Maximo and Lucas. A male game-show voice casts her as “a strong advocate for the elderly, a leader on education, a champion for our environment, a fiscal conservative fighting for government accountability and transparency.”
“Now, more than ever,” Flores says. “We need proven leadership to confront the challenges facing our state. I’ve visited thousands of our neighbors to listen directly to their needs and their concerns.”
And we believe that last part because we’ve seen her all over the place on Facebook.
Read related story: Senate 39’s Andrew Korge vs. Anitere Flores gets ugly fast
Saturday she was distributing backpacks in Homestead. Monday she was visiting Wesley House in Key West, which provides services to foster and adoptive families. She’s taken several trips to the Keys, which is a new constituency for her and she seems to be courting them. The week before that she was in Islamorada and at the South Dade Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
So even Korgeless, it looks like there might still be a race in District 39. Or at least Flores is treating it like one.
Work it, girl! Anitere Flores runs hard like she has a real race added by Ladra on
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If people were prone to thinking independently, they would not vote for Flores. However this girl knows how to be everywhere and smile pretty… I am sure she will keep her seat, but I would love to see her go… She gives me the willies when I see her out and about… She is too much the politician…
Ani Tere is only beholden to who gives her the most. Thanks that there is someone capable to represents us without special interest taking control!
Anitere should distribute back packs even when she’s not up for reelection. She sides with the sugar industry during the current mess and she calls herself a champion for the environment. Lol. I’m voting for anybody but Flores.
I like AniTere, but she only comes out of the woodwork and shows up on bus benches, billboards, and in town when she is up for re-election. THAT, I DON’T like. Many Hispanics that vote for her, seem to do so because she reminds them of their granddaughters; good for AniTere, bad for her constituency if she has favored herself more than them. She should win easily, imo.
Anitere should be worried. After her money making activities are exposed, she’ll have a difficult time winning that race.
In this “Year of the Trump” no Republican can take anything for granted. I see another “wave election” in Florida. The last one was in 2006. A record number of Democratic candidates won seats in the Florida House against Republicans that no one expected.