Columns by Mary Ellen Klas in Bloomberg Opinion and Exclusive stories in the Miami Herald

Normie Republicans Like Brian Kemp Have It Rough

Even before Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced he would not be challenging Democrat Jon Ossoff in that high-stakes US Senate race in the state next year, he had already emerged as one of the most interesting Republicans on the national stage. Kemp knows what a liability Trump can be for Republicans and has learned how to choose his battles carefully. For the last four years, the two-term governor endured Trump’s threats and bullying because he refused to illegally overturn the 2020 election r...

Who Can Save Florida Democrats? Former Republicans

Florida is becoming a testing ground for desperate centrists. The Democratic leader of the Florida Senate, Jason Pizzo, abruptly resigned his leadership post last week with just two weeks to go in the legislative session. “The Democratic Party in Florida is dead,” he said as he made the announcement on the Senate floor. “There are good people that can resuscitate it. But they don’t want it to be me.” Florida is becoming a testing ground for desperate centrists. The Democratic leader of the F...

GOP's Voting Reform Is Paperwork, Not a Solution

Listen closely to the arguments of the House Republicans pushing the so-called “Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act” and you realize they aren’t interested in solving the problem the bill purports to address: non-citizens voting in federal elections.If you take the proponents of the bill at their word — that the measure is needed “to increase integrity of elections” because “non-citizen voting decreases confidence in our elections” — you’d expect a targeted proposal aimed at increasi...

Harvard Proves the Only Choice Is to Fight

School districts across the US are now facing the same decision as institutions of higher learning: allow the government to censor their instruction or stand up for themselves and lose federal funding. As Harvard and Columbia demonstrated by taking opposite approaches, there is really only one choice: fight.That’s because the Trump administration has demonstrated it’s not negotiating in good faith. Each time an educational institution engages with the White House, the White House shifts the goal...

Are GOP Leaders Afraid to Listen to Their Own Voters?

No politician will ever admit they have zero interest in hearing what their constituents have to say. But from Washington, DC to Wichita, Kansas elected officials are cancelling meetings with constituents and systematically undermining citizen-led ballot initiatives — the one tool the public has to make change when elected officials won’t listen.It is profoundly hypocritical — and dangerously shortsighted.

Florida Deserves Better Candidates for Governor

For nearly half a century, Florida has been America’s ultimate political bellwether. Now, the race to replace Governor Ron DeSantis in 2026 is flashing a warning sign about the influential state’s shallow leadership pool.DeSantis can’t run again because of term limits, but he wants to run for president again so he’s looking for a way to stay relevant. He’s propping up his wife Casey and President Donald Trump endorsed Congressman Byron Donalds. Florida can do better, and it should.

The GOP Is Obsessed With DEI in Schools. What About the ABCs?

Linda McMahon’s nomination to head the Department of Education has always seemed incongruous. But after watching her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday, I now see why President Donald Trump would appoint the co-founder and former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment. Like WWE itself, with its choreographed athletic feats and staged conflict, the president’s commitment to America’s school children is pure performance art.

Meet the Educator Who Thinks Fewer Women Should Go to College

Conservatives have made no secret of their desire to dismantle the current university system and replace it with their own, “anti-woke” version that would discourage the advancement of women and minorities. Scott Yenor, nominated to chair the board of trustees at the state-run University of West Florida, is one of the lightning rods in this crusade — and if he is confirmed to that post, he will make Florida his proving ground. State senators should vote to reject his nomination when they meet in...
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