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Good morning and happy Friday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis may never get to debate Donald Trump or Joe Biden. So he settled for the next willing adversary.

DeSantis and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California clashed last night during a Fox News debate in Alpharetta, Georgia, over whether life was better in Florida or California. DeSantis brought props featuring “porn” and poop. The governors called each other liars and bullies and frequently interrupted and insulted one another. They seemed to be having so much fun tearing each other down that they wanted to go overtime, while moderator Sean Hannity seemed exasperated.

DeSantis, who at times has struggled with how to effectively criticize Trump, had no problem listing off all the things he disliked about Newsom and his policies, from his “slick” look to his infamous dinner at the extravagant French Laundry restaurant during Covid lockdowns. He frequently laughed at his opponent’s answers and rolled his eyes.

He repeatedly used Newsom as a stand-in for Biden, not only accusing the California governor of running a “shadow” campaign for the White House but warning that if the president were to be reelected then America would become like California. In these moments, the debate shifted to be about 2024, rather than about looking backward to his time as governor.

“What California represents is the Biden-Harris agenda on steroids,” DeSantis said. “They would love nothing more than to get four more years to be able to take the California model nationally.”

Throughout the back and forth, DeSantis had some assist from Hannity, who challenged Newsom over certain negative outcomes in California — on issues from homelessness to crime — but didn’t do the same for DeSantis in Florida. DeSantis did not field questions from the host about Florida’s surging costs of property insurance, the high number of people who don’t have medical coverage or why his own favorability is sinking in his home state.

Newsom was unshakably loyal to Biden and defended him against criticisms on the issues of competency, immigration and the economy. Still, he spent more time during the debate trying to defend his own record in California than he did promoting the Biden-Harris agenda. DeSantis seemed most confident when he unleashed economic arguments, including on gas prices and taxes.

By agreeing to the debate, DeSantis did open himself to criticism he wouldn’t face on a debate stage with like minded Republicans, including on LGBTQ+ rights, gun safety and immigration. Newsom himself cast DeSantis as a bully on each of these issues and said he was offended at how the governor treated people.

Newsom also argued that DeSantis’ made decisions driven by political calculations rather than a specific ideological bent, even attacking DeSantis from the right by saying that he’d initially locked down Florida during Covid’s early days and voted for an amnesty bill when he was in Congress in 2018. He criticized the governor for accepting millions of dollars in federal funding for manufacturing this week without mentioning that Biden provided the funds to make it possible.

Newsom at times even made arguments that could help Trump, including mocking DeSantis for his collapse in the polls and goading him about how the former president was likely to be the 2024 GOP presidential nominee instead of him.

“In a matter of weeks he will be endorsing Donald Trump,” Newsom concluded.

— WHERE’S RON? Gov. DeSantis will appear on Fox & Friends during the 7 a.m. EST hour. He’ll also be campaigning in South Carolina and will receive the Patriot Award from The Citadel Republican Society in Charleston, S.C.

On Saturday he’ll hit his 99th county in Iowa, which he’ll celebrate alongside Florida first lady Casey DeSantis and his endorsers Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, evangelical FAMiLY Leader president and CEO Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl and Iowa state Rep. Jon Dunwell.

During the weekend he’ll be campaigning at events in Iowa with Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting him.

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REACTION — DeSantis calls on Republican Party of Florida chair Christian Ziegler to resign following reporting that police are investigating him over allegations of sexual assault, reported POLITICO’s Kimberly Leonard and Andrew Atterbury.

“He’s innocent till proven guilty, but we can’t have a party chair that is under that type of scrutiny,” DeSantis told reporters following his debate in Georgia.

Ziegler, through his attorney, acknowledged the police were investigating him and said he’d been “fully cooperative with every request made by the Sarasota Police Department.”

“We are confident that once the police investigation is concluded that no charges will be filed and Mr. Ziegler will be completely exonerated,” his attorney, Derek Byrd, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, public figures are often accused of acts that they did not commit whether it be for political purposes or financial gain. I would caution anyone to rush to judgment until the investigation is concluded.”

Ziegler’s wife, Bridget Ziegler, was a co-founder of the conservative parents group Moms for Liberty and is one of the board members DeSantis selected to be on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in Central Florida.

UNANIMOUS — Florida Supreme Court stunner on open records fight, by POLITICO’s Gary Fineout. The Florida Supreme Court, in a ruling that may jolt state legislators into action, said that police officers as well as crime victims cannot have their identities shielded due to a constitutional amendment passed by voters several years ago. Florida voters in 2018 passed what was known as “Marsy’s Law,” a measure designed to give constitutional protections to crime victims and which was similar to initiatives passed in other states.

GOP STATE TREND — “For Republican governors, civics is the latest education battleground,” reports The New York Times’ Dana Goldstein. “The new civics standards are, above all else, explicitly patriotic, emphasizing the importance of children having pride in their country. The standards do not avoid discussions of race but frame racism in a particular light, not as a structural feature of American life but as a deviation from the nation’s norms and ideals. The guidelines also remove or reduce hands-on activities, such as mock elections, debates on current events and writing to elected officials — a reaction to widespread worry from conservatives that teachers use these activities to push their own political beliefs.”

NEW BILL — Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie) and Rep. Robin Bartleman (D-Weston) filed the Gabby Petito Act to strengthen domestic violence prevention efforts, reports USA Today Network - Florida’s Cheryl McCloud and Gabriela Szymanowska. “The bill was filed in response to the death of Petito, a 22-year-old travel vlogger killed by her fiancé while on a cross-country road trip in 2021. Her disappearance fueled intense interest across the nation and spurred a search for her missing fiance.”

NEW POLL — “New survey of Florida Latino voters say 79 percent want Medicaid expansion,” reports the Florida Phoenix’s Mitch Perry. “That includes 72 percent of Republican voters. The poll of 400 Latinos in Florida was conducted earlier this month by BSP Research on behalf of two Latino advocacy groups, UnidosUS and Mi Familia Vota.”

IMPLEMENTING NEW LAWS — “Some Florida schools try to ease impact of laws aimed at LGBTQ+ students,” by Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey S. Solochek. “Pinellas County Schools will allow teachers to use students’ preferred pronouns, if the children’s parents submit a formal request. They will let children wear any clothing that meets the district’s dress code, ‘even if it is not stereotypically associated with their biological sex at birth.’ And when an employee receives information about a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation, that information alone won’t require them to notify parents.”

NEXT WEEK — Democratic state Sen. Linda Stewart told Playbook that she plans to again bring up her local bill regarding Walt Disney World’s district for a vote next week. The bill failed to pass Wednesday because Republicans left the meeting before it was was introduced, leaving Democrats without a quorum.

The bill would reestablish the former arrangement Disney World had in Florida, where it largely self-governed, and remove the DeSantis-appointed board members. Stewart, however, said that she thought eventually the district should have some governance changes.

— “Will the Broward School Board fight the state on the trans issue? Likely not. Here’s why,” reports the Miami Herald

NO DEM PRIMARY — Florida Democrats plan to cancel presidential primary, enraging Dean Phillips’ campaign, reports POLITICO’s Holly Otterbein and Gary Fineout. Florida appears poised to hold no presidential primary election for Democrats this cycle after the state party submitted only President Joe Biden’s name as a candidate up for the nomination.

The move to leave Rep. Dean Phillips off the primary ballot left the Minnesota Democrat enraged on Thursday. In a statement first provided to POLITICO, Phillips, who has launched a longshot primary bid against Biden, accused Florida Democratic Party officials of rigging the primary. He threatened a lawsuit and a convention fight if he didn’t win ballot access in the state.

VEEPSTAKES — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) is interested in being Trump’s running mate, he told POTUS Radio on Sirius XM. “It’s about wanting to save this country,” he said. “I’m here to help and get the job done.”

— “Did Trump make ‘bad political move’ by calling for repeal of Obamacare?,” asks Antonio Fins of the Palm Beach Post

RECORDS SOUGHT — “The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee has opened an investigation into Florida’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. and its ability to pay claims for ‘climate-related’ disasters before seeking federal help,” reports the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Ron Hurtibise. The committee wants “documents and information about plans by Florida’s state-owned ‘insurer of last resort’ to address increased underwriting losses from climate-related extreme weather events and other disasters such as tropical cyclones, intense precipitation events, droughts, heatwaves, sea level rise, and wildfires.”

NEW BILL — “South Florida lawmakers seek boost in housing options for Miccosukee,” reports WLRN’s Sergio R. Bustos. “If passed, it would authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to realign a portion of the levee located within the Tigertail Camp to give Miccosukee Tribe members options to provide more housing for members of the Tigertail Camp family, say the lawmakers.”

BIPARTISAN PUSH — Members demand more transparency on UFO issues, reports POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna. A group of House lawmakers is demanding easier access to information related to UFOs — and insisting the strongest possible disclosure requirements make it into the annual defense policy bill currently being finalized.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and other lawmakers said they were encountering resistance from the Senate Armed Services and House Intelligence committees to provisions related to UFOs being included in the National Defense Authorization Act.

— GOP state Rep. Spencer Roach is reflecting on his own life after the allegations after the “unfolding scandal ROCKING” the Republican Party of Florida.

BIRTHDAYS: Sen. Rick Scott … former state Rep. Anne Mackenzie ... Tampa Bay Times’ Michael Van Sickler … (Saturday) State Sen. Debbie Mayfield … (Sunday) State Sen. Keith Perry … lobbyist Ron Book ... Carrie O’Rourke, director of development strategy at Stand Together ... POLITICO’s Bruce Ritchie ... Krys Fluker, opinion editor The Orlando Sentinel