Florida
Election 2024: Civil rights attorney Daryl Parks considers challenge to Sen. Corey Simon
A number of Leon County Democrats say they believe they have found a candidate with the star power to match Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, and take back a state Senate seat they had held for more than a century.
But that potential candidate has of yet declined to officially declare while generating speculation with comments to Tallahassee activists.
Prominent civil rights attorney Daryl Parks, a Florida State University Law graduate, confirmed this week to the Tallahassee Democrat he is considering challenging Simon, a former football player who was on FSU’s 1999 national championship team and first elected in 2022.
A whispering campaign about Parks’ potential candidacy surfaced after a Feb. 19 meeting of the Democratic Club of North Florida.
Ryan Ray, chair of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee, told a reporter afterwards that Parks had said he’s going to make a run and that the possibility of Democrats taking back the seat had put a “pep in his step.”
Reached the next day Parks would not confirm the conversation and said Ray did not speak for him. Ray then retracted his statement.
Now, Parks said he is taking a serious look at launching a Senate campaign against the incumbent Simon.
“Over the last few weeks, I received calls and texts from people from all walks who are fed up with what they see happening in the capital. Republicans, Independents, and Democrats, all fed up with our Senator siding with insiders and actually working against us,” said Parks.
For Simon and Parks to stage a showdown for a Senate seat between two prominent FSU alumni, Parks first has to get past Gadsden County Commissioner Kimblin E. NeSmith, and the Florida Education Association’s executive director Sheria Monique in the Democratic primary – they both have announced their candidacy and are raising money, though their totals are dwarfed by the hundreds of thousands in Simon’s campaign account.
Nesmith has $20,000 in a campaign account. Griffin $11,000.
“Looks like they’re going to have a crowded primary. Whoever emerges will have to make a case against Sen. Simon’s strong record of delivering for the district,” said Simon’s spokesperson Erin Isaac
Democrats think Simon benefited from Gov. Ron DeSantis’ coattails, a redrawn district led by the governor and the GOP’s significant financial advantage to win the 2022 election against former Sen. Loranne Ausley, D-Tallahassee.
The sprawling 13-county Senate District 3 marries a Tallahassee area dominated by two universities and growing professional and medical communities with 11 counties blanketed with forests and farms.
The sparsely populated rural counties in recent years have voted Republican with more than 60% of the vote, while the more populated Tallahassee area of Leon and Gadsden counties back Democrats by the same margin.
Two years ago, Simon trimmed 2% points (19,000 votes) off the Democrats vote total in Leon and Gadsden counties while pulling in three-quarters of the vote in the in the remaining 11 counties to win by six points.
Both Simon and Parks have strong ties to the community as FSU graduates and through community service.
Parks, a civil rights and personal injury attorney and his former partner Ben Crump gained a national reputation when they represented the families of Trayvon Martin, killed by George Zimmerman in 2012, and became the lead attorneys in a number of other wrongful death cases.
Daryl Parks and Ben Crump call on Eric Holder to investigate DOC death
Daryl Parks and Ben Crump call on Attorney General Eric Holder to inviestigate Florida DOC desth of Latandra Ellington
Sean Rossman/Democrat
Simon earned his celebrity on the football field at FSU and later with the Super Bowl winning Philadelphia Eagles.
Both returned to Tallahassee to work in the community after being in the national spotlight.
Parks has been involved with the Sickle Cell Foundation, the Bethel Community Development Corporation, Legal Services of North Florida and the Tallahassee Urban League.
Simon volunteered with youth football groups, the Boys and Girls Club, and led Volunteer Florida.
His first term in the Senate has been highlighted by an increase in the amount of money secured for local projects, support for school vouchers, and voting to preempt local wage ordinances.
Parks said the Simon platform puts “corporations that gouge us above,” the people he is supposed to represent.
Parks said he will decide soon whether he will challenge Simon. He has until June 14 to file the paperwork and designate a treasurer and bank, and begin to raise campaign money.
Simon has already file, has $302,689 in his campaign account and so far this election cycle has spent nearly $10,000 on voter outreach, campaign T-shirts, and media services.
James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow on him Twitter: @CallTallahassee
Florida
Florida high school football team pulls off miraculous touchdown to help win state championship
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A Florida high school state football championship finished with a phenomenal ending for one team and absolute heartbreak for the other on Saturday night.
Lake Mary High School was down six points with seven seconds left in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 7A title game against Vero Beach. Noah Grubbs dropped back to pass and rolled to his right. He gained momentum and fired the ball, which was tipped and caught short of the goal line.
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A Lake Mary quarterback looks to throw in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
As Vero Beach defenders tried to keep receiver Barrett Schultz out of the end zone, Schultz’s teammate Tavarius Brundidge Jr. came around and took the ball out of Schultz’s hands. Brundidge ran the ball into the end zone to complete the wild and chaotic play.
The touchdown tied the game, and Lake Mary would kick the extra point to win, 28-27.
INDIANA’S FERNANDO MENDOZA WINS 2025 HEISMAN TROPHY
A Lake Mary player in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, makes a catch at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“I was just hoping and praying like everyone else that he was going to come down with the football and Barrett did,” Lake Mary head coach Scott Perry said, via TC Palm. “… We were just going to keep fighting and fighting until the final whistle.”
Vero Beach tried to run out the clock the best they could. The team decided to take a safety with 12 seconds left, and gave the ball back to Lake Mary.
A Vero Beach player is stunned after the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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It was the first state championship for Lake Mary in its history.
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Florida
Gisele Bündchen and Joaquim Valente enjoy Florida day date on jet skis
Gisele Bündchen and her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, soaked up the sun during a jet skiing date in Florida.
The model and the MMA athlete appeared in good spirits while on the water near their home in Surfside on Saturday.
They both stayed close to each other and sported life vests.
Bündchen, 35, appeared to be wearing a white one-piece bathing suit underneath her vest.
She accessorized with sunglasses and styled her hair in a ponytail.
As for Valente, he sported black swim trunks.
The couple, who have been romantically linked since 2023, enjoyed some quality time together after welcoming a son together in February.
While Bündchen and Valente have shied away from revealing too much about their infant, they recently took him out on a boat ride in September.
At the time, the former Victoria’s Secret model was seen cradling her son while her beau took the wheel.
Valente then adorably held onto their 10-month-old, as Bündchen watched in awe.
The health guru also shared a rare glimpse of her son alongside her 16-year-old son, Benjamin, in October.
The teenager adorably held onto his little brother while playing the piano.
Bündchen shares Benjamin and her daughter Vivian, 13, with her ex-husband, Tom Brady.
The exes were wed from 2009 to 2022.
The former NFL star also shares an 18-year-old son, Jack, with his ex Bridget Moynahan.
Florida
Florida Class 4A state championship: How to watch American Heritage vs. Jones
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state championships continued last night down in Miami at Pitbull Stadium as the Raines Vikings upset the Northwestern Bulls for the the Class 3A state championship, provind the most exciting game of the week thus far. Another rematch from last year’s finals pits the American Heritage Patriots versus the Jones Tigers for the Class 4A state championship this afternoon. We preview the sixth of seven FHSAA state championship games as teams begin being crowned as champions of their classifications.
How to Watch American Heritage vs. Jones in Florida 4A state championship game
Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla.
TV Channel: NFHS Network
American Heritage Players to Watch
QB Leon Strawder: Strawder is making his second consecutive appearance in a state championship game, this time with a different team, however. The senior has thrown for 2,052 yards and 19 touchdowns.
WR Jamar Denson: Of the star-studded wide receiving corps for American Heritage, its Denson who has been Mr. Reliable thus far this season. Throughout the course of the season, Denson has hauled in 69 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns.
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel: The Georgia Tech commit has been the second option behind Denson on offense, with Jean-Noel catching 57 passes for 795 yards and six touchdowns.
LB Dylan Bennett: Anchoring the front seven of the Patriots’ defense is the senior linebacker, who currently leads the team with 61 total tackles, 17 them going for a loss and five sacks.
Jones Players to Watch
QB Dereon Coleman: The Miami signee is as calm as they come in the pocket as the senior quarterback has thrown for 2,749 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three picks this Florida high school football season.
WR Larry Miles: Coleman’s favorite target to throw to is the Nebraska signee as the senior looks to end his high school career with a state crown. Miles has caught 88 passes for 1,111 and 10 touchdowns.
OL Xavier Payne: The 6-foot-7, 275-pound Colorado offensive tackle signee will have the job of making sure Coleman stands upright throughout the afternoon against American Heritage’s pass rush.
EDGE Frederick Ards: The 2027 four-star EDGE rusher for the Tigers has been superb, racking up 73 tackles, 13 for loss and 11 sacks.
Where to Watch the Florida Class 4A state championship on livestream:
You can watch the American Heritage Patriots take on the Jones Tigers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on NFHS Network.
For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Sunshine State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Florida.
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