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Election 2024: Civil rights attorney Daryl Parks considers challenge to Sen. Corey Simon

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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. 

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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.

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“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. 

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“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.  

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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. 

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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

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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. 

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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

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Traffic stop goes viral after Florida deputy accuses driver missing right hand of holding phone

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Traffic stop goes viral after Florida deputy accuses driver missing right hand of holding phone


PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Video of a traffic stop in Palm Beach County is going viral over an awkward exchange between the driver and a deputy who accused her of holding a phone while driving.

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“You drove past me holding a phone with your right hand, manipulating that phone,” the deputy tells 36-year-old Kathleen “Katie” Thomas.

“Obviously not,” Thomas says while laughing and holding up her right arm, showing that she’s missing her right hand.

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“So you wanna call this a day?” she asks.

“I don’t want to call this a day. You had a hand up, manipulating,” the deputy responds.

“You just said my right hand,” Thomas counters.

“Well, I thought I saw your right hand,” the deputy says.

“So you didn’t,” Thomas responds.

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Thomas posted the bodycam footage on Instagram and TikTok where it gained millions of likes.

In the video, although she shows the deputy she doesn’t have a right hand, the deputy doubled down.

“I’m asking you now; did you or not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.

“I did not,” Thomas responds.

“You did not have your phone in your hand?” the deputy asks again.

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“I did not,” Thomas responds.

“Hand to God, you didn’t have a phone in your hand?” the deputy asks.

“Hand to God,” Thomas says.

Court records show Thomas was given a $116 citation despite the presented evidence, but it was later dismissed at the request of the deputy involved.

Copyright 2026 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.





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Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad in Florida

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Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes on launch pad in Florida


A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida. 

The explosion occurred at about 9 p.m. ET. Blue Origin said there were no injuries from the incident. 

“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a statement. “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station also confirmed in a separate statement that “all personnel have been accounted for and there were no injuries/fatalities.”

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A Blue Origin rocket explodes on a launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida. May 28, 2026. 

SPACEFLIGHTNOW


Blue Origin was scheduled to fuel the rocket Thursday evening ahead of a planned test firing of the rocket’s engines.

Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, successfully launched its third New Glenn rocket last month.

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This rocket was being prepared for the fourth New Glenn mission as soon as June 4 to launch 48 satellites for Amazon’s Leo internet service, which competes with Elon Musk’s Starlink. 

The 48 satellites were not aboard the rocket during the test. It was not immediately clear how much damage the launch pad and ground equipment sustained, or how long it might take to repair it.

Space Launch Complex 36, where the explosion occurred, is the only launch pad equipped to launch New Glenn rockets.

The New Glenn rocket is key to Blue Origin’s and NASA’s moon base plans, and the explosion will likely be a setback. Next year, the New Glenn is supposed to launch another Blue Moon lander as part of the Artemis III mission in low Earth orbit.

In a social media post, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman wrote, “Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”  

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The New Glenn rocket had just been cleared on May 22 to return to flight after being grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after an anomaly with the second stage during an April 19 launch.

In a statement Thursday, the FAA said it was aware that the rocket had “experienced an anomaly during a static fire test on the pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida,” adding that the “test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities.”

The FAA also noted that “there was no impact to air traffic” from the explosion. 

Bezos wrote on X Thursday night, “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”

Musk wrote: “Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly.”

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Florida to pay Sumrall’s assistants a combined $11.2M in 2026

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Florida to pay Sumrall’s assistants a combined .2M in 2026


GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Jon Sumrall’s assistants will make a combined $11.2 million in 2026, a significant investment for a program desperate to win more often.

Offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner tops the list after signing a three-year, $6.6 million contract to leave Georgia Tech and join Sumrall in Gainesville. Faulker will get $2.1 million in 2026 – the first $2 million coordinator in school history – and has a $100,000 raise set for each of the next two years.

Only six college offensive coordinators were paid $2 million or more in 2025, according to CBS Sports. Fifteen defensive coordinators topped $2 million.

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Florida defensive coordinator Brad White signed a three-year, $5.85 million deal that starts at $1.85 million and also includes a $100,000 raise in 2027 and 2028.

The Gators released the contracts Thursday in response to a public records request.

Sumrall signed a six-year, $44.7 million contract last year that averages $7.45 million annually. The Gators will dole out more than $20 million to Sumrall, his staff of 15 assistants and a front office led by new general manager Dave Caldwell.

Four of the assistants are scheduled to earn at least $1 million during their deals.

Defensive line coach Gerald Chapman and offensive line coach Phil Trautwine will join Faulker and White in the seven-figure club. Chapman, the lone holdover from former Florida coach Billy Napier’s staff, will make $950,000 this year and $1 million in 2027. Trautwine, meanwhile, starts at $750,000 and jumps to $1 million. Both signed two-year deals.

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Their salaries show Sumrall’s commitment to rebuilding the team along both lines of scrimmage in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.

Napier’s 12-man coaching staff was paid a combined $7.5 million in 2025. The Gators posted three losing seasons in Napier’s four years.

The rest of Sumrall’s staff range between making $350,000 and $600,000 annually, all of them on two-year contracts.



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