Solemn snooty sinister snollygoster incumbent PAUL M. RENNER is an out-of-touch louche lackey for TRAVIS JAMES HUTSON and HUTSON COMPANIES developers. RENNER is another political prostitute, not unlike an alien implant, a Jacksonville resident who moved to our District after losing an election in Jacksonville, a corporate lawyer with a large insurance defense practice.
I'm supporting Captain Adam Morley, who will represent the rest of us. In his Facebook ads,, "he appears in a costume as a giant wrench. “My name is Adam Morley and I am a tool. ... I am the most useful tool in your ballot box. I am a trusted tool and since I’m adjustable, I’m able to work with a wide range of nuts down in the statehouse. So this November, throw this tool into the gears of the political machine that’s been grinding away at our Florida.” From St. Augustine Record:
Adam Morley hopes 5th matchup with House Speaker-designate Paul Renner ends differently
House Speaker-designate Paul Renner doesn't have to turn the clock back too far, just 2014, to remember he once lost a close race for a Jacksonville-area Florida House of Representatives seat.
When a seat unexpectedly opened up a month later, Renner moved to Palm Coast, campaigned and won a 2015 special election. That started a familiar pattern. Renner defeated the same Democrat, Adam Morley, in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2020 for the Flagler-St. Johns based seat.
Undaunted, Morley is back for a fifth time, punching at what he calls the "Republican political machine."
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Redistricting resulted in a changed district number, 19 rather than 24, but similar boundaries — all of Flagler County and coastal St. Johns County north into St. Augustine. That leaves the seat's political makeup, as of July 25, at 45% Republican and 29% Democrat. Meanwhile, Renner holds a massive campaign finance advantage, raising more than $210,000 as compared with Morley, who has yet to hit the $9,400 mark.
And that's not including the $3.5 million Renner has available in his Conservatives for Principled Leadership political committee or the $4.7 million he controls as chairman of the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee.
"He has the power to decide the agenda in the House and that is a very big and important position," Morley said. "I definitely get that. ... I do know people who don't know who he is ... and don't feel like much is being done for the little guys that are in the district.
"He has a residence here, but he's really a Jacksonville rep that's residing only part-time mainly to fulfill the legal requirements. It really feels like my home district is being used as a stepping stone for political gain and not for accurate representation of the district. That's frustrating and one of the reasons I got involved in the first place."
Renner did not respond to a News-Journal request for an interview this week. In the past, he has said he and his wife were drawn to Palm Coast because of its affordability and proximity to the ocean and St. Augustine. Renner responded to a similar Morley critique in 2020 by saying he attends local events every week.
Renner's rise to House leadership
The son of a pastor and a public-school teacher who grew up mostly in Florida, he went from Davidson College to the U.S. Navy, where he served in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Twenty years later, he was called up to active duty to serve as an intelligence officer in Afghanistan, and reached the rank of commander in the Navy Reserves.
Renner, now 55, is an attorney who has worked as a prosecutor in the Broward County State Attorney's Office for a time before practicing corporate law in Jacksonville.
His tenure in the Navy has shaped his views on freedom, and in a speech following his formal elevation to the Speaker-designate position, Renner hearkened back to boot camp, when drill instructors banged on trash cans to wake up his company and order them to scramble getting their beds made and putting their uniforms on properly.
The lesson from boot camp is clear: Success depends on the teammates to your left and right. You can either fail alone or succeed together," Renner said. "The same lesson applies to the Florida House. If we stand together as one team, acting on principle and with the courage of our convictions, there is absolutely no limit to what we can accomplish together."
On his campaign page, Renner says he supports job growth and expanded opportunities, favors limited government but aims to improve quality of life, and backs veterans, pro-life and pro-family policies.
A boat captain's persistence
Morley is the owner of Genung's Fish Camp, a historic property with a shop and small marina dating to 1948, in St. Augustine. He also is a boat captain for Old Town Cycle Cruises.
That informs one of his priorities, investing more in clean water.
"Our state's economy depends on clean water. The economic driver in the state is water. We're the fishing capital of the world, for crying out loud. We have a $14 billion fishing industry and that does factor in with the visitors who come to our beaches."
Two years ago, Morley called himself an "idealist without illusion" about the likelihood of an upset that did not come, but he has carried on the fight for another election cycle. On his Facebook page, he's posting videos, some of which are irreverent.
In one, he appears in a costume as a giant wrench. “My name is Adam Morley and I am a tool. ... I am the most useful tool in your ballot box. I am a trusted tool and since I’m adjustable, I’m able to work with a wide range of nuts down in the statehouse. So this November, throw this tool into the gears of the political machine that’s been grinding away at our Florida.”
On women's rights, abortion
The Legislature this year passed a bill changing the timeframe within which abortions are legal, going from 24 weeks of gestation to 15. Renner voted in favor of the bill.
With the Supreme Court's decision overturning the Roe v. Wade federal protection of women's right to choose abortion and giving states authority to further restrict or outright ban the practice, there's been much speculation about what lies ahead for Florida. Renner and leading Republicans have not signaled what the 2023 session might bring. While some members of their caucus are pushing to take even more restrictive steps, others have said a court battle over the constitutionality of the 15-week limitation should first play out.
On his website, Renner says no government programs can prove more effective in raising a child than good parenting by a "strong and loving father and mother," and pledges to fight for policies that support marriage and families.
"As someone who is pro-life, I will advocate for a culture of life that treats every human being with compassion, including the unborn," he said.
Morley said women's reproductive rights are among his top priorities. On Florida's 15-week prohibition, Morley said: "We need to do better than that."
The bill provides one exception: An abortion is legal if it will save the life of or prevent serious injury to a pregnant person.
There should be clear exceptions for victims of rape, incest and human trafficking, he said.
"There are going to be bills for outright bans and the Speaker of the House, my opponent, he's already said he'll allows those bills to be heard and he's likely to support them," Morley said. "That's probably the biggest issue out there. ... That should send people to the polls to unseat him."
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