DCCC Political Meeting Memo

To:Rep. Denny Heck

From:DCCC Southern Political Director – Andrew Piatt(cell: 817-368-6523, email: )

Date: February 27, 2016

RE: Meeting withStephanie Murphy Haddock (FL-07)

Purpose of the Meeting:

Thank you for meeting with Ed Haddock’s daughter in law and political advisor Stephanie Murphy Haddock. Stephanie is a friend of the committee and her father in law is a prominent attorney and entrepreneur in Orlando. He founded Full Sail University and Stephanie is his Political Director. Please brief Stephanie on the great opportunity in FL-07 and thank her for helping us brainstorm recruits.

**NOTE** - Stephanie’s boss has traditionally supported John Mica and this meeting is off the record and personal. We may bring them on board later but for now she is helping us in a personal capacity.

Talking Points:

  • Please tell Stephaniethat the DCCC is excited about the movement of lines in Orlando and she should have three local Democratic members to work with after the election in 2016. The most exciting district in Orlando and all of Florida is FL-07.
  • Please tell Stephanie that the excitement on paper and in D.C. doesn’t appear to have reached the political class in Orlando. Please ask her to help us highlight this great opportunity to pick up a seat as she talks in her community.
  • Please let Stephanie know that this is now a 50/50 district and is frankly the most competitive Congressional district in the state of Florida. President Obama received 50.2% of the vote in 2012 and 51.5% in 2008. We can win here.
  • Please tell Stephanie that the DCCC believes we have enough time to mount his successful campaign because Mica has grown complacent over the years and doesn’t raise much money. Mica only raised $50,000 in Q3 and a little more than $100,000in Q4. He has approximately $550,000 on hand. This is a gap we can easily close.
  • Please stress that Mica has never had a competitive general election and is not in fighting shape. He has blind spots in his political profile for the new district which is far more diverse and Democratic (changes described in background below).
  • Please tell Stephanie that the DCCC is serious about recruiting a strong candidate in this pickup opportunity, which is why we are talking to her. Please ask for her thoughts on Bale Dalton. Dalton is the son of a Federal Judge and a retired U.S. Navy Officer. He currently works Dept. of State. Andrew Piatt will reach out to him at Stephanie’s suggestion.
  • Please ask for her thoughts on Patrick Chapin.

Background:

  • Here are the new stats:

PERFORMANCE

  • DPI = 50.8%
  • 2012 Obama = 50.0%
  • 2008 Obama = 51.6%
  • 2012 Senate 57.1%
  • 2014 Gov = 49.1%
  • 2010 Gov = 49.5%

GEOGRAPHY

  • Seminole County 59% of Reg voters
  • Orange County 41% of Reg voters
  • City of Orlando 32% of reg voters
  • 26% of the registered voters were not in FL-07 prior to redistricting

DEMOS

  • Hispanic = 18.2% of census voting age population (primarily Puerto Rican)
  • African American = 9.4% of census voting age population
  • Under 30 = 28.0% of total population
  • Bill Phillips got in the race in Q4 and did not raise sufficient funds to mount a successful campaign. He withdrew his candidacy early this week.
  • The newly redrawn FL-07 now contains the eastern part of Orlando and its suburbs to the east and north of the city. Its major population centers are Orlando, Sanford, and Altamonte Springs.
  • Compared to the old district, the new seat gained the territory of eastern Orlando and Sanford, but lost Deltona and Orange City to the new FL-06.
  • The new seat is also more diverse. The African American voting age population increased 1.5 points compared to the old district and the Hispanic voting age population increased 2.7 points.

Biography:

Stephanie is a friend of the committee and the political director at Full Sail University.

Full Sail:

People from around the world come to Full Sail to pursue their educational goals, and they share one thing in common – a passion for creative careers in the entertainment and media industry.

Full Sail’s mission is to provide students with an innovative style of education, delivered by a staff of dedicated individuals, that addresses the career opportunities available in an ever-growing, constantly evolving industry. We do this by developing unique curricula that combine elements of creativity, art, business and life skills, technical prowess, and academic achievement. Our education is delivered via immersive teaching methods, both in Full Sail’s real world production studios and classrooms, as well as through our online learning environment.

Every one of our degree programs is designed to provide students with knowledge and real world experience that will help them realize their career goals in the entertainment and media industry.

FL-07 DISTRICT SUMMARY

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