Peter Schorsch, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschMarch 16, 2016

Replacing Commissioner Kevin McCarty of the Office of Insurance Regulation is shaping up to be a challenge. Dozens of candidates, offering what can be called (charitably) a broad range of credentials, have thrown their names in the hat. So the process of choosing a new OIR leader, now that it is well underway, will prove […]

Peter SchorschMarch 16, 2016

The most common formulation for political failure in a presidential campaign is this: It was too little, too late. But in the case of Marco Rubio, it was too little, too soon. Rubio withdrew from the presidential race Tuesday, another patch of bloodstained pavement on Trump Boulevard. Our self-described favorite son managed to lose 66 […]

Peter SchorschMarch 15, 2016

Five delegate-rich states are casting ballots today in Republican primaries. If history is any indication, Florida is poised in 2016 to continue its long-running streak as the state which chooses the Republican Party nominee. Crunching the numbers, a Smart Politics analysis found Florida is one of just three states that backed the eventual Republican nominee […]

Peter SchorschMarch 15, 2016

For Jeb Bush, his presidential aspirations may be over, but not in the hearts of many of his more strident supporters. For the primaries and caucuses in 2016, nearly a quarter-million votes have been cast so far for 11 of the 13 Republicans who have already exited the race, including Bush, Ben Carson, Rand Paul […]

Peter SchorschMarch 15, 2016

No sooner than the hankies dropped Friday, Gov. Rick Scott‘s press office had fired out a release announcing the governor’s “Million, Billion Jobs Victory Tour.” “I am proud to announce that by working with Florida Legislative leaders, we have cut taxes by more than $1 billion in just two years,” he said. And there started the […]

Peter SchorschMarch 14, 2016

Two weeks into her seventh annual “Walk in My Shoes” journey across the state of Florida, Lauren Book and her team have been trumped … by Donald Trump! Book’s team arrived in Tampa Sunday night. They have been doing what they do … walking through and holding events aimed at educating communities and raising awareness about […]

Peter SchorschMarch 11, 2016

What a difference a year makes. Tallahassee went from the dysfunction of 2015 – the House going home early, no budget, a Special Budget Session – to the trains-on-time Session of 2016. Heck, the chilly capital even warmed up to the high 70s by Sine Die. No wonder there are more winners than losers this year than last. […]

Peter SchorschMarch 11, 2016

It’s over. Officially. The contest between Orlando’s Eric Eisnaugle and Pinellas Chris Sprowls to serve as Speaker of the Florida House beginning in 2021 ended Friday evening, just hours after the 2016 Legislative Session came to a fitful conclusion. According to three sources, Eisnaugle personally conceded to Sprowls, who just the day before won over the support […]

Peter SchorschMarch 11, 2016

On the final day of the 2016 Legislative Session, a landmark deal addressing the ridesharing issue in Florida has died. According to lobbyists working for Uber and Lyft, as well as Orlando-based Mears Transportation, a compromise was brokered that includes the thorny aspects of insurance and preemption. However, the time constraints of the legislative session […]

Peter SchorschMarch 11, 2016

Marco Rubio won a delegate after all. There were 150 delegates at stake in Tuesday’s Republican contests in Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii. Rubio was shut out in the first three states. But on Thursday evening – two days after the voting ended – Hawaii finished counting more than 2,000 provisional ballots, and there it […]

Peter Schorsch

The Good, the Bad and the Interesting: Evaluating the applicants for Florida insurance commissioner

On the end to Marco Rubio’s presidential campaign: Requiem for a lightweight

Will Florida continue its 50-year streak of choosing the GOP nominee?

Candidates no longer in prez race take 229K votes in primaries; Jeb Bush leads with 88K

Takeaways from Tallahassee – Epilogue

Lauren Book trumped by Donald Trump

Takeaways from Tallahassee: Winners & Losers of the 2016 Legislative Session

Speaker’s race is over as Eric Eisnaugle concedes to Chris Sprowls, releases pledges

Legislative deal between ridesharing companies and taxis dies

Upon further review, Marco Rubio wins single delegate as Hawaii finishes counting votes

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.