Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJanuary 4, 2017

The battle to be the next chair of the Florida Democratic Party is becoming increasingly crazy – and intense. Two of the five candidates have had to move to different counties to be eligible for the position and one of them, Alan Clendenin, has been hit with a complaint regarding his election as state committeeman in Bradford County last month. […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 2, 2017

With the Florida Democratic Party chair election slated for the middle of this month, jockeying for the position begins this week. On New Year’s Eve, Alan Clendenin sent a memo to Florida Democratic Party State Executive Committee members on immediate reforms he would implement if elected to succeed Allison Tant. Clendenin lost to Tant for the party chair position four […]

Scott PowersDecember 27, 2016

Fresh off his step-three victory last week among Miami Democrats, Stephen Bittel has formally launched his candidacy to become chairman of the Florida Democratic Party. Bittel announced his candidacy Tuesday, though he’s been securing endorsements and backing for weeks for the vacancy created by the departure of FDP Chairwoman Allison Tant. The Democrats will select […]

Mitch PerryDecember 20, 2016

Two weeks ago, it appeared that Alan Clendenin‘s hopes for becoming state chair of the Florida Democratic Party died after falling twelve votes short of being re-elected as Hillsborough County’s state committeeman. That position is one of just a handful in local Democratic Party politics that would qualify a candidate to run for state party chair. But in a stunning development, the DNC Committeeman […]

Mitch PerryDecember 19, 2016

Stephen Bittel, a favorite of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson as the person who might become the next chair of the Florida Democratic Party, announced he received more endorsements from organization labor in his bid Tuesday for Miami-Dade County committeeman against Dwight Bullard. Typically, such inside local politics maneuvering wouldn’t garner statewide attention, but the winner in Tuesday night’s Miami-Dade […]

Mitch PerryDecember 15, 2016

Controversy continues to swirl around the selection process to determine who is eligible to run next month for the job of Florida Democratic Party chair, Sen. Bill Nelson is now weighing in with his most effusive comments to date about Stephen Bittel, the Coconut Grove real-estate magnate and major political donor seeking to become the next chairman of the FDP. Bittel is slated […]

Mitch PerryDecember 7, 2016

“Image is everything” that great philosopher, Andre Agassi, once said in a series of television ads for Canon in the early 1990’s. Though a bit of an exaggeration, there’s no question that the image of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee has taken a significant body blow following its reorganization meeting on Monday night. To recap: Party Chair Ione Townsend concluded that the party’s by-laws […]

Mitch PerryNovember 23, 2016

In January of 2013, DNC and Florida State Committeeman Alan Clendenin lost out to Allison Tant in an intensely fought contest to lead the Florida Democratic Party. When Tant announced two weeks ago that she would not run again for party chair in 2017, a bevy of names were floated as possible candidates to succeed her. One […]

Mitch PerryNovember 14, 2016

In the 72 hours since Allison Tant announced she would not run for another term as Florida Democratic Party chair, all sorts of names have been floated as possible successors. DNC Committeeman Alan Clendenin, former House Minority Leader Dan Gelber, former Congressman Patrick Murphy, former lawmaker Dwight Bullard and former lieutenant governor candidate Annette Taddeo are just some of Florida Democrats being mentioned in the conversation. […]

Peter SchorschNovember 14, 2016

As Florida Democrats begin to think about who might lead their party out of the wilderness they found themselves in after last Tuesday’s elections, a familiar, respected name is emerging as one of the possible contenders. Dan Gelber is interested in serving as chair of the Florida Democratic Party (FDP), according to a prominent Democratic operative close […]

Tag: Allison Tant

Alan Clendenin dismisses complaint filed against him as ‘baseless’

Alan Clendenin details how he will attempt change in Florida Democratic Party culture

Stephen Bittel makes official his run for Florida Dems’ chair

Alan Clendenin moves to Bradford County, becomes state committeeman, now running for Florida Democratic Party Chair

Stephen Bittel rolls out more endorsements in bid for Miami-Dade Democratic Committeeman

Bill Nelson lauds Florida Democratic Party chair contender Stephen Bittel

Mitch Perry Report for 12.7.16 – The Hillsborough County DEC melts down

Alan Clendenin says he’s undecided on whether to run for Florida Democratic Party Chair

Ed Narain the latest name to be floated as potential chair of Florida Democratic Party

Dan Gelber for chair of the Florida Democratic Party?