Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jacob OglesDecember 20, 2018

After poor a midterm performance, a fight is breaking among Republican leadership in Seminole County. County GOP chair Kathryn Townsend faces criticism of toying with membership lists to retain power for herself at the expense of party unity. One countywide elected official has gone as far as offering the executive committee a $25,000 reward if […]

Scott PowersNovember 30, 2018

The Seminole County Republican Party, fresh off an election that saw voters turning more than ever toward Democratic candidates, has dropped two former state representatives from the executive committee, Bob Cortes and Jason Brodeur. Seminole Republican Executive Committee Chair Kathryn Townsend said Friday that both were dropped from the committee because they lost their standing […]

Scott PowersNovember 6, 2018

Democratic Maitland City Councilwoman Joy Goff-Marcil pulled off one of the big upsets of the night, soundly defeating Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes in Florida’s House District 30. Goff-Marcil topped Cortes 55-45 in her Orange County portion of the district, and also defeated in in his Seminole County portion, 51-49 Tuesday night. Overall she won […]

Scott PowersNovember 6, 2018

At least eight Republican-held Florida House seats should be in Democrats’ grasps — that is if voters vote their colors — while Republicans have two Democratic seats that ought to be flippable. And another 14 districts, all but one of which are held by Republicans, the voter registrations between Republicans and Democrats are air-tight, within […]

Scott PowersOctober 29, 2018

Republican state Reps. Bob Cortes and Bobby Olszewski spent huge amounts on local television in the third week of October, fueling their broadcast campaigns that began last week to power their re-election bids for in their House Districts 30 and 44. The latest campaign finance reports, running through Oct. 19 and posted by the Florida […]

Scott PowersOctober 26, 2018

Bring It Home. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum has been riding that catch-phrase all year, drawn from stories about his grandmother and turned into a campaign theme for his vision for Florida. Gillum hopes it will be to him what Let’s Get to Work has been for outgoing Republican Gov. Rick Scott. So it was […]

Scott PowersOctober 18, 2018

Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes is sharing his painful struggle for his son’s health and life and vowing it has made him a health care advocate, in a new Spanish-language radio ad being launched in the Orlando market. In the 60-second radio ad, Cortes, a New York native, speaks in Spanish about how he and […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 24, 2018

Altamonte Springs Republican Rep. Bob Cortes posted his best campaign finance report of the 2018 cycle, increasing his already significant cash edge over Democratic challenger Joy Goff-Marcil. The new report, which covers the first two weeks of September, shows $70,025 in receipts for the second-term lawmaker and nearly quadruples his heretofore record for a single fundraising […]

Scott PowersSeptember 20, 2018

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On the one-year mark of Hurricane Maria’s devastating landfall on Puerto Rico, Florida Democrats are charging that Republicans in Washington and Tallahassee neglected the island while Republicans are countering with statements on efforts they undertook. The bottom line may be the still-hobbled island, parts of which went months without adequate power, drinking water, and health care, […]

Scott PowersSeptember 14, 2018

Updated with news of a House District 50 debate. A Central Florida organization teaming with WFTV Channel 9 to produce elections debates for Orlando-area Florida House districts has firmed up four and has three others falling through because of lack of commitments from Republican candidates, an organizer said Friday. Gregory Eisenberg, chief executive officer of […]

Tag: Bob Cortes

Bitter losses fuel infighting within Seminole Co. GOP

Republican battles in Seminole County: Bob Cortes, Jason Brodeur ousted from executive committee

Joy Goff-Marcil ousts Bob Cortes in HD 30

Voter registration shows 10 House seats most flippable, mostly toward Democrats

Bob Cortes, Bobby Olszewski spend big among Orange County House candidates

‘Bring It Home’: Nope, not Andrew Gillum, but Seminole Republicans

Bob Cortes shares son’s story, his commitment to free-market health care, in Spanish radio ad

Florida GOP antes up for Bob Cortes’ re-election bid

Democrats push Hurricane Maria response as campaign issue; Republicans cite efforts

Central Florida house district election debates: four on, three off