Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiAugust 23, 2015

Don’t expect to see Marty Fiorentino, Peter Rummell, John Rood, Ed Burr, Steve Diebenow or Ty Petway at Jacksonville’s City Council meeting on Tuesday. Those names, and those of a couple of dozen other #jaxpol heavy hitters, are on the committee for a Jeb Bush fundraiser at Grape and Grain in San Marco Tuesday evening at 5:30. We reported first on […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 17, 2015

One Spark is one of Jacksonville’s cornerstone events, and the man behind it, Peter Rummell, is also one of the key behind-the-scenes supporters of the Lenny Curry administration, as has been amply documented. With that convergence in mind, it’s perhaps inevitable that Curry’s City Hall would be considered as a platform for art at the 2016 One Spark […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 1, 2015

One City. One Jacksonville. That was the theme Wednesday of the joint inauguration for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry and Sheriff Mike Williams. Those with memories longer than one news cycle might see the inauguration theme as a variant on the theme of the #UniteJax event in April that gave the Duval GOP an avenue to […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 1, 2015

The number of Lenny Curry campaign events I covered is definitely in three figures. A common thread for many of them was how below the radar they were. Endorsement events at local businesses. A speech to the Visit Jacksonville forum. An appearance at the recreation center in Grand Park. And so on. The media wasn’t at […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 25, 2015

The most telling moment during Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown‘s “employee appreciation event,” which served as a de facto farewell address was during the print gaggle afterward, when David Bauerlein asked the outgoing mayor about how he was coping with the loss. “I was surprised,” Brown said about the night of the election. “I thought I had it.” […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 11, 2015

Florida Politics has obtained a cache of emails related to Jacksonville Mayor-elect Lenny Curry’s transition. The emails date back to May 22. They provide an invaluable record of the transition, as the self-styled “transformational mayor” moves quickly from the seemingly perpetual candidate to the city of Jacksonville’s chief executive. To highlight the nature of the […]

Melissa RossMay 27, 2015

“There are two things that are important in politics,” Mark Hanna, the late GOP U.S. senator from Ohio, once said. “The first is money, and I can’t remember what the second one is.” Most political observers across the state agree Lenny Curry beat Alvin Brown in the recent Jacksonville mayor’s race for several reasons. Topping […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 10, 2015

Just over a year ago, the biggest Alvin Brown backer in 2011, Peter Rummell, made headlines when he renounced his previous support for the incumbent mayor and signaled his support for Lenny Curry, who had limited name recognition and was perceived by the Jacksonville media as having no real shot at displacing the mayor, whose approval ratings […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 4, 2015

With Election Day on May 19, there are surprises to be found in the Jacksonville mayoral fundraising and spending reports for candidates and their PACs. Some surprises are there for the viewing The first big one: As of March 31, the most recent numbers available, Alvin Brown‘s Taking Jacksonville to the Next Level PC was close […]

Melissa RossApril 7, 2015

A certain city in Texas is known by three simple words: “Keep Austin Weird.” Chicago is the Second City. New Orleans, post-Katrina, is still music and fun and good times. Even little ol’ Chattanooga, Tennessee is making strides in creating a definable brand. In other words, cities across the country know the value of branding (just as […]

Tag: Peter Rummell
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Jax GOP establishment welcomes Jeb Bush Jr. on Tuesday

Jax City Hall to be One Spark art gallery?

One City, One Jacksonville: Lenny Curry, Mike Williams’ visionary inauguration

It all has changed for Lenny Curry

Alvin Brown’s farewell address: a last campaign speech

Emails provide fly-on-the-wall perspective inside Lenny Curry’s mayoral transition

Marty Fiorentino on Lenny Curry money machine: “We stuck together”

Alvin Brown and Lenny Curry headed to photo finish

Jacksonville mayoral fundraising, spending reports show GOP trend

One Spark: Jacksonville’s big branding opportunity