Staff Reports
When historians look back on Florida in the 2010s, what (or who) will they see?
Hurricanes? Red tide and the fight over clean water? Gun control and safety? Vouchers and charter schools? Sex scandals? How did we handle the state’s wildly growing population? Medicaid expansion? The rise of part-time Florida Man Donald Trump?
These issues (and more) leave little doubt that the past 10 years were significant for Florida — and national — politics.
Since news is the first rewrite of history, Florida Politics set out to identify the policymakers who emerged over the decade with outsized influence, both in the spotlight and behind the scenes.
For the answer, we turned to a panel of key influencers, tapping into their considerable expertise to take stock of the state’s most prominent political movers and shakers.
We then narrowed the list to 25 (with a couple of runner ups). These are the people leaving an indelible mark on Florida politics over the decade.
Our panelists include Bascom Communications & Consulting President Sarah Bascom; City of Tampa Director of Marketing & Communications Ashley Bauman; attorney David Biddle; Rapid Loop Consulting founder James Blair; lobbyist Ron Book; attorney and Republican committeeman Richard DeNapoli, Alia Strategic Group founder Alia Faraj; Florida Politics columnist Joe Henderson; The Strategos Group partner Jim Horne, David Johnson Group founder David Johnson, The Mayernick Group co-founder Tracy Mayernick; Kathy Mears, Transition Director for Senate President-Designate Wilton Simpson; McGuireWoods Senior VP for State Government Relations Rhett O’Doski, Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Juan Penalosa, RSA Consulting founder Ron Pierce, Florida Politics Orlando reporter Scott Powers, NBCLX national correspondent and Florida Politics contributor Noah Pransky, Landmarc Strategies founder and President Marc Reichelderfer, Capital City Consulting Partner Scott Ross; political consultant Michelle Todd Schorsch; attorney John Stemberger, Florida Politics Tampa Bay reporter Janelle Irwin Taylor; pollster Steve Vancore.
For many, the top names may not be a surprise. Further down the list, however, the list starts to get interesting.
Readers might also be surprised who was not included on the list.
With that, we ask you to please stay tuned to Florida Politics throughout the next few days as we count down the 25 most influential politicians of the decade.
Follow the entire list here, on Facebook, and on Twitter with #FlaPolsOfTheDecade.
No. 14, Debbie Wasserman Schultz:
Honorable mention: John Morgan.
4 comments
John Kociuba
December 27, 2019 at 10:25 am
Dear Citizens ~
Re: Jewish Menshevik/Bolsheviks
The writers need to understand “politician” is not proper when addressing future statesmen.
Furthermore judging by the names the title should’ve read
“Communist Bar Mitzvah invades Florida Legislature!”
Communism is ILLEGAL in the United States! Read your Constitution! Hon. President Donald John Trump is trying to void 90 years of Communist penetration in the United States Government
1. Battleground Berlin
2. Masters Of Deceit
3. The Naked Communist
4. Gangs And Countergangs
5. Black Book Of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Oppression
6. Jay Lovestone And The Lovestonites
8. The Perversion Of Roosevelt’s Whitehouse
9. Americas’s Great Gane
10. Between A River And A Mountain: The AFL-CIO And The Vietnam War
John Kociuba
December 27, 2019 at 10:48 pm
Dear Citizens ~
Re: Lawyers
STOP ELECTING LAWYERS! LAWYERS ARE NOT SMART NOR HONEST PEOPLE! ALL LAWYERS UNDERSTAND, ALL LAWYERS ARE INDOCTRINATED IN IS BIG GOVERNMENT! MORE GOVERNMENT! ENDLESS LAWS AND TAXATION (Communism)
Indeed. So if you want a Florida were a citizen needs a license, state training and insurance with heavy fines attached? ELECT MORE LAWYERS YOU WORTHLESS TRASH!
Yes. Hon. Governor Ron Desantis is a lawyer. But he’s a MILITARY lawyer. Totally different from blood sucking ambulance chancing insect larva.
In Conclusion: “Law was not created to feed lawyers.” ~Hon. Lord Francis Bacon
jim kaat
January 2, 2020 at 1:31 pm
Biden, Sanders, Pete or Warren. They all follow the radical left. Democrat-Socialist 2020 Platform & Goals:
-Open Borders.
-Sanctuary Cities.
-Decriminalize illegal entry into our country.
-De-fund & terminate Border Patrol & ICE.
-Disarming Americans.
-Massive tax increases.
-End all deportations of illegal aliens (if you get here, you stay.)
-Drivers licenses for illegal aliens.
-Voting rights for non citizens.
-Welfare & Food Stamps for illegal aliens. (Warren)
-Increase refugee’s from the third world.
-Non citizens allowed to hold public office.
-Socialism.
-Green new deal.
-Free medicare care for all including non citizens (taxpayer funded)
-Free college for all, including non citizens. (tax payer funded)
-Reparations.
-Late term abortions up to 9 months.
-Opposed to ANY voter ID Laws.
From the Democrat’s themselves. View their speeches / debates on youtube
DANNY
January 2, 2020 at 1:47 pm
End all deportations of illegal aliens (if you get here, you stay.)
-Voting rights for non citizens
-Pack the courts with radical liberal judges (Like the 9th circuit)
-Increase refugee’s from the third world.
-Non citizens allowed to hold public office.
-Socialism.
-Open Borders.
-Sanctuary Cities.
-Decriminalize illegal entry into our country.
-De-fund & terminate Border Patrol & ICE.
-Massive tax increases.
-Disarming Americans.
-Free abortions for all (Taxpayer funded)
-Green new deal.
-End of Electoral College
-Free medicare care for all including non citizens (taxpayer funded)
-Raise minimum wage (expect massive reduction in full time jobs & loss of health care benefits)
-!00% free college for all, including non citizens. (tax payer funded)
-Reparations.
-Same sex marriages.
-Convicts, terrorists voting.
-Susie & Bobby using the same restrooms.
-Late term abortions up to 9 months.
-Infanticide.
-Pay check for every person in the US even if they choose not to work.
(Democrat-Socialist 2020 Platform & Goals)
Comments are closed.