A.G. Gancarski, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMarch 9, 2018

Brett Hage, a Sumter County distribution executive and Republican who seeks to fill the HD 33 seat left open by former Rep. Don Hahnfeldt‘s passing, started his campaign with epic February fundraising. All told, Hage brought in $180,700 off 216 contributions, and has all but $838.30 of that haul on hand. Current president of the Sumter […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 9, 2018

Yet another group of Jacksonville community stakeholders will now weigh in on a potential sale of JEA, the city’s municipal utility. Friday saw the Jacksonville Civic Council announce its creation of a “public finance task force,” which will have a special committee to look at a potential sale or other options for the 128-year-old utility. […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 9, 2018

In Jacksonville on Friday, HUD Secretary Ben Carson decried mass incarceration and factors that contribute to it, seemingly including his own administration’s cannabis policy. In his remarks, both at the roundtable and in the very limited time this reporter spoke to him as the elevator door closed, Carson suggested that there may be a more robustly pragmatic […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 9, 2018

The Jacksonville Ethics Commission legislative subcommittee continued its inquiry Friday into conflicts of interest, transparency issues, and post-employment matters. The issue has a new urgency in light of the exploration of the sale of JEA, which could potentially offer incentives to outgoing officeholders and candidates. The discussion included those issues (and corollaries) such as the use […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 8, 2018

Jacksonville City Council members convened, via a special committee, to discuss the potential sale of JEA on Thursday. While Mayor Lenny Curry and his political allies have been open to exploring valuation and potential privatization, Council President Anna Brosche and many of her colleagues (including the members of the committee) have been more circumspect about the prospect. […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 8, 2018

Wednesday saw HB 7026 pass the Florida House by a 67-50 margin. The $400 million gun and school safety proposal will fund demolition of a building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, where 14 students and three teachers were gunned down on Valentine’s Day. It also includes gun-control provisions banning the sale of bump […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 8, 2018

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has been an active candidate for re-election since Wednesday; on Thursday, he discussed why he’s going for four more years. One reason he offered: “to keep fighting for things I told people I’d fight for,” including public safety, resources for children, and a tangible commitment to all of Jacksonville. Curry stresses that […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 8, 2018

Jacksonville on the Rise, a new local political committee designed to boost Mayor Lenny Curry‘s re-election bid, released its first ad this week: a six-figure buy. As one would expect, the ad extols Curry’s first term accomplishments, framing them in a holistic, big picture narrative that makes the case that the mayor has kept the city […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 8, 2018

Jacksonville City Councilman Reggie Brown, who is primarying State Sen. Audrey Gibson on the grounds that she’s not bringing enough money back home, failed to impress in his first finance report in February. Brown filed a waiver, a move that won’t resolve concerns about the uphill climb that he will have in challenging the Senate Minority Leader […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 7, 2018

The race to succeed outgoing Rep. Jay Fant, an Attorney General hopeful, in Jacksonville’s House District 15 got more crowded on the Republican side Wednesday. Joseph Hogan, the son of Supervisor of Elections Mike Hogan, entered the GOP scrum. Hogan will face attorney Wyman Duggan and yacht broker Mark Zeigler in the primary. Hogan made an audacious play during the Mayor’s […]

A.G. Gancarski
Milton damage. Image via City of Tampa.

HD 33 Republican hopeful Brett Hage raises $180K in February

Jacksonville Civic Council forms committee to ‘assess’ possible JEA sale

Ben Carson decries mass incarceration, wants ‘right thing’ done on cannabis policy

Jacksonville ethics panel probes tightening code in light of JEA sale talks

Jacksonville City Council panel mulls JEA sale

Duval House members had their reasons for opposing gun, school safety bill

Lenny Curry outlines second-term vision: Public safety, investments in all of Jacksonville feature

Lenny Curry ad touts first-term accomplishments

Audrey Gibson primary challenger Reggie Brown raises no February money

Joseph Hogan becomes third Republican in HD 15 race