Mitch Perry, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJanuary 3, 2017

(UPDATE) Following the uproar Tuesday morning over a private vote by House Republicans to gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, the GOP conference voted to restore rules that have been in existence for the past eight years. However, the PR damage has been substantial. A spokesperson for Polk County Republican Dennis Ross says the GOP Representative […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 3, 2017

Returning for his sixth term in the House of Representatives, Vern Buchanan is hoping to for significant change in the 115th Congress, announcing that he is introducing seven new bills just hours before he is being sworn back into office. The Sarasota-based Republican says his top priorities over the next two years include tax reform and reducing burdensome regulations […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 3, 2017

With Republicans in control of all branches of state government for what is approaching nearly two decades, one check on their levers of power has been the Florida Supreme Court, which has at times has served as a safeguard to what some would call the Legislature’s worst excesses, such as redistricting and the death penalty. Until […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 2, 2017

Christian Ziegler says the idea of challenging Blaise Ingoglia for leadership of the Republican Party of Florida first came to his mind last May. He was presiding over a gathering of the state’s Republican committeemen and committeewomen at the party’s quarterly meeting in Tampa. That’s when he said a slight case of pandemonium erupted when he began distributing approximately […]

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 […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 2, 2017

Happy New Year! Today in Tampa, the Outback Bowl takes place, one of four college bowl games on tap on this national holiday. Traditionally, New Years Day is college football’s big day, but that has changed in recent years, with the College Football Playoff semi-final games on Saturday night taking center stage (also, the NCAA bowed […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 1, 2017

Charlie Crist is one congressional Democrat who appears to be greeting the incoming Donald Trump administration with an open mind. “Whatever it is that we come to help American workers get back to work and help the middle class and our country, we need to do it together and do it in a spirit of […]

Mitch PerryDecember 28, 2016

Self indulgence warning. As I’ve been doing since my first year with Creative Loafing (2009), I’ve assembled a top ten list of my favorite movies, music and books of the year. When it comes to movies, I remain a stalwart in seeing moving pictures on the big screen. Living within a couple of movie houses helps considerably, […]

Mitch PerryDecember 20, 2016

Tampa area Representative Kathy Castor is one of more than 100 Democratic members of the House of Representatives who have co-signed a letter to President-elect Donald Trump, calling on him to support the repeal of the Hyde Amendment. That’s the 1976 law named after former Illinois Republican Congressman Henry Hyde which prevents federal funding for abortion. “Every person should be treated with dignity, compassion […]

Mitch PerryDecember 20, 2016

At a town-hall meeting in Tampa’s Ybor City, newly-elected Senate District 19 Democrat Darryl Rouson said he feels that, finally, a serious attempt at criminal justice reform is going to take place in the Florida Legislature in 2017. “It’s my intention to change the Black Caucus this year so that all 28 members … really stand up […]

Mitch Perry
A snippet of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party fundraising email Finance Chair Sue Whitman-Helfgot sent Monday.

Dennis Ross says he opposed original GOP vote to gut ethics office

Vern Buchanan begins new session of Congress by introducing seven new bills

Mitch Perry Report for 1.3.17 — Remembering Justice Perry’s words

Christian Ziegler contends the race for Florida GOP chair will be a close contest

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

Mitch Perry Report for 1.2.17 – Praising Dalvin Cook

Charlie Crist says “God would be pleased” if Donald Trump shows more heart towards Dreamers

Mitch Perry’s Top 10 films, books, and music events of 2016

Kathy Castor co-signs letter to Donald Trump calling on him to repeal the Hyde Amendment

At town hall in Ybor City, Darryl Rouson says climate is good for “true” criminal justice reform