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

Mitch PerryNovember 13, 2017

Republican HD 66 candidate Berny Jacques cleared $100,000 in total fundraising last month after bringing in $26,565 between his campaign and committee, while primary rival Nick DiCeglie is catching up after posting more than $30,000 raised for October. Jacques brought in $5,565 of the haul through his campaign account, with most of the money coming […]

Mitch PerryNovember 10, 2017

An initial distribution of money is now beginning for more than 24,000 victims of Bernie Madoff‘, the Justice Department announced Thursday. Madoff had operated the most massive Ponzi scheme in U.S. history. While this new development makes Congressman Vern Buchanan happy, the Longboat Key Republican still believes payments were unnecessarily delayed. Buchanan has often criticized the […]

Mitch PerryNovember 10, 2017

Charlie Crist is teaming up with California Republican Congressman Jeff Denham on a bipartisan bill to provide federal resources for the establishment of new treatment courts for military veterans in the criminal justice system. The St. Petersburg Democrat is signing onto Veterans Treatment Court Coordination Act of 2017, which establishes a program within the Department of Justice, […]

Mitch PerryNovember 10, 2017

For many reasons, conventional wisdom is that—in effect—Republican Lawrence McClure has won the House District 58 special election. But there are four candidates on the Dec. 19 ballot, not just two. And they all appeared at a candidates’ forum Thursday night at the Bruton Memorial Library in Plant City. The eastern Hillsborough County seat is considered prime […]

Mitch PerryNovember 10, 2017

Sarasota businesswoman and community activist Ruta Jouniari has won the endorsement of the Florida LGBTA Democratic Caucus in her bid for the House District 72 special election. “Democrats across the country, and especially here in Florida, are on a winning streak, and we intend to keep that going by electing Ruta Jouniari,” said Caucus President Terry […]

Mitch PerryNovember 10, 2017

In her just-concluded re-election bid to the St. Petersburg City Council District 2 seat, Darden Rice received the backing of the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association, an endorsement of which she’s very proud. She’s also the niece of former Pinellas County Sheriff Everett Rice. Rice mentioned those facts, among others, to an audience at Tampa’s Oxford Exchange […]

Mitch PerryNovember 9, 2017

A coalition of law enforcement and civil rights groups are determined to have the Florida Legislature approve (or at least consider) a bill next year to expand and strengthen Florida’s current hate-crime laws. Calling themselves the Florida Hate Crime Coalition, the group penned a letter and launched an online petition drive to compel Ocoee Democratic state […]

Mitch PerryNovember 9, 2017

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To attack Gov. Rick Scott as a so-called climate change denier, Tom Steyer‘s NextGenClimate PAC spent nearly $20 million in ads three years ago. It wasn’t enough, obviously. The Republican incumbent narrowly defeated Charlie Crist, and Scott is now seriously eyeing a run at Bill Nelson‘s U.S. Senate seat in 2018. Steyer, a San Francisco-based environmental activist, is now poised to […]

Mitch PerryNovember 9, 2017

If Rick Scott runs for the U.S. Senate next year (as nearly everyone in Florida politics expects), he will have to deal with Donald Trump and his sagging poll numbers. But less than 48 hours after Democrats posted big wins across the country Tuesday, the Republican governor shows no appetite to analyze the results of […]

Mitch PerryNovember 9, 2017

Rick Scott is firing back on calls for an investigation into his administration’s role in the deaths of Florida nursing home residents following Hurricane Irma in September. On Monday, a coalition of liberal groups including Progress Florida, For Florida’s Future, Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, AFSCME Florida, CREDO and others delivered petition signatures from more than […]

Mitch Perry
American Dunes Golf Club. Image via American Dunes Golf Club.

Nick DiCeglie adds $30K, Berny Jacques $26K in HD 66 race

Vern Buchanan is (sort of) happy Bernie Madoff victims are finally getting paid

Charlie Crist, California Republican team up on bill enhancing veteran treatment courts

Third-party candidates liven up the race in HD 58

LGBTA caucus backs Ruta Jouniari to keep Dem ‘winning streak’ alive in HD 72

Darden Rice, Yolie Capin talk regionalism during Cafe Con Tampa

Civil rights, law enforcement groups urge lawmaker to hear hate crimes bill

NextGen America announces plans for larger footprint in Florida

Rick Scott refuses to play pundit over GOP’s bad night

Rick Scott scoffs at calls for investigation into his role in nursing home deaths