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

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2017

In what some considered the most contentious and partisan City Council race in St. Petersburg for 2017, Downtown Neighborhood Association President Gina Driscoll has defeated businessman Justin Bean for the District 6 seat. With most of the 92 precincts reporting, Driscoll took 55 percent of the vote, versus 45 percent for Bean. St. Pete voters cast […]

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2017

Darden Rice has won re-election to a second term in St. Petersburg City Council’s District 4, easily defeating college student and businessman Jerick Johnston 73 to 27 percent. St. Pete voters cast ballots Tuesday to determine who would be St. Pete’s mayor for the next four years — and the direction of the city, some […]

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2017

Legislation creating a slavery memorial on the grounds of Florida’s Capitol easily advanced in a House committee Tuesday. The monument would “honor the nameless and forgotten men and women and children who have gone unrecognized, for their weighty contributions to our great states and United States,” Miami-Dade Democratic Rep. Kionne McGhee told the House Government Accountability Committee. McGhee […]

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2017

Interim Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan can now drop the “interim.” Two days ago, reports emerged that Dugan was disappointed that Mayor Bob Buckhorn wanted to conduct a national search to replace the outgoing chief, Eric Ward. On Tuesday, Buckhorn named Dugan as the new permanent leader of the Tampa Police Department. The mayor’s announcement comes during an […]

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2017

Since launching his re-election bid this spring, Rick Kriseman‘s political strategy was a call to keep the city’s forward momentum by keeping him in charge, as opposed to going back to the past with Rick Baker, who served as St. Petersburg mayor during most of the aughts. As for Baker, the former mayor made the race a referendum on Kriseman, […]

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2017

These are good times at the University of South Florida. USF President Judy Genshaft announced in September that for the first time, USF reached “pre-eminence” status, which will grant the university an additional $5 million to $15 million in state funding. The longtime school leader (in charge since 2001) also announced that the USF System set a […]

Mitch PerryNovember 7, 2017

She’s a Democrat, he’s a Republican, but Janet Cruz and retired U.S. Air Force Col. E.J. Otero are transcending the political divide to help the people of Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria. With the vast majority of Puerto Ricans still without power and without all of the comforts that go with that […]

Mitch PerryNovember 6, 2017

Janet Cruz has no idea whether sensational sexual harassment charges leveled over the weekend against state Sen. Jack Latvala are true. But the House Democratic Leader from Tampa says some of the passages she read in the POLITICO Florida story made her skin crawl. “I was heartbroken when that girl just sat there and cried and then when (former […]

Mitch PerryNovember 6, 2017

Though rarely (if ever) in agreement with Donald Trump, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman did echo some of the president’s first comments Monday about America’s latest mass shooting. “It’s not about taking people’s rights under the Second Amendment away but making sure that we keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn’t have […]

Mitch PerryNovember 6, 2017

Facing a diminished marketing budget, officials responsible for getting people signed up for the Affordable Care Act in the Tampa Bay area received another boost from Congressman Charlie Crist. “It’s urgent that we get the word out,” the St. Petersburg Democrat said at a news conference Monday morning in front of the Johnnie Ruth Clarke Community […]

Mitch Perry

Gina Driscoll defeats Justin Bean for St. Pete City Council District 6

It’s four more years for Darden Rice on St. Pete City Council

Slavery memorial bill advances easily in House committee

Bob Buckhorn names Brian Dugan as Tampa Police Chief

Rick Baker faults Rick Kriseman for partisan politics in St. Pete elections

USF promises to do better by black-owned businesses

Janet Cruz, E.J. Otero come together for Puerto Rico aid

Janet Cruz ‘horrified’ reading allegations of sexual harassment in capital

Rick Kriseman talks lack of mental health funding after Texas church massacre

Charlie Crist confident Obamacare will remain intact