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

Mitch PerryOctober 29, 2017

Great theater it was not. Few significant policy disagreements emerged from a three-way candidate forum at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Lake Buena Vista that featured former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham again confessing her admiration for her current opponents: Orlando businessman Chris King and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. Buoyed by a win in a special election […]

Mitch PerryOctober 28, 2017

Julian Castro is among three dozen or so Democrats considering running for president in 2020. Maybe that’s why his 24-minute keynote address Saturday at the Florida Democratic Party’s statewide conference sounded like a stump speech, one ready-made for a national road trip. The charismatic former San Antonio mayor and Housing and Urban Development secretary under […]

Mitch PerryOctober 27, 2017

Barclay Harless is again attacking opponent Brandi Gabbard over ‘outside spending’ by Pinellas County Realtors. Two weeks ago, the St. Petersburg City Council District 2 candidates quarreled at a Tiger Bay Club debate over money the Pinellas County Realtors Association is spending to support Gabbard’s campaign. On Friday, Harless revived that argument after another mailer financed by the Realtors PAC […]

Mitch PerryOctober 27, 2017

A little more than a year after he didn’t become Hillary Clinton‘s running mate, Julian Castro remains a hot political entity. The former San Antonio Mayor and Barack Obama‘s Housing and Urban Development Secretary told reporters in South St. Petersburg Friday that his only immediate political plans are helping out as many good Democrats as possible for the […]

Mitch PerryOctober 27, 2017

Julian Castro came to St. Petersburg Friday, where he took a tour of the flagship offices of the Pinellas Ex-offender Re-entry Coalition (PERC). During his visit, the former Housing and Urban Development Secretary praised the work of St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman in helping give ex-felons opportunities for a second chance, as well as (politely) take issue […]

Mitch PerryOctober 27, 2017

Pinellas/Pasco County State Attorney Bernie McCabe will not be filing criminal charges associated with the sewage dumps that occurred in St. Petersburg in 2015 and 2016, The Tampa Bay Times reports. His comments come less than a day after the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported that McCabe was looking into possible charges against individuals based on the […]

Mitch PerryOctober 27, 2017

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With just 11 days left in the St. Petersburg mayoral contest, the Florida Democratic Party is airing a new ad bashing Rick Baker. The 30-second ad begins with footage of an angry Baker speaking after receiving Aug. 29 primary results. His face then morphs into Donald Trump‘s visage, while the narrator criticizes him for failing […]

Mitch PerryOctober 27, 2017

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First, do no harm. Physicians are expected to adhere to the Hippocratic oath; it’s also a piece of advice Florida Democratic Party Chair Stephen Bittel should (perhaps) take to heart this weekend as the party gathers for its annual state conference at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando. It will be the first mass gathering […]

Mitch PerryOctober 26, 2017

Gwen Graham filed a public information request for Gov. Rick Scott‘s cellphone communications after it was reported last month administrators with the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills made four distressed calls to Scott’s private cellphone. A month later, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate says she hasn’t received very much information back. The governor’s office said the calls had been […]

Mitch PerryOctober 26, 2017

The news hasn’t been great lately for Rick Kriseman, but at least Joe Biden has his back. The former vice president has recorded a robocall in support of the Democratic incumbent and come out with a formal endorsement in the St. Petersburg mayoral contest, twelve days before voters go to the polls (though plenty already are […]

Mitch Perry

Democrat gubernatorial forum underwhelms

Julian Castro offers a ’21st-century blueprint’ at Democratic summit

Barclay Harless renews attack over Realtor cash in St. Pete Council race

Julian Castro ‘absolutely not’ closing the door on 2020 plans

Julian Castro visits St. Pete, praises Southside CRA program

Bernie McCabe opts not to pursue criminal charges in sewage case

New FDP ad morphs ‘Changed Man’ Rick Baker into Donald Trump

Florida Democrats to gather this weekend in Orlando

Gwen Graham criticizes Rick Scott on nursing home calls, ‘Schools of Hope’

‘Bidenator’ on the line: Joe Biden cuts robocall for Rick Kriseman