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

Mitch PerryOctober 23, 2017

Democrat Margaret Good has raised $102,370 in her bid for the open Sarasota-based House District 72 seat. Good, a Sarasota attorney, raised $87,370 in her campaign account, with an extra $15,000 going to her political committee, according to a news release from the Florida House Democrats. “I’m humbled by the outpouring of support this community is continuing […]

Mitch PerryOctober 20, 2017

A debate on traditional public schools vs. charter schools took front and center Friday at the Tampa Tiger Bay Club. For 68 minutes, a group of education leaders of various backgrounds discussed the issue at the Ferguson Law Center. Speaking out most prominently for charters was Doug Tuthill, the president of Step Up For Students, the nonprofit group […]

Mitch PerryOctober 20, 2017

Tampa’s Alan Clendenin was unanimously elected chair of the Democratic National Committee Southern Caucus, which consists of 13 southern states. Clendenin was named to the job Thursday night during the DNC’s fall meeting in Las Vegas. The caucus chair serves as an advocate for the southern region and the national party and comes with a […]

Mitch PerryOctober 20, 2017

If elected to St. Petersburg City Council, Justin Bean says bringing a grocery store to Midtown is a top priority. “It’s something that we need to focus on now,” the District 6 candidate told reporters in front of City Hall late Thursday afternoon. He had spent the entire day crisscrossing the city at five locations […]

Mitch PerryOctober 20, 2017

While the Hillsborough County Democratic Party continues to recruit candidates to run against four GOP incumbent county commissioners running again in 2018, they have yet to find someone to challenge Ken Hagan in the District 2 race. The challenge is seemingly formidable. The Carrollwood Republican is the longest-serving member of the Hillsborough Commission, with nearly […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2017

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman‘s camp is using the “L-word” to describe Rick Baker‘s campaign — lying. The former two-term mayor is accused of pulling an ad from Tampa Bay area radio stations after it falsely claimed that Kriseman blew off a NAACP event earlier this month. “Rick Baker knowingly lied to voters,” Kriseman campaign manager Jacob Smith […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2017

A potential breakthrough in health care legislation broke out this week with the announcement of a bipartisan deal in the Senate proposed by Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander and Washington Democrat Patty Murray. The deal would include funding through 2019 for the Affordable Care Act’s cost-sharing program, which President Donald Trump cut last week. It would allow […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2017

Orlando, St. Petersburg, Wilton Manors, and West Palm Beach each achieved a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index, the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services. All told, 68 cities across the country achieved the top score from the organization. “‘This year’s MEI paints a vivid […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2017

While GOP gubernatorial rivals Jack Latvala and Adam Putnam feud over campaign contributions from investor-owned utilities, Richard Corcoran is watching from the sidelines. As reported by FloridaPolitics last week, Agriculture Commissioner Putnam’s political committee has received nearly $800,000 from the utilities, and another $1.8 million to political committees that may have been re-directed to him. […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2017

Police Chief Tony Holloway has become an issue in the St. Petersburg mayoral campaign, as Rick Kriseman has been on the offensive about public safety, especially with crime down from the era of past mayor and present candidate Rick Baker. The two squared off Wednesday night during an hour-long debate sponsored by the Council on Neighborhood Associations and moderated […]

Mitch Perry

Margaret Good raises over $100K in first month of HD 72 bid

Tampa Tiger Bay Club debates charter schools

Alan Clendenin elected chair of National Dems Southern Caucus

Justin Bean surveys St. Petersburg in his quest to win a City Council seat

Ken Hagan draws GOP challenger in Hillsborough re-election bid

St. Pete mayoral candidates feud over radio ad

Kathy Castor optimistic about bipartisan health care proposal

Four Florida cities receive perfect score from LGBTQ national organization

Campaign cash from utilities? ‘I’ll accept it,’ Richard Corcoran says

Rick Baker says he’d retain Tony Holloway as police chief, but …