Elevator pitch

Phil AmmannMarch 13, 2018

An incumbent and a newcomer are winners in two Clearwater City Council races Tuesday evening. Hoyt Hamilton will return to Seat 5, taking 79 percent of the vote, according to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections unofficial results. He defeated real-estate broker John Funk. This will be Hamilton’s third stint on the Council, having previously […]

Phil AmmannMarch 13, 2018

Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum heads to California this week to mingle with celebrities and Democratic activists at a high-profile fundraiser at the Santa Monica home of entertainment industry lawyer Skip Brittenham and his wife, actress and author Heather Thomas. Tallahassee’s mayor is one of three Democratic candidates for governor in 2018 to be featured at the […]

Phil AmmannMarch 11, 2018

TallyMadness is now underway, where Florida political aficionados select who is the best lobbyist out of 64 of the state’s top power brokers. Just like NCAA College Basketball “March Madness,” fans of The Process have begun voting on bracketed matchups among the leading advocates, to decide the top influencer in the Sunshine State. And right […]

Phil AmmannMarch 2, 2018

With competitive Democratic primaries, the tail end of the Legislative Session, and local City Hall intrigue, there is a lot to unpack. However, we have not arrived at the point in the narrative with a great deal of resolution. At least not yet. In a literary sense, this is known as foreshadowing. Money has not […]

Phil AmmannMarch 1, 2018

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Virtually no one would jump to the defense of substandard breeders and so-called “puppy mills,” where lovable pets are nothing more than profit centers. Animal welfare activists (and members of the public) are right to object to businesses that traffic in animals kept in cruel or inhumane conditions. But for dog lovers looking to add […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 26, 2018

With a tip of the hat to LobbyTools, here are the latest movements – both on and off – of the legislative merry-go-round. Off: Andrea Jahna is no longer legislative assistant to Lake Placid Republican Sen. Denise Grimsley. Off: Karen Riggien is no longer legislative assistant for Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Kimberly Daniels. Off: Daniel Martinez is no longer legislative assistant for […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 24, 2018

As House Speaker Richard Corcoran’s priority education bill is pushed through the Senate committee process, some watching this week were perplexed by the vote of one sometimes perplexing Republican lawmaker. Sen. Tom Lee, who has helped carry Corcoran’s policy in a sometimes-hostile Senate, voted with Democrats to gut language from the omnibus bill that would […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 23, 2018

On Wednesday, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry held a media event in which he and City Councilman Al Ferraro filled potholes in roads in a Northside industrial park. Curry wanted to focus on the hard work being done, day in and day out, by city employees to maintain public infrastructure. A laudable goal. Especially given where […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 21, 2018

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott announced ten appointments and four reappointments to a variety of state boards. All the following appointments are subject to Florida Senate confirmation. New College of Florida Board of Trustees Felipe Colon, 36, of Sarasota, is a financial adviser. He received his bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College. Colon succeeds Bradford Baker […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 20, 2018

Andrew Vargas has won the Republican primary in House District 114, vacated last year by Daisy Baez. Vargas is a 35-year-old political newcomer who works as an insurance attorney and a law partner of influential Miami-area state Rep. Carlos Trujillo. From the 7 p.m. poll closing, Vargas took a definitive lead, getting more than 76 percent […]

Phil Ammann

Hoyt Hamilton, David Allbritton win Clearwater City Council seats

Alec Baldwin, Alyssa Milano raising money for Andrew Gillum

Rounding out the first round of TallyMadness

Jacksonville Bold for 3.2.18 — March Madness

What do pet store bans actually accomplish?

Latest on the legislative staffing merry-go-round

Takeaways from Tallahassee — A puzzling vote

Jacksonville Bold for 2.23.18 — The Steamroller

Rick Scott announces 14 state board appointments

Andrew Vargas overwhelmingly takes GOP primary in HD 114