Scott Powers, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersMarch 5, 2018

Tom Stroup, a retired police captain, is withdrawing from the Orange County Sheriff’s race. He made the announcement on Facebook over the weekend. Stroup was the only Republican in the race. His withdrawal will leave Orlando Police Chief John Mina and retired Florida Highway Patrol Major Jose “Joe” Lopez as the only current candidates. Both […]

Scott PowersMarch 5, 2018

University of Central Florida Provost and Executive Vice President Dale Whittaker gets his turn in the hot seat Tuesday morning in the university’s search for its next president, set to be concluded Friday. Whittaker, who has been with UCF for four years, joins three other finalists in the hunt to succeed retiring President John Hitt, […]

Scott PowersMarch 3, 2018

What are progressive Democrats to do when faced with an omnibus school safety and guns bill that has a few things they like but doesn’t have any of the major provisions they’ve insisted on, and also includes something that they worry might be a poison pill? Democratic state Reps. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Amy Mercado […]

Scott PowersMarch 2, 2018

Democrats have launched billboards in Orlando and Tallahassee that declare that Gov. Rick Scott did nothing to address gun safety following the June 12, 2016, Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando. The Florida Democratic Party has leased two billboards, and the one in Orlando went live Friday. The message charges that the Republican governor’s commitment to […]

Scott PowersMarch 2, 2018

With the derailment of bills seeking state regulation of the private Brightline passenger train system, state Sen. Debbie Mayfield has gotten language inserted into the Senate budget plan that would authorize a safety study of the train. The budget proposal includes new language that would authorize a transportation research center at the University of South […]

Scott PowersMarch 2, 2018

Republican congressional candidate Scott Sturgill got the backing of former Speaker of the U.S. House John Boehner Thursday night as he offered a challenge to Republicans to go “all in” for the businessman in the contest for Florida’s 7th Congressional District. Sturgill, a Sanford businessman, hosted Boehner at a Lake Mary fundraising event attended by […]

Scott PowersMarch 2, 2018

The Pride Fund to End Gun Violence, a national gay rights organization launched in response to Orlando’s 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in order to advocate gun control, is releasing a new video focusing on the pain and anger surrounding mass murders, with the intention of keeping emotions high. The video makes a direct accusation toward […]

Scott PowersMarch 2, 2018

Florida’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson was conspicuously absent from a meeting President Donald Trump convened Wednesday in the West Wing with key lawmakers and stakeholders in the gun violence debate following the Parkland massacre, and on Friday he dismissed the meeting as show, and predicted Trump will pivot from assurances he made there. Speaking […]

Scott PowersMarch 1, 2018

Republican House District 28 candidate David Smith has picked up several more endorsement from local officials in Seminole County including County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, and officials who praised his education and environmental views. In addition to Greenberg, Smith’s campaign announced the new backings of Seminole County School Board Member Abby Sanchez and Seminole County […]

Scott PowersMarch 1, 2018

U.S. Rep. Darren Soto of Orlando received a perfect score of 100 for his environmental issues voting record from the national League of Conservation Voters, the only member of Florida’s delegation to do so. The league’s annual “National Environmental Scorecard” for the 2017 session of Congress, gave Soto checkmarks across the board on 35 issues […]

Scott Powers

Tom Stroup withdrawing from Orange County Sheriff’s race

UCF presidential search concludes this week

Amy Mercado, Carlos Smith hear opinions on schools and guns bill

Democrats’ Orlando billboard proclaims ‘Rick Scott did nothing’ after Pulse

With train bills dead, safety study language appears in Senate budget offer

John Boehner brings support, challenge for Scott Sturgill backers in CD 7 race

Pride Fund launching on-line video focusing on the emotions of gun violence

Bill Nelson bemoans snub to White House gun meeting as ‘counter productive’

David Smith picks up more local officials’ endorsements in HD 28 contest

Darren Soto gets perfect score from Conservation Voters, tops Florida members