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

Scott PowersJanuary 11, 2018

The Brightline train is about to leave the station. Florida’s first privately-owned and -operated passenger train company in generations announced its debut will occur Saturday, running between its first two stations, in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, on a line that’s envisioned to soon connect to Miami and one day connect to Orlando. Introductory […]

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2018

Retired 32-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Thomas Stroup has filed to run for Orange County Sheriff, the first major candidate into the contest to succeed Jerry Demings, who has held the job for nine years and is running for mayor this year. Stroup, 60, a Windermere Republican, retired three years ago as […]

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2018

There’s that Sept. 30, 2009, check to the U.S. Senate campaign of former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio: It’s the $2,400 contribution to a Republican who then was seen as the darling of Florida’s Tea Party movement, an upstart whose explosive popularity on the right chased Charlie Crist from the Grand Old Party and made Democratic […]

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2018

The two bills moving through the Florida legislature aiming to preempt local rules and ordinances on tree removal got a vote of resounding opposition Tuesday evening from the Seminole County Soil & Water Conservation District. The Seminole district became the first county-wide agency to vote formal opposition of House Bill 521 and Senate Bill 574, […]

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2018

Democrat Jason Haeseler filed Wednesday as a candidate for the seat in Florida House District 21 in north-central Florida, his campaign announced. Haeseler, a registered professional engineer, is an associate director of utilities at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He is an Army veteran who served for seven years in multiple units in the 82nd and […]

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2018

Brash conservative radio talk show host Mark Levin has endorsed U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in the Florida governor’s race during an interview Wednesday morning. Levin, known for his staunch conservatism and support for President Donald Trump, called DeSantis “a very decent man, a very principled man” in a radio broadcast of The Mark Levin Show […]

Scott PowersJanuary 9, 2018

Running on his primary economic theme, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris King announced he’ll be campaigning in South Florida on an “affordable living tour.” King, of Winter Park, is an entrepreneur of affordable housing developments and has made economic issues from living wages to free college tuition to housing a central theme of his campaign. His […]

Scott PowersJanuary 9, 2018

Starting his state bus tour at the Orlando home of one of the gran damas of Central Florida Puerto Rican activism and Democratic politics, Philip Levine declared the Hurricane Maria relief effort to be “embarrassing” and said the election will be when Puerto Ricans can respond. “Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans now who have moved […]

Scott PowersJanuary 8, 2018

A three-year fight over non-partisan elections in Orange County may be headed for the Florida Supreme Court — with the prospect of affecting county elections throughout the state. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs announced Monday she wants the state’s high court to consider whether Orange County — and other charter counties like it — can […]

Scott PowersJanuary 8, 2018

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum‘s December provided his strongest campaign fundraising since last March, and it turns out the two months have something else in common: $100,000 checks from billionaire George Soros. The New York Democratic financier donated $100,000 to Gillum’s Forward Florida Political Committee on Dec. 29, according to the latest disclosures posted on the […]

Scott Powers

Brightline sets maiden train run between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale

Tom Stroup files to run for Orange County sheriff

Philip Levine: Check to Marco Rubio ‘tiny’ compared with long, deep Democratic support

Seminole County conservation district condemns tree-rule preemption bills

Democrat Jason Haeseler enters House District 21 field

Ron DeSantis grabs radio host Mark Levin’s backing

Chris King launching ‘affordable living tour’

Philip Levine says this election is when Puerto Ricans can remember

Orange County appealing to Supreme Court in battle over non-partisan or partisan elections

Andrew Gillum’s campaign draws another $100K from George Soros