Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan NicolNovember 7, 2018

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After being appointed as state chief financial officer last year by Gov. Rick Scott, Republican Jimmy Patronis on Tuesday won a four-year term in the Cabinet post. Patronis, whose focus during the final weeks of the campaign was diverted to his hometown of Panama City after Hurricane Michael hit, defeated former state Sen. Jeremy Ring, […]

Jacob OglesNovember 7, 2018

Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell declared victory Tuesday night as he held a narrow advantage in the contest to succeed term-limited Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Caldwell, a real estate appraiser from North Fort Myers, gave an acceptance speech from an election watch party, according to WGCU Public Media. As of Wednesday morning, Caldwell led Democrat […]

Danny McAuliffeNovember 7, 2018

Floridians failed to support Amendment 1, which would have increased the state’s homestead exemption by $25,000. Thus far, the proposal is poised to receive less than 60 percent support, meaning it will not meet the threshold needed to pass. It was the only one out of 12 amendments on the ballot to not break the three-fifths threshold. […]

Jacob OglesNovember 7, 2018

History repeats: Another Tampa Bay-area prosecutor will be Florida’s Attorney General. Republican Ashley Moody, a former judge and prosecutor, came out ahead in the statewide race to be Florida’s chief legal officer. She defeated Democratic state Rep. Sean Shaw, also of Tampa. With 99.2 percent of precincts reporting statewide, Moody had more than 52 percent of […]

Danny McAuliffeNovember 6, 2018

With 63 of 66 precincts reporting, John Dailey is the next Mayor of Tallahassee. Dailey just edged Dustin Daniels, with 51 percent of the vote so far Tuesday night. Elected to City Commission Seat 3 is Jeremy Matlow, who claimed victory late Tuesday. And Dianne Williams–Cox handily won the race for Seat 5. The races are nonpartisan. Dailey, 45, is a […]

Jacob OglesNovember 6, 2018

State Rep. Margaret Good won her first full term in the Florida House on Tuesday after defeating Republican challenger Ray Pilon, but by a closer margin than expected. With all votes counted, Good led Pilon 51 percent-49 percent, or 41,278 votes to 40,134. The Sarasota Democrat made national headlines after her special election victory in […]

Drew WilsonNovember 6, 2018

Florida voters had to fight back some “ballot fatigue” Tuesday, with no less than a dozen amendments following the razzle dazzle races for Governor and U.S. Senate getting people to the polls in record numbers for a midterm election. Some of those amendments have hogged the spotlight, none more so than Amendment 4, which would […]

Danny McAuliffeNovember 6, 2018

Floridians have successfully passed a permanent extension to an already existing yearly tax increase cap on properties that don’t have a homestead exemption. Amendment 2 was passed by a margin of 66 percent-34 percent as of 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. The proposal needed but 60 percent voter approval to pass. Voters approved over a decade ago the […]

Drew WilsonNovember 6, 2018

An amendment that will ban offshore drilling and treated the public use of e-cigarettes like their analogue cousins was approved by Florida voters in Tuesday’s elections. Amendment 9 was among a dozen initiatives Floridians considered in the ballot booth on Tuesday, and one of seven ballot questions green-lit by the Florida Constitution Revision Commission. Amendment 9 […]

Drew WilsonNovember 6, 2018

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A ballot measure that requires a two-thirds vote by the state Legislature for any future tax increases was approved by Florida voters Tuesday. Amendment 5 was up 66 percent-34 percent as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Constitutional amendments need no less than 60 percent of the vote to pass. Also known as the “Supermajority Vote Required to Impose, […]

Headlines

Jimmy Patronis wins first full term as state CFO

Matt Caldwell edges Nikki Fried in surprisingly competitive Ag. Commissioner race

Voters reject homestead exemption-raising Amendment 1

Ashley Moody easily defeats Sean Shaw to become next Attorney General

Tallahassee winners: John Dailey elected Mayor; Dianne Williams-Cox, Jeremy Matlow take city commission seats

Democrat Margaret Good holds onto District 72 seat

Ballot B-Sides: Voters approve Amendments 7, 10, 11 and 12

Amendment 2—the measure ‘for everybody’—passes

Voters pass ban on offshore drilling, indoor vaping

Supermajority tax amendment approved by supermajority of voters