Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiOctober 26, 2017

Sen. Marco Rubio isn’t getting involved in the spat between Pres. Donald Trump and his GOP Senate colleagues, Bob Corker and Jeff Flake. Instead, as USA Today reported Wednesday, Rubio is standing athwart the maelstrom, which the Republican Senator positions as a larger process of “realignment” — both in the party and nationally. “The Republican Party is going through a […]

Mitch PerryOctober 25, 2017

If Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine does indeed enter Florida’s gubernatorial sweepstakes (as is predicted), he’ll have one award none of his opponents can touch. The French Legion of Honor, to be precise. During a Tuesday night ceremony at the residence of Gérard Araud, the French Ambassador to the U.S., the 55-year-old Levine was presented with the insignia […]

Mitch PerryOctober 25, 2017

Two years after the Florida Legislature approved allowing Floridians online voter registration, registertovoteflorida.gov went live October 1. In 2015, state lawmakers provided the Secretary of State’s office $1.8 million to encourage him to support online registration, agreeing to delay implementation until Sunday. On Wednesday, Maria Matthews, Division Director for the Secretary of State’s office, told the […]

Drew WilsonOctober 25, 2017

Pensacola Republican Rep. Frank White picked up an endorsement for his Attorney General campaign from Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan Wednesday. “I’m proud to endorse Frank White for Attorney General” Morgan said in a prepared statement. “Frank is a friend and strong supporter of the law enforcement community in Florida. His dedication to supporting law […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 25, 2017

Florida Department of Corrections’s troubled security operations were big talkers Wednesday in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Criminal and Civil Justice. DOC Secretary Julie L. Jones addressed staffing patterns, contraband reduction efforts and use-of-force incidents. Major issues faced by the DOC are familiar to longtime observers, including continued staff attrition, overcrowding, increases in contraband, and a secretary confronting […]

Peter SchorschOctober 25, 2017

House Speaker Richard Corcoran may not be saying whether he is running for Florida governor. But with some high-profile personnel, a new website and more assertive online presence — as the old Magic 8-Ball says — all signs point to yes. While the Land O’Lakes Republican is reluctant to telegraph political intentions, holding back from […]

Peter SchorschOctober 25, 2017

The history of technology is replete with name changes: What began as “BackRub” is now Google, for example, and “Confinity” is now better known as PayPal. Add another to that list, as the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association (FCTA) will now be known as Florida Internet & Television (FIT). Brad Swanson, the group’s president and CEO, […]

Mitch PerryOctober 25, 2017

Florida Republicans smirked when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee placed Vern Buchanan second on its “2018 Republican Retirement Watchlist.” They were equally amused when the DCCC listed the Sarasota Republican’s 16th Congressional District as one of 79 around the nation for targeting next year. Whether they’ll still be delighted a year from now is unclear, but […]

Staff ReportsOctober 25, 2017

POLITICO reports that Gov. Rick Scott is opening a front in the 2018 ad war against likely Senate opponent Bill Nelson — and the Republican’s political committee, “Let’s Get to Work,” is buying nearly $2 million of ammo. Per POLITICO, the first ad covers “Hurricane Irma recovery, his call for Congress to fund fixes to the Lake […]

Scott PowersOctober 25, 2017

Responding to Gov. Rick Scott‘s reported comments Tuesday that there was little to be done about Florida’s relatively low teacher salaries, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum said Wednesday he would propose a statewide minimum starting salary of $50,000. “When Gov. Scott blames ‘the system’ for low teacher pay, Floridians should ask him to look in […]

Headlines

GOP in ‘realignment,’ says Marco Rubio

Philip Levine receives French Legion of Honor for climate change work

With a few hiccups, Florida online voter registration up and running

Frank White gets Escambia Sheriff endorsement in AG race

Florida Corrections head: ‘We’re working staff to death’

With website, social media, all signs point to Richard Corcoran running for governor

With new branding, Florida Internet & Television renews vision of innovation

David Shapiro hopes to unify D.C., but must first oust Vern Buchanan

Rick Scott launches $2M ad buy: Report

Andrew Gillum proposes $50K starting salaries for teachers