Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonNovember 7, 2018

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Tuesday’s top-of-ticket results didn’t give Florida Democrats much reason to cheer, but incoming House Minority Leader Kionne McGhee says the party made decent inroads into the GOP’s intractable advantage in the state House. The victories highlighted: Joy Goff-Marcil in HD 30, Geraldine Thompson in HD 44, Anna Eskamani in HD 47, Adam Hattersley in HD […]

Drew WilsonNovember 7, 2018

Just like two years ago, the path for a Democratic flip or tie in the state Senate ran through Gainesville-based District 8. With only a few votes left to be counted, SD 8 voters appear to have decided they’ll stay the course and re-elect Republican Sen. Keith Perry over his Democratic challenger, Kayser Enneking, keeping the […]

Scott PowersNovember 6, 2018

In two nail-biter elections that followed their Republican colleague’s surprising loss earlier in the evening, Republican state Rep. Scott Plakon was re-elected Tuesday and David Smith won election to another Seminole County seat that had always been held by Republicans. But neither won easily. Plakon defeated Democrat Tracey Kagan 51 percent to 49 percent to […]

Jacob OglesNovember 6, 2018

Candidates in Southwest Florida anticipated lengthy debates about Medicaid expansions, gun rights and maybe charter school funding to dominate political discourse this election. So it seemed illustrative to state Sen. Kathleen Passidomo when a Naples candidate forum contained not one question about health care came up. “This year,” she said, “it’s all about the water […]

Drew WilsonNovember 6, 2018

Incumbent Republican Sen. Keith Perry leads Democratic challenger Kayser Enneking by 4 points in the final poll of Senate District 8. But his margin is less compared to 2016, when the Gainesville-based district backed him over former state Sen. Rod Smith by 6 points. According to a new survey from St. Pete Polls, Perry is netting […]

Jacob OglesNovember 6, 2018

It’s no easy task running for office when your name doesn’t appear on the ballot. But replacement candidates who stepped in this year for deceased had to do just that. In Florida Senate District 14, Tommy Wright stood up after the withdrawal of Republican state Sen. Dorothy Hukill, who died days after ending her candidacy. […]

Scott PowersNovember 6, 2018

At least eight Republican-held Florida House seats should be in Democrats’ grasps — that is if voters vote their colors — while Republicans have two Democratic seats that ought to be flippable. And another 14 districts, all but one of which are held by Republicans, the voter registrations between Republicans and Democrats are air-tight, within […]

Jacob OglesNovember 5, 2018

New attack ads criticize state Senate candidate Rob Levy for supporting Amendment 4. The problem? Most polling shows that referendum cruising to passage on Tuesday. “Senate candidate Ron Levy wants convicted felons to vote,” blares a headline on a mailer from the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. Amendment 4, if passed, will automatically restore voting […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 5, 2018

Two more attack pieces landed in voters’ mailboxes this weekend rallying opposition for Jennifer Webb. Webb is running against Republican Ray Blacklidge for the House District 69 seat currently occupied by Kathleen Peters. One of the ads shows a giant spider web with the words “sell out” woven into it. The header reads “Wilbur is […]

Jacob OglesNovember 4, 2018

Democratic State Rep. Margaret Good has spent nearly a half million dollars in the hope of remaining in office, a feat all the more remarkable because it’s the second time that has happened this calendar year. The final financial reports before the Nov. 6 general election show Good through Nov. 1 raised a total of $542,192, and […]

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Image via X (TECO).

HD 26, HD 89 recounts to decide final split in Florida House

Keith Perry holds off Kayser Enneking to win second Senate term

Scott Plakon re-elected, David Smith wins in Seminole House seats

Red Tide Politics: It’s the environment, stupid.

Keith Perry leads in final poll of SD 8

Running on a memory: Replacement candidates’ difficult campaign role

Voter registration shows 10 House seats most flippable, mostly toward Democrats

Direct mail round-up: Republicans attack Rob Levy for supporting popular Amendment 4

Jennifer Webb a ‘sell out,’ attack mailer charges

Margaret Good spends nearly half a million — again