Orlando

Scott PowersApril 8, 2016

Orlando Republican candidate Dean Asher has received the endorsement of state Sen. Travis Hutson in Asher’s quest to be elected in the Orlando-based Senate District 13. Asher, a real estate professional, is the lone Republican seeking to succeed term-limited state Sen. Andy Gardiner in the district, which covers much of northern and eastern Orange County. […]

Scott PowersApril 8, 2016

Democratic candidate Val Demings has received the endorsement of the U.S. House of Representatives minority whip in her campaign for the Orlando-based Congressional District 10, her campaign announced Friday. Demings has received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland. “Val Demings is the kind of leader we need to advocate on behalf […]

Scott PowersApril 8, 2016

Leading candidates in Orange County’s three commission races made it clear Friday they don’t like each other: They pursued personal attacks but offered little to distinguish each other on business issues during a debate sponsored by BusinessForce of Orlando. While Orange County has seen highly contentious business-related issues arise in recent years, notably a petition demanding a […]

Scott PowersApril 8, 2016

The Tampa Bay Times “Failure Factories” series of stories investigating how the Pinellas County School District served black students has won a prestigious national IRE Medal for investigative reporting, the international journalism organization Investigative Reporters and Editors announced. The Times project, published in three parts plus a prologue last August, explored what is described in the […]

Scott PowersApril 7, 2016

Republican businessman and youth pastor Peter Vivaldi of Windermere has filed to run for the Florida Senate in the Orlando-based Senate District 15. Vivaldi, 54, said Thursday he decided to run after spending much of this past session of the Florida Legislature in Tallahassee advocating on issues ranging from education choice to religious freedom. Vivaldi […]

Scott PowersApril 6, 2016

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs wants her county to hold off on a new proposal for spending tourist tax money because she thinks any action now would preempt voters, who might get a chance to vote on the tax in November. And unlike Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who endorsed the plan Friday hours after it was proposed […]

Scott PowersApril 6, 2016

State redistricting has transformed west Orange County’s Senate district from a longstanding African American-dominated base to a broader, still Democratic-leaning base where environmental operative Chuck O’Neal sees a route to Tallahassee. Apopka resident O’Neal, who has been active on issues ranging from protection of springs and estuaries to opposition to Florida’s bear hunt and oil […]

Scott PowersApril 1, 2016

With Orange County’s bed tax flush from record tourism, Orlando’s tourism community wants to see more of that money spent on tourism marketing, the convention center and area sports and arts venues, including the next phase of construction for the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. The Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association and Orlando’s three major […]

Scott PowersApril 1, 2016

The Council for a Livable World, a nonprofit group dedicated to reduce nuclear arms proliferation, has endorsed Democrat Val Demings in her race in Orlando-based Congressional District 10. The council, which calls itself “supportive of progressive national security and foreign policy positions, including arms control,” cited Demings’ “long record of protecting national security,” and called her the […]

Drew WilsonMarch 28, 2016

Orlando Democrat Vic Torres will face a primary challenger in his campaign to move from the House to the newly redrawn Senate District 15 seat. Bob Healy Jr. filed for the seat at the end of February and is so far the only candidate challenging Torres for the Democratic-leaning seat. Healy is a former board […]

Orlando

Dean Asher endorsed by Travis Hutson for Senate District 13 race

Val Demings endorsed by U.S. House minority whip in CD 10 race

Orange County Commission candidates’ debates offer heat but few business differences

Tampa Bay Times investigation into Pinellas schools wins IRE national investigative reporting prize

Republican Peter Vivaldi enters SD 15 race

Teresa Jacobs aims to put brakes Orange County tourist tax proposal

Chuck O’Neal brings environmental issues, more to Democrats’ SD 11 race

Hotel association, Orlando theme parks pitch for more Orange County tourism tax money

Anti-nuclear arms proliferation group endorses Val Demings in CD 10 race

Orlando Democrat Vic Torres draws primary challenge in SD 15 contest