Tampa Bay

Drew WilsonSeptember 25, 2018

Tampa Republican Rep. Shawn Harrison leads in a fresh poll of the race for Hillsborough County’s House District 63, but Democratic challenger Fentrice Driskell holds the edge among voters who say they have a “high interest” in the 2018 election. The SEA Polling & Strategic Design survey, commissioned by the Florida Democratic Party, found Harrison […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 25, 2018

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is backing the voluntary “No Straws St. Pete” campaign to reduce the use of single-use plastic straws, the organization announced Tuesday. The Chamber previously objected to a mandatory ban on straws because businesses wanted the option to use them if they felt their clientele would object to not […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 24, 2018

The race to replace outgoing state Rep. Kathleen Peters in House District 69 has become one of the closest funding races this election cycle among Florida state races. Republican Ray Blacklidge is leading his Democratic opponent, Jennifer Webb, by a comparatively small margin compared to other political contests that put Democratic challengers at a funding disadvantage. Blacklidge […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 24, 2018

Florida Senate candidate Ed Hooper paid $200,000 to the same campaign consulting group that worked on President Donald Trump’s campaign and for former U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore. A consultant working for Hooper’s campaign insisted that the payment was a pass through media buy and that the consulting group was not directly doing work on the […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 24, 2018

Incumbent Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White has continued piling on cash in his District 4 re-election bid, while fellow Commissioners Victor Crist and Ken Hagan are each far ahead as they look to swap seats on the seven-member panel. White, first elected in 2014, added a couple thousand dollars to his war chest during the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 24, 2018

Sen. Jeff Brandes, the Republican incumbent in St. Petersburg’s District 24, has a massive lead at the bank over his challenger, Democrat Lindsay Cross. Cross has not had anywhere near as much time to raise funds as Brandes — she entered the race late after Carrie Pilon withdrew abruptly, citing personal reasons. During the most recent reporting period […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 24, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott is directing another $2.2 million to red tide mitigation efforts, his office announced Monday. The state is funding testing on technologies to reduce red tide, including ozone treatments and specialized clay. The funding will expand Mote Marine Laboratory Ozone Treatment System in Sarasota. Mote has successfully tested ozone systems in tanks at the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 24, 2018

Incumbent Dana Young continues to crush challenger Janet Cruz in fundraising. Information from the Division of Elections shows Young, the Republican now representing for Tampa’s Senate District 18 has nearly $500,000 cash on hand. Cruz has less than $50,000. The disparity stems from another huge gap in overall fundraising. To date, Young has raked in $718,000 from local, […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 24, 2018

State Rep. Kathleen Peters has raised nearly $34,000 for her Pinellas County Commission campaign during the first two weeks of the month, putting her far ahead of Democratic challenger Amy Kedron. Peters emerged from the three-way Republican primary battle for the District 6 seat with 48 percent of the vote compared to 36 percent for […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 24, 2018

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A former Democratic candidate for the Florida House is suing a former Chris Latvala campaign staffer, claiming she wrongly accessed his Facebook account to obtain damaging information. In 2016, David Vogel ran and lost against the Republican Latvala for House District 67, which covers parts of north Pinellas County. After announcing his campaign, Janice Silva sent Vogel […]

Tampa Bay

Shawn Harrison leads in HD 63 battleground, but tuned-in voters favor Fentrice Driskell

Chamber backs voluntary St. Pete plastic straw ban

Ray Blacklidge closes on hand cash gap with Jennifer Webb

Ed Hooper buys ads through former Roy Moore campaign consultants

Hillsborough Co. Commissioners up big in re-election fundraising

Jeff Brandes increases fundraising lead over Lindsay Cross

Rick Scott directs $2.2 million for red tide mitigation

In Tampa, Dana Young crushing Janet Cruz in money race

Kathleen Peters far out front in Pinellas Co. Commission fundraising

Unfriended: Former candidate sues over fib to get access to his Facebook posts