Tampa Bay

Drew WilsonFebruary 16, 2018

Democrat Chris Hunter is holding a fundraiser in Tampa next week for his campaign against Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis in Florida’s 12th Congressional District. The Feb. 23 event is slated to run from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at The Tampa Club, 101 E. Kennedy Blvd, and the host committee includes Joseph Swanson, Erin […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 16, 2018

There are a lot of issues in the Tampa Bay area, but it’s almost universally accepted that lack of transportation options is the dominant one for 2018. A 41-mile Bus Rapid Transit plan running from Wesley Chapel to St. Petersburg was introduced to the public last month to decidedly mixed reviews. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Republicans in Tallahassee […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 16, 2018

For Sarasota-area Democrats, hope springs eternal. Tuesday night, Margaret Good won a decisive seven-point victory over Republican James Buchanan in the House District 72 special election. Now Democrats are eyeing much bigger prey — Florida’s 16th Congressional District held by Vern Buchanan, who made millions owning car dealership before turning to politics in 2006, winning a hugely controversial victory over Democrat Christine Jennings. […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 16, 2018

With Democrats and Republicans sharply divided on the issue of gun control and gun rights, it’s little surprise that less than 24 hours after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz shot and killed 17 people at a Broward County school, the issues would come up in a race for a contested open seat in the Florida Senate. Democrat […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 16, 2018

For months, it was well-known that President Donald Trump‘s much-hyped infrastructure proposal was only going to include minimal federal funding. In the face of that, a group of Democratic mayors expressed profound disappointment Thursday with the details of the plan. The proposed $1.5 trillion to upgrade the country’s highways, airports and railroads will contain “only” […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 15, 2018

Florida law pre-empts local governments from passing any ordinances which regulate guns, a reality that Tampa residents became acutely aware ofwhen Mayor Bob Buckhorn attempted to keep his downtown safe ahead of the 2012 Republican National Convention. That 2011 law was mentioned briefly at the beginning of Thursday’s Tampa City Council meeting following the mass shooting Wednesday at a high […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 14, 2018

Kathleen Peters is leading the pack in fundraising among three Republicans running for District 6 of the Pinellas County Commission. In January, the Republican lawmaker from South Pasadena raised $9,505, taking in $85,519 overall since announcing she would be stepping down from her House District 69 seat to run for the county board. More than $55,000 […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 14, 2018

Ruskin resident Ron Vatalaro‘s short stint as a Democratic candidate for the Legislature has ended. That means Hillsborough County Democrats are again now looking at the possibility of allowing House District 57 GOP incumbent Jake Raburn to win re-election without any opposition. Vatalaro filed at the end of January to run against Raburn in the Hillsborough […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 14, 2018

Democrat Margaret Good won Tuesday’s special election in House District 72 in a victory that will likely set off a round of Republican recriminations … and angst. Good led the race throughout Tuesday night, leading the early balloting and ending with over 52 percent of the vote, compared to 45 percent for Republican James Buchanan, to represent HD 72 […]

Phil AmmannFebruary 13, 2018

Democrat Margaret Good decisively won the Sarasota-area House District 72 special election Tuesday, defeating Republican James Buchanan 52 to 45 percent. Florida Democrats were quick to praise Good on flipping HD 72, which was reliably Republican for at least a decade, citing her “positive message of growing Sarasota’s economy, fully funding our public schools, and protecting our coastline.” […]

Tampa Bay
Image via FPL.

Chris Hunter fundraiser set for Feb. 23 in Tampa

Business leader pitches Tampa Bay light rail, but not on backs of local taxpayers

An early look at the Vern Buchanan-David Shapiro CD 16 showdown

In wake of Parkland shooting, gun control become an issue in state Senate race

Bob Buckhorn says mayors ‘let down’ by Donald Trump’s infrastructure plan

Tampa City Council chair slams state lawmakers after school shooting

Kathleen Peters widens fundraising lead in race for Pinellas Commission

Democrat Ron Vatalaro drops out of HD 57 race

Blue wave forming? Margaret Good wins special election in House District 72

Florida Democrats congratulate Margaret Good on HD 72 win