Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJune 22, 2015

In the wake of the racist terrorist attack on nine black people at a historic church in Charleston, South Carolina last week, there has been a renewed focus on the divisiveness of the Confederate flag,which currently flies on the grounds of the South Carolina Capitol. Meanwhile the biggest Confederate flag in the world (according to its […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorJune 22, 2015

If no one emerges by 5 p.m. Monday evening as a qualified candidate for St. Pete City Council District 3, Ed Montanari will emerge as the council member elect to replace outgoing Bill Dudley. As of Monday afternoon Montanari seems to have it in the bag. No one has filed paperwork to run against him […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 22, 2015

Though this reporter’s focus has been on the Sam Mousa budget review marathon, Lenny Curry‘s transition committee meetings continue apace at Jacksonville University. Today, we are sitting in on a couple of these; the first, as the title suggests, is Operations, Human Resources, and Productivity. The big news out of this: a Neighborhoods Department, cut in recent […]

Phil AmmannJune 22, 2015

Ocala Republican state Rep. Dennis Baxley announced the endorsement of Levy County Superintendent Robert Hastings in the Senate District 5 race. Baxley, the representative from House District 23, which covers much of Marion County, is known as the “Father of Stand Your Ground” for his support of the state’s controversial self-defense law. The staunch conservative is running for […]

Jac VerSteegJune 22, 2015

I have to believe Jeb Bush when he says he wouldn’t let his priest – or even the pope – dictate his economic policy. In fact, if you take Jeb’s recent statements about religion seriously, an obvious conclusion is that Jeb doesn’t take his religion seriously. “I hope I’m not going to get castigated for […]

Dan GelberJune 22, 2015

Jeb Bush earned the moniker of Florida’s “Education Governor” because he made education his primary policy focus while in office and the area he most focused on since. And Jeb Bush was a very busy education governor. He force-fed unprecedented testing into public schools, did all he could to neuter the teaching unions, and apologetically […]

Ryan RayJune 22, 2015

As ever in the term limits era, the makeup of the Republican House majority is set to shift in terms of personnel, if not necessarily in degree of dominance. As the very House-inflected Rep. Matt Gaetz seeks to take over his father Sen. Don Gaetz‘s spot in the Legislature’s upper chamber, a Walton County commissioner has […]

Peter SchorschJune 22, 2015

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Democratic candidates hold small early leads in Florida’s 2016 U.S. Senate race, according to a Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll released today. In possible matchups in the 2016 U.S. Senate race in Florida: Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy tops Republican Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera 40 – 28 percent; Democratic U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson tops Lopez-Cantera 37 […]

A.G. GancarskiJune 22, 2015

The solipsism of the paper of record. It never gets touted as a subscription benefit for the Florida Times-Union, but it’s a much more reliable feature than their website. You can always count on it, as a recent column from the paper’s editor Frank Denton indicated. It started off fine enough, talking about how Lenny Curry […]

Drew WilsonJune 21, 2015

As of June, none of the 12 Florida Senators running for reelection is facing much of a challenge — Democratic Sen. Jeff Clemens is the only incumbent to draw an opponent so far, but it won’t derail him from another term. District 29 looks set as well, with Democratic Rep. Jim Waldman having a clear path to take over for outgoing Sen. Jeremy […]

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Buccaneers QB Teddy Bridgewater. Image via AP.

Kathy Castor says she hates Tampa’s Confederate flag

Ed Montanari likely to win City Council seat unopposed

Will Jacksonville have a Neighborhoods Department under the Lenny Curry Administration?

Levy County Superintendent Robert Hastings endorses conservative Dennis Baxley in SD 5 race

Jac Wilder VerSteeg: Jeb Bush’s view of religion knocks off some commandments

Dan Gelber: Beware of Jeb Bush’s education “revolution”

Amid legislative turnover, new House candidates reach for safe GOP seats

Patrick Murphy leads Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Ron DeSantis for U.S. Senate seat

The solipsism of Frank Denton

Keep your eyes on these 8 state Senate campaigns