Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryApril 15, 2015

It was eight years ago today, April 15, 2007, when Barack Obama made his first appearance ever in Tampa. Obama appeared at the Cuban Club in Ybor City on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, giving a speech from the outdoor plaza after the famed Florida A&M marching band opened the program. But according to Tampa City […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 15, 2015

If conservative activists got together, held a Frank Luntz style focus group, and created a candidate from a prototype, he would look a lot like United States Representative Ron DeSantis, who looks very much like he’s going to run to replace Marco Rubio in the Senate. Check the boxes. Young. A telegenic wife. An Iraq War veteran. […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 15, 2015

The session-long drama over health care and Medicaid expansion may peak today when a Senate panel considers the confirmation of Liz Dudek, the head of the agency that oversees Medicaid. Dudek rolled through a previous committee stop, but a flurry of finger-pointing regarding negotiations between the federal government and the state over the last two […]

Bruce RitchieApril 15, 2015

Florida is the only state with more than 600 black bears that doesn’t allow bear hunting, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission staff said in opening remarks during a commission meeting Wednesday in Tallahassee. And 32 of the nation’s 41 states with black bears allow hunting, said Diane Eggeman, director of FWC’s Division of Hunting […]

Mitch PerryApril 15, 2015

Although David Jolly has now publicly stated that he won’t make an official decision about leaving his congressional seat to run for the U.S. Senate until the Fourth of July holiday, you can bet he and his advisers are weighing the pros and cons of such a decision right now. One of his calculations simply has to […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 15, 2015

March fundraising numbers for Jacksonville campaigns show surprises in the mayoral race and PAC accounts. Though the most interesting narrative is that of Alvin Brown‘s fundraising, there are other strands worth mentioning. The big story for some observers, such as David Bauerlein with the The Florida Times-Union, was Shad Khan dropping $100K into Brown’s Taking Jacksonville […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 15, 2015

Former Jacksonville Mayor Tommy Hazouri isn’t in danger of losing votes to his Republican opponent, social conservative Geoff Youngblood, in the progressive Jacksonville enclave of Five Points. Hazouri, though, has to make a sale to those younger voters nonetheless, many of whom were pre-embryonic when Hazouri was mayor. An avuncular figure whose opponent in the First Election, Mincy […]

Mitch PerryApril 15, 2015

A new St. Pete Polls survey released overnight shows that if St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman‘s Pier Selection Committee does not choose the most popular pier design from a recent survey conducted by the city, the city council should reject that choice. When asked directly if the selection committee opts not to choose the Destination St. Pete Pier design, should the […]

Mitch PerryApril 15, 2015

Love her or loath her, Hillary Clinton‘s official presence in the 2016 presidential sweepstakes is a big deal. But does the political media class have to lose their collective sh*t in the process? It was sort of humorous to read that story the other day about how Clinton’s delayed video release announcing her campaign on […]

Christine Jordan SextonApril 14, 2015

What started out smoothly a few months ago now appears to be falling apart as leading Republicans in the House and Senate began finger-pointing over a health care dispute that appears likely to derail the 2015 session. The latest evidence that the May 1 session will not end on time came after the Department of […]

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David Smith. Image via Florida House

Tampa City Council poised to vote on requesting city hosts U.S.-Cuba signing ceremony

Ron DeSantis: NE Florida’s best hope for the Senate?

Florida’s health care chief on hot seat as Senate considers her confirmation

Dramatic increase in conflicts led to bear hunting proposal, FWC chairman says

How CD 13 race might shake out if David Jolly runs for U.S. Senate

March fundraising in Jacksonville campaigns reveals surprises

“Captain Chaos” Tommy Hazouri meets, greets in Five Points

New poll shows trouble ahead if St. Pete decision makers reject “Destination St. Pete Pier”

Mitch Perry Report for 4.15.15 — Waiting on Hillary

House, Senate, feds stick to guns on Medicaid as session slips away