Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jac VerSteegDecember 15, 2014

If Florida lawmakers are such “school choice” advocates, they should give public schools the same choices enjoyed by the private voucher schools. The voucher schools never were required to give students the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and won’t be required to administer the tests involved in Florida’s switch to a testing system based on Common […]

Mitch PerryDecember 15, 2014

As far as security leaks, it ain’t WikiLeaks, the Pentagon Papers or Edward Snowden’s revelations of NSA surveillance on Americans. That stated, the cyberattack on Sony Pictures has produced a trove of embarrassing private emails regarding studio executives, and most of it has been great fodder for tabloids like the New York Post and websites […]

Peter SchorschDecember 15, 2014

Gwen Graham took a victory lap in the Panhandle this past week; meeting with business leaders in four of the biggest counties of the 2nd Congressional District. Graham is a rare Florida Democrat, she won an election. While party leaders stage their familiar post-midterm drama, politicians, consultants, and donors expressing bewilderment about the shellacking the […]

Jac VerSteegDecember 15, 2014

If Florida lawmakers are such “school choice” advocates, they should give public schools the same choices enjoyed by the private voucher schools. The voucher schools never were required to give students the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and won’t be required to administer the tests involved in Florida’s switch to a testing system based on Common […]

Phil AmmannDecember 12, 2014

Through a conversation with about two dozen major donors, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is giving the strongest indication to date that he is considering a White House run in 2016. Supporters who raised $200,000 for Rubio in the past met with the Miami Republican met for a conversation this week to discuss the pros and cons of […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 12, 2014

November fundraising for Tampa City Council members was pretty stagnant, according to campaign finance updates. Candidates are just about three months out from the election, but don’t seem to be too aggressive on bringing in the campaign cash. Up until this week there was only one candidate running to replace District 2 city council member […]

Ryan RayDecember 12, 2014

Amid a national fervor surrounding failures to indict the white police officers who cut short the lives of two unarmed black men, newly sworn-in Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum visited the Florida Museum of History’s new collection of Civil Rights-era artifacts Friday morning. The mayor called the exhibit “very powerful” and wondered aloud about the efficacy of a […]

Bruce RitchieDecember 12, 2014

Jon Steverson, Gov. Rick Scott’s choice as Department of Environmental Protection secretary, has been an outspoken director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District during his brief tenure there. Whether he will impress environmentalists with his passion and results at DEP is uncertain. Scott named Steverson, 39, on Thursday to replace Herschel T. Vinyard Jr., […]

Mitch PerryDecember 12, 2014

On Wednesday, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren blasted the $1.1 trillion spending package in the House put together by Republicans and Democrats that would keep most government agencies operating through next summer. Warren’s ire was with two parts of the bill that were added on to it in the past week: provisions that would sharply increase the influence of […]

Mitch PerryDecember 12, 2014

A rumored floor challenge to the lone candidate for the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee failed to materialize Thursday night, allowing Elizabeth Belcher to win the position without opposition. Belcher has been involved with the DEC since 2008. She became more involved with local politics retiring from a 27-year career as a special agent with […]

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A snippet of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party fundraising email Finance Chair Sue Whitman-Helfgot sent Monday.

Jac VerSteeg: Let public schools choose to give voucher-school tests

Mitch Perry Report for 12.15.14

Did Gwen Graham blaze the Democrats a path out of the wilderness?

Jac VerSteeg: Let public schools choose to give voucher-school tests

Marco Rubio makes strongest indication yet of a White House run in 2016

Tampa City Council candidates struggle to raise money in November

Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum visits Civil Rights exhibit, calls for state museum in capital city

On Florida’s newly appointed Department of Environmental Protection director

Mitch Perry Report for 12.12.14 – House Dems side with Warren over Obama in budget vote

Elizabeth Belcher selected as Hillsborough County Democratic Party chair