Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Marc YachtJuly 26, 2015

The recent Lafayette, La., theater shooting left two young women dead and nine injured; some with multiple gunshot wounds. The killer took his own life. The carnage has followed too many recent gun-related tragedies and demands attention for adequately funded comprehensive mental health services and sensible firearms regulation. The conservative mantras that “government cannot be […]

Guest AuthorJuly 26, 2015

Florida’s nine national parks are suffering, needing about $190 million in crucial maintenance left unfunded and neglected at the end of the last fiscal year, the National Park Service reports. Everglades National Park ended the past fiscal year with $58.8 million in unmet needs while Dry Tortugas National Park’s unfunded maintenance totaled $56.8 million, according […]

Peter SchorschJuly 25, 2015

Feld Entertainment, a global leader in live family entertainment, is moving its Illinois-based Motor Sports Division to Manatee County in 2015. Feld, which had its global headquarters in Ellenton since 2013, is best known for producing live shows such as Disney On Ice and Disney Live!, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, Monster Jam, Monster […]

Ryan RayJuly 24, 2015

House District 49 Democratic candidate Carlos Guillermo Smith announced to a rally of fast food workers he will stand with them in gesture of solidarity by agreeing to temporarily live on Florida’s minimum wage $8.05 an hour. The move, which liberal legislators such as Sen. Dwight Bullard and Rep. Cynthia Stafford have mirrored in the past, comes amid […]

Ryan RayJuly 24, 2015

Orlando activist Tiffany Namey, a staple on the left-leaning political circuit in “the City Beautiful,” said Friday she won’t seek the Democratic nomination in House District 30 to challenge first-term Altamonte Springs Republican Rep. Bob Cortes. As first reported by Frank Torres in The Orlando Political Observer, Namey cited personal and strategic reasons for taking a pass […]

Mitch PerryJuly 24, 2015

(Updated with quote from Eric Lynn spokesman Bill Burton below). Even before a poll was released earlier this week that showed he would be an overwhelming underdog to former governor Charlie Crist in a Democratic primary election in Florida’s 13th Congressional District, Eric Lynn made it clear that he was committing to run for the seat next year. And that’s […]

Mitch PerryJuly 24, 2015

A new survey of a newly reconfigured Florida 13th Congressional District map shows a hypothetical Charlie Crist versus Rick Baker matchup could be a cliffhanger. The survey from St. Pete Polls shows Crist leading with 46.2 percent of the vote, to Baker’s 42.2 percent. The remaining 11.6 percent are undecided. Baker leads the only declared Democrat in the CD 13 race, Eric Lynn, […]

Phil AmmannJuly 23, 2015

Gov. Rick Scott announced the selection of Palmetto attorney Teresa “Teri” Kaklis Dees on Thursday to the 12th Judicial Circuit Court, which covers DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties. Dees, 43, has been a partner at the law office of Weiffenbach & Kaklis since 1997. Previously, she was an associate with the law office of John […]

Guest AuthorJuly 23, 2015

In one way, supporters and detractors of U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson agree: He’s a lightning rod. The Republican Party of Florida loves this about him because it provides fresh material for attack ads; partisans because he revs them up. The Democratic establishment hates it because it screws up the possibility of having a clean, organized, […]

Bob SparksJuly 23, 2015

The Florida Supreme Court has the final say in all things concerning the Florida Constitution. They determine, among other things, if actions taken by the legislative and executive branch are compliant with the Constitution. When it comes to redistricting, they have assumed the lead role in the process. No one, other than a fellow justice, […]

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Marc Yacht: Will yet another gun tragedy finally lead to change?

Joseph H. Carter: Sheer neglect threatens Florida’s national parks

Feld Entertainment announces major relocation to Manatee County in 2015

House candidate Carlos Smith accepts minimum wage challenge

Activist Tiffany Namey to stay out of HD 30 race in Orlando

Pinellas Democratic Party chair thinks it’s premature to speculate about CD 13 race

Charlie Crist 46%, Rick Baker 42% in new survey of proposed CD 13 map

Gov. Scott picks Teresa “Teri” Kaklis Dees for 12th Judicial Circuit Court

Chris Timmons: Politics is organized around passion — so Florida Democrats need Alan Grayson

Bob Sparks: Supreme Court takes command in redistricting process