Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 17, 2018

Senate District 18 presumptive winner Janet Cruz is again declaring victory in her bid to unseat incumbent Republican Dana Young. After a manual recount conducted in Hillsborough County, Cruz — who was last the House Democratic Leader — maintains a 382-vote lead over Young, according to the Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. Cruz’s victory is […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 15, 2018

The machine recount in the Senate District 18 race between Janet Cruz and Dana Young came short 800 votes of the reported Election Day results, the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections confirmed Thursday. As a result, the agency is using its “first unofficial count” reported last week to send back to the state’s Division of […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 11, 2018

Newly-elected state Sen. Ed Hooper has a lot of plans for his term in office, but the first order of business is finding an office. While hunting for real estate is a necessary first detail, the Pinellas Republican is still laying the groundwork to implement some of his priorities. The former state Representative bested Democrat Amanda […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 9, 2018

Hillsborough County finally accomplished what some thought impossible. After years of inaction on the issue of transportation, not only did voters approve a historic initiative Tuesday, but they did so by a wide margin — passing All For Transportation with 57 percent of the vote. Despite the majority, several areas of the county kept with history […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 8, 2018

Democrat Janet Cruz is declaring herself the winner in the Florida Senate District 18 race against incumbent Republican Dana Young despite a narrow margin that will trigger an automatic recount. With all early and Election Day votes counted, Cruz leads Young by just 355 votes (about 0.17 percent) out of 207,533 votes counted. “I believe in […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 8, 2018

Democrats all over the state including in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are rallying volunteers to track down voters who may have cast a provisional ballot to ensure their vote counts. Democrats are within razor thin margins in several state and local races throughout Florida. State law requires a machine recount if an election is within […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 7, 2018

Democrats in Florida woke up Wednesday morning dejected. Despite prospects of a blue wave, the 2018 election left them bone dry having failed to win the Florida Governorship, a Cabinet seat, or control of the House or Senate. Floridians woke up still living in a red state. But Democrats in Hillsborough County have a silver lining. […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 7, 2018

State Rep. Janet Cruz looks poised to take over for Dana Young in Senate District 18, but not before the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections conducts an official recount of the razor-thin race. Florida law requires a recount in races separated by one-half a percentage points or fewer of the total votes in a race. The gap […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 7, 2018

GOP state Sen. Dana Young‘s future in the Florida Senate is still uncertain after a nail-biter race against Democratic state Rep. Janet Cruz. With nearly 200,000 votes cast in the Senate District 18 contest, the two were separated by 289 votes late Tuesday, with Cruz holding a slender advantage. If that margin holds, it would trigger an […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 6, 2018

Two ballot measures in St. Petersburg sailed to easy victory Tuesday: Both would extend lease terms on city-owned waterfront land. They both passed with nearly 70 percent of the vote. The pier amendment allows Tampa Bay Watch, the nonprofit group that will operate the pier marine education center, a better guarantee on its investment in […]

Tag: 2018 midterm
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

With hand recount complete, Janet Cruz wins battleground state Senate seat

Do-over: Dana Young, Janet Cruz race going to hand recount

After contentious election, Ed Hooper lays out Senate priorities

All For Transportation is in uncharted territory for Tampa Bay region

Janet Cruz declares victory in close Senate race; Dana Young says not so fast

In Florida recount, Democrats might be working too hard

It’s not a Blue Wave in Florida, but Hillsborough has a silver lining

Here’s how recount in Janet Cruz, Dana Young race will work

Recount? Janet Cruz vs. Dana Young race in SD 18 still too close to call

St. Pete waterfront lease extensions get OK from voters