Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Kate BradshawJune 12, 2018

First elected in 2006, Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan of Longboat Key) has a name that’s recognizable to Floridians well outside his Sarasota County Florida’s 16th Congressional District. His auto dealership empire and tenure as chair of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Chamber of Commerce preceded his political career. A prolific philanthropist, he lists […]

Kate BradshawJune 12, 2018

As the prosecutor in a place as diverse as Hillsborough County, State Attorney Andrew Warren has managed to strike a balance between encouraging dialogue on hot-button issues and doing his job. A Democrat who surprisingly beat popular Republican incumbent Mark Ober in 2016 on the promise of criminal justice reform, Warren pushes the envelope on criminal justice […]

Kate BradshawJune 11, 2018

After cruising to re-election in November, St. Petersburg City Councilwoman Darden Rice continues to bring an activist’s passion to the dais. Her outspokenness on the environment and economic issues has helped brand St. Pete as a forward-thinking, diversity-embracing city. Among some of the more gutsy measures she’s championed over the last year are proposed bans on plastic […]

Kate BradshawJune 11, 2018

Had he not been appointed interim Sheriff of Hillsborough County last year to replace retiring Sheriff David Gee, Chad Chronister has said in interviews that he would have run for Sheriff in 2018 regardless. A veteran officer who has served with the department since 1992, Chronister has had a busy year as the top cop in Hillsborough. His […]

Kate BradshawJune 11, 2018

If anyone is the antithesis to the notion that Republicanism’s days are numbered, it’s state Rep. Chris Latvala. First elected to his north-central Pinellas district (House District 67) in 2014, he was just 32 when he took office. Since then, he’s brought a fresh perspective to the Legislature and hasn’t been afraid to take positions that […]

Kate BradshawJune 11, 2018

For a long time, being a Democrat on the Hillsborough County Commission meant constantly voting in the minority while the board’s center-right and conservative wings debated policy. When Commissioner Les Miller was elected in 2010, he and Kevin Beckner, the other Democrat on the board then, while passionate advocates for their causes at the dais, rarely got […]

Kate BradshawJune 11, 2018

Everybody likes state Rep. Ben Diamond. At least, that’s what people close to the freshman Democrat from St. Petersburg say. Elected to represent House District 68, Diamond took over for then-state Rep. Dwight Dudley, who left office to run for a judgeship. While he’s popular in his district, especially with Democrats, getting bills passed has been […]

Tag: 25 Most Powerful Politicians in Tampa Bay

#20 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Vern Buchanan

#21 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Andrew Warren

#22 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Darden Rice

#23 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Chad Chronister

#24 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Chris Latvala

#25 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Les Miller (tie)

#25 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Ben Diamond (tie)