Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschMay 10, 2016

Matthew Hunter is a die-hard Florida State fan and got his first taste of public affairs working in the press office at the University while in college. But he got his real start in the political process by working for state Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, a Fort Myers Republican, who he still works for today. Here’s […]

Peter SchorschMay 10, 2016

McKinley Lewis is in the rare position of being the head communicator for an entire state agency — the Department of Corrections. Just a few years ago, he was working as an intern for the Tallahassee-based public relations firm Core Message. Here’s Lewis in his own words. I am (age) … 24. I live in […]

Jim RosicaOctober 23, 2015

When General Motors needs the Legislature to know its concerns, it turns to Marlene Williams. She’s the Southeast Regional Manager of Government Relations for the auto company, responsible for Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina. Williams learned her trade in the capital, having been legislative affairs director for the Department of Management Services under Gov. Rick Scott. She began in lobbying at […]

Ryan RayOctober 23, 2015

Josh Weierbach is no armchair quarterback, disinterestedly watching elections play out from afar: He spends his time on the front lines of Florida politics. As a one-time field organizer who now oversees the Florida Democratic Party’s often extensive field operations in the vital Tampa Bay region, Weierbach feels the pendulum swings of state political power from as close […]

Ryan RayOctober 23, 2015

I am … 27. I live in … Jacksonville, Florida. I got into politics because … I wanted to change the campus culture at the University of North Florida, so I ran for student body president. One principle I always put above politics is … Dependability. I strive to be guy who comes through for his […]

Jim RosicaOctober 23, 2015

Based on her work, Jodi Stevens might be described as the secret weapon behind Tallahassee’s Mayernick Group lobbying firm. The 28-year-old handles a plethora of behind-the-scenes duties, from coordinating meetings with lawmakers and monitoring legislative hearings to heading the firm’s research projects. She also “works on campaign and fundraising endeavors for several key legislators throughout the state,” she says. Stevens […]

Jim RosicaOctober 23, 2015

When Florida’s cities need help on transportation issues before the Legislature, they turn to Megan Sirjane-Samples. That’s her specialty as a lobbyist for the Florida League of Cities, which represents the interests of Florida’s 411 municipalities. Before she joined the League in 2013, Sirjane-Samples lobbied at Tallahassee’s Pittman Law Group. There, she also represented “a multitude of local governments,” she says. Sirjane-Samples has […]

Jim RosicaOctober 23, 2015

Phillip Singleton is the only consultant in The Process who can lay claim to the title “Hip-Hop Lobbyist.” He also claims a first: In 2010, he says he became the youngest African-American registered lobbyist in Florida history. The next year, the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators recognized him as an Emerging Leader in Politics, and he […]

Peter SchorschOctober 23, 2015

To mangle Shakespeare, some people are born into politics, some fall into it, and some have politics thrust upon them. This year’s crew of the “30 Under 30” fall into all those categories. Take Keaton Alexander, a scion of a political family. She’s the great-granddaughter of Ben Hill Griffin Jr., longtime lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate in the 1970s, and […]

Jim RosicaOctober 22, 2015

Some kids want to go to Disney World. Samantha Sexton spent her summers visiting Revolutionary War and Civil War battle sites. The 26-year-old now is associate director of government relations for the PACE Center for Girls, a non-residential delinquency prevention program throughout Florida. Long before that, she was learning her American history, including “the importance of giving […]

Tag: 30 under 30
Image via Palatka Main Street.

Meet Matthew Hunter — One of the 30-under-30 rising stars of Florida Politics

Meet McKinley Lewis — One of the 30-under-30 rising stars of Florida Politics

Meet Marlene Williams, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Meet Josh Weierbach, one of “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Meet Christopher Warren, one of “30 under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Meet Jodi Stevens, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Meet Megan Sirjane-Samples, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Meet Phillip Singleton, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

Who are the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics for 2015?

Meet Samantha Sexton, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics