Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschAugust 22, 2016

They say politics makes for strange bedfellows, but it’s difficult to image a stranger pairing than Associated Industries of Florida and the state’s trial lawyers. But that is the suggestion of ace reporter Jason Garcia of Florida Trend. Few political journalists covering Florida politics are better at connecting the well-hidden dots of the state’s byzantine […]

Phil AmmannMarch 28, 2016

Quorum, the occasional not-too-political happy hour, returns to St. Petersburg Friday, April 15. As one of Tampa Bay’s premier casual networking events, Quorum features candidates, operatives, media and political enthusiasts of all stripes. The get-together will start with 5 p.m. hors d’oeuvres at its customary location: Cassis American Brasserie on Beach Drive. Sponsors of the […]

Mitch PerryDecember 30, 2015

As first said by Greek philosopher Heraclitus, in the universe change is the only constant. Nowhere was that more applicable than in Tampa Bay during the past 12 months. From the much-ballyhooed dismissal of MaryEllen Elia as Hillsborough County School Board District superintendent to redistricting and the rising (and falling) fortunes for hizzoner Bob Buckhorn, many of the leading […]

Ryan RayJuly 28, 2015

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If things break as the Florida Supreme Court has foreshadowed, House Majority Leader Dana Young might be headed to the state Senate. While sources are conflicted as to whether a likely re-drawing of the upper chamber’s district boundaries will leave Young with a viable district, there is broad agreement on one thing: if she runs, she’ll certainly be competitive. “If a […]

Mitch PerryMarch 24, 2015

Tuesday night’s election finale between Jackie Toledo and Guido Maniscalco took a stunning turn at about 7:20 p.m. After the first results from early and absentee balloting showed Toledo holding on to an 8 percentage point lead over Maniscalco, the ballots cast on Election Day itself showed Maniscalco making a major turnaround. By 8 p.m. […]

Peter SchorschMarch 19, 2015

Anthony Pedicini is taking it on the chin right now. The Tampa-based political consultant is being dragged through the mud he otherwise expertly throws because he — let’s be honest here — is doing what almost every other successful political consultant in the state does. As Chris O’Donnell of The Tampa Tribune details, mailers touting […]

Mitch PerryMarch 13, 2015

The Guido Maniscalco campaign team has bristled at Jackie Toledo and Anthony Pedicini, her campaign consultant, after a mailer blasting Maniscalco hit homeowners in the Tampa District 6 area Thursday. It came days before early voting begins in their runoff election set for March 24. Toledo, though, isn’t backing down. The mailer bashes Maniscalco, claiming his […]

Mitch PerryMarch 1, 2015

Guido Maniscalco said this afternoon that Jackie Toledo, one of his two opponents in this Tuesday’s Tampa District 6 City Council election, needs to be honest with voters regarding published reports about a mailer sent out by a political action committee with connections to her campaign. The Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Danielson reports that that […]

Mitch PerryMarch 1, 2015

Guido Maniscalco said this afternoon that Jackie Toledo, one of his two opponents in this Tuesday’s Tampa District 6 City Council election, needs to be honest with voters regarding published reports about a mailer sent out by a political action committee with connections to her campaign. The Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Danielson reports that that […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 26, 2015

The District 6 Tampa City Council race went into a whole new stratosphere on Thursday when Tommy Castellano issued a blistering statement against one of his opponents in the race, Jackie Toledo. Using words like “pomposity,” “arrogance,” and “an embarrassment,” Castellano ripped into Toledo and the campaign she’s been running, writing, “Mrs. Toledo is the equivalent of a […]

Associated Industries of Florida, trial lawyers working together? That would make for strange bedfellows

Quorum — Tampa Bay’s not-too-political happy hour — returns Friday, April 15

Mitch Perry’s Top 10 stories of 2015 in Hillsborough politics

Dana Young for Florida Senate?

Jackie Toledo says not only did she lose, but Tampa did as well

A defense of my friend, political consultant Anthony Pedicini

Tampa District 6 candidates slur opponents’ business backgrounds

Guido Maniscalco calls on Jackie Toledo to “be honest with the voters” over recent allegations in Tampa City Council race

Guido Maniscalco calls on Jackie Toledo to "be honest with the voters" over recent allegations in Tampa City Council race

Tommy Castellano calls Jackie Toledo and her campaign “an embarrassment”