Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonOctober 25, 2018

The Florida Retail Federation PAC, the political arm of the state’s retail trade organization, endorsed more than two dozen candidates seeking to earn their first terms in the state House next month. The bulk of the 26 candidates getting FRF’s seal of approval are seeking open seats in the state House, but a handful of […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 16, 2018

State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an East Orlando Democrat representing House District 49, will fundraise in Jacksonville Tuesday evening, in another sign of his increasing prominence statewide. The event will be in the tony Avondale neighborhood, hosted by Kevin Clair, the husband of local state House hopeful Tracye Polson. Clair and Polson have become increasingly prominent this cycle, […]

Scott PowersSeptember 24, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith raised $10,050 in the first two weeks of September keeping his campaign’s cash fund ahead of that of Republican challenger Ben Griffin who added $7,000 in early September in the Flordia House District 49 race. Smith, of Orlando, has now raised $108,695 and spent $42,482 of that, according to the […]

Scott PowersSeptember 14, 2018

Updated with news of a House District 50 debate. A Central Florida organization teaming with WFTV Channel 9 to produce elections debates for Orlando-area Florida House districts has firmed up four and has three others falling through because of lack of commitments from Republican candidates, an organizer said Friday. Gregory Eisenberg, chief executive officer of […]

Scott PowersSeptember 4, 2018

Several Central Florida Republican Florida House candidates entered the fall general election with solid financial advantages over their Democratic challengers. That was the case with several House incumbent members seeking re-election and also is the case for David Smith who is running to win an open seat for Florida’s House District 28. It’s not the […]

Scott PowersAugust 9, 2018

Three Democratic Orange County lawmakers joined with the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association Thursday to bash Republican Gov. Rick Scott‘s record on public education. Outside the offices of the Orange County Public Schools headequarters in Orlando, State Sen. Victor Torres and state Reps. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Amy Mercado all went after the governor for […]

Scott PowersJune 22, 2018

Ten seats in Central Florida’s portion of the Florida House of Representatives will have primaries on August 28, with four Republican and six Democratic in-party battles set by Friday’s ballot qualifying. The big primary battles among Republicans are preparing for two open seats now held by Republicans, and among the Democrats for four places where […]

Drew WilsonJune 8, 2018

Orlando Democratic Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith is no longer unopposed in his House District 49 re-election bid. Ben Griffin, a Republican who works as a learning assistant at Valencia College, opened a campaign account Thursday to challenge the freshman lawmaker in the Orange County based seat according to Florida Division of Elections records. In a […]

Tag: Ben Griffin

Florida Retailers recommend bundle of new state representatives

Mr. (Carlos G.) Smith goes to Jacksonville: Re-election fundraiser set

Carlos Smith picks up $10K in re-election bid against Ben Griffin

Central Florida house district election debates: four on, three off

Central Florida Republicans start House general campaigns with strong financial edges

Victor Torres, Carlos Smith, Amy Mercado rip Rick Scott on education

Ten Central Florida house seats set for primaries August 28

Carlos Guillermo Smith draws challenger in HD 49