Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryFebruary 9, 2018

After a decade searching for a new home, the Tampa Bay Rays officially committed Friday to build a new ballpark in Tampa’s historic Ybor City entertainment district. That wasn’t much of a surprise, considering Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan had revealed that information last October. And Friday afternoon’s press conference didn’t provide many more specifics other […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 5, 2018

Reflecting on his 2010-2011 bid for Tampa mayor, Ed Turanchik said that in that campaign Bob Buckhorn schooled him on messaging — and he learned his lesson. Perhaps that explains Turanchik’s emphasis on branding his candidacy as a “vision” to lead Tampa in 2019 and beyond — reflected both on his campaign website and in encounters Friday with […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 1, 2018

On Thursday, Tampa City Councilmembers kept hope alive for transit activists who want Bayshore Blvd. shut down occasionally on Sundays for bicyclists, walker, runners, rollerbladers and others to use without fear of getting hit by a vehicle. Members of “Walk Bike Tampa” appeared before the Council to advocate for a plan to redirect vehicular traffic […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 22, 2018

There’s one event for which this proud St. Petersburg native will always cross the bridge. It’s Robert and Nancy Watkins‘ party, held in conjunction with the Children’s Gasparilla Extravaganza, an alcohol-free event celebrating the pirates’ return to Tampa Bay. Gasparilla is an annual celebration that began in 1904. Held each year in late January or early February, […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 20, 2018

The Florida Commission on Ethics decided Friday to give Hillsborough County Commission Ken Hagan the opportunity to amend a petition requesting that activist George Niemann pay his legal fees. The decision came after a commission attorney advocated that Hagan’s petition be dismissed. The county paid Hagan’s attorney, Mark Levine, $7,841 last year to defend the District 5 commissioner […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 12, 2018

As the Florida House was approving a proposal championed by House Speaker Richard Corcoran to ban so-called sanctuary cities, Bob Buckhorn was ridiculing the notion in front of an audience approximately 300 miles to the south. At the St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater Friday, Tampa’s mayor argued that there are no such entities in the state of […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 11, 2018

In past election cycles, the Hillsborough County Democratic Party struggled to field legitimate candidates to challenge Republicans in local and statewide elections. This year, that’s not the case, with the county’s District 5 race a shining example. No fewer than five Democrats have filed to run in the (theoretically) open countywide seat, where the biggest […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 8, 2018

Saying he’s proud to be the underdog in the race, Topher Morrison is running for Tampa mayor, becoming the second candidate to declare for the March 2019 elections. Morrison made the announcement Monday at the 1895 Kitchen-Bar-Market on Franklin Street (the oldest building in downtown Tampa), speaking at a podium literally backed by friends and other small-business people. […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 7, 2018

Tampa Bay is more than a body of water — so much more. To start, an admission: I really missed writing about Tampa Bay, particularly its politics. With all that is going on in the region surrounding my beloved St. Petersburg, it was tough to resist being drawn back into the fray. And in the […]

Mitch PerryDecember 27, 2017

While most of the country considered 2017 an electoral “off-year,” that wasn’t the case in the Tampa Bay region, thanks to the St. Petersburg municipal elections. Here’s this reporter’s list of the top ten political news stories of the year: 10. — Bob Buckhorn decides not to run for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. For years, the […]

Tag: Bob Buckhorn

More questions than answers after Rays commit to play in Ybor City

Ed Turanchik tees up next Tampa mayoral bid

Tampa City Council revives plan to close Bayshore Blvd on occasional Sundays

Pirates got me thinking: The Gasparilla parade and Florida politics

Ethics commission delays Ken Hagan’s legal fee case

Tampa Bay mayors come out swinging against GOP-led Legislature at Tiger Bay

Hillsborough Democrats host District 5 forum, first for 2018

Self-proclaimed underdog Topher Morrison announces bid for Tampa mayor

Not Just A Body Of Water — 1.7.18

Mitch Perry’s review of top Tampa Bay stories of 2017