Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJuly 13, 2016

The issue of school choice and vouchers is a touchy one for Democrats. In the Democratic Party platform completed last weekend in Orlando, it declares support for “high-quality public charter schools” and opposition to “for-profit charter schools focused on making a profit off of public resources.” The national NAACP, however, is against public support for school choice AND vouchers, saying it takes […]

Mitch PerryJuly 11, 2016

The Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission is poised to begin increasing fines on Uber and Lyft drivers soon, and that’s not going down well with one of the agency’s biggest critics, state Sen. Jeff Brandes. The St. Petersburg Republican has frequently criticized the PTC over the years for their confrontational stance towards the two ridesharing companies, […]

Mitch PerryJuly 11, 2016

We’re just a week out from the Republican National Convention, which means we’re just days away from learning who will be Donald Trump‘s vice presidential choice. Of all the issues that make Americans fear a Trump presidency, the fact that he would have access to the nuclear codes is probably the most dominant concern, which […]

Mitch PerryJune 22, 2016

Our latest form of participatory democracy takes place in Tampa tonight, where scores of people will comment on whether or not the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization should include the Tampa Bay Express project in what is known as their Transportation Improvement Plan. If past is prologue, the majority of speakers will be against the project, and the MPO […]

Mitch PerryJune 21, 2016

Whatever one wants to say about Hillary Clinton, her campaign appears to be extremely disciplined in the Sunshine State. As the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee was bashing Donald Trump’s economic record in a speech in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, the campaign sent out its top Tampa Bay area surrogate, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, to join with a small-business man to […]

Mitch PerryJune 15, 2016

Eleven years to the day after the Hillsborough County Commission stunningly voted to ban all “gay pride” events, that same government body on Wednesday approved hanging the rainbow gay pride flag from the top of County Center for the rest of the month, in a tribute to those who were massacred at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday […]

Mitch PerryJune 14, 2016

The dominant word at a vigil held in Ybor City on Monday night to honor the victims of the shooting massacre in Orlando was “love.” A crowd of at least 2,000 people gathered for two hours in a parking lot on the north side of 7th Avenue between 14th and 15th streets to hear locally elected […]

Mitch PerryJune 2, 2016

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is weighing on a race dividing Democrats in Pinellas County, backing St. Petersburg attorney Ben Diamond in the House District 68 contest. “Ben Diamond is an asset to Tampa Bay,” Buckhorn said in a statement released Thursday. “His commitment to fairness and his experience in Tallahassee make him the best candidate to help move […]

Mitch PerryJune 1, 2016

Americans for Prosperity-Florida is calling on lawmakers from both sides of Tampa Bay not to use public taxpayer dollars in the financing of any potential new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. “As the Rays search for a potential new sandlot to call home, their focus should steer clear of calling on taxpayers to sacrifice […]

Mitch PerryJune 1, 2016

My colleague Jim Rosica has a piece up this morning entitled, “Did Adam Putnam just launch the first ad of the 2018 gubernatorial campaign?” Check it out and decide for yourself whether indeed that’s the case. What’s truly not in dispute is that the 41-year-old Agriculture commissioner has been THE guy referred to by seemingly everyone […]

Tag: Bob Buckhorn
Donald Trump. Image via AP.

Darryl Rouson and Ed Narain battle it out on policy in SD 19 NAACP-sponsored debate

Hillsborough County PTC is raising fines on ridesharing drivers, and Jeff Brandes doesn’t like it

Mitch Perry Report for 7.11.16 — Trump gets closer to naming his VP choice

Mitch Perry Report for 6.22.16 — TBX showdown tonight

Bob Buckhorn bashes Donald Trump’s vision for the economy

Hillsborough County Commissioners approve placing rainbow flag above County Center for the rest of June

Thousands crowd into Ybor City to remember the Orlando victims

Bob Buckhorn endorses Ben Diamond in the HD 68 race

AFP-Florida warns Tampa Bay lawmakers to not use taxpayers $ for potential Rays stadium

Mitch Perry Report for 6.1.16 — Let the 2018 GOP gubernatorial chatter begin