Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

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 […]

Associated PressDecember 21, 2015

More than five years after the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig exploded off the Louisiana coast, killing 11 workers and sending more than 134 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, a portion of the billions of dollars in settlement money with oil giant BP and others is slowly starting to reach 23 […]

Peter SchorschDecember 17, 2015

As much as we would like to think otherwise, in politics, not everyone can be a winner. To put it another way, as Judge Smails did in the eminently quotable “Caddyshack”: “The world needs ditch-diggers, too.” Few will disagree that 2015 was a particularly fertile political year, one that produced a bumper crop of political disappointments. That’s what […]

Peter SchorschDecember 17, 2015

As much as we would like to think otherwise, in politics, not everyone can be a winner. To put it another way, as Judge Smails did in the eminently quotable Caddyshack: “The world needs ditch-diggers, too.” Few will disagree that 2015 was a particularly fertile political year, one that produced a bumper crop of political disappointments – that’s what we get […]

Mitch PerryDecember 17, 2015

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Former Florida Senate Democratic Leader and 2014 Gubernatorial candidate Nan Rich is endorsing Jupiter Representative Patrick Murphy in the race for U.S. Senate. “Patrick is a leader with intelligence and integrity who I know will always defend a woman’s right to choose, protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts, and fight to preserve Florida’s environment. In […]

Mitch PerryDecember 15, 2015

After the third GOP presidential debate in late October, I wrote in this space after Marco Rubio received plaudits for his effort if it would translate into votes. A couple of weeks later, after the fourth debate in Milwaukee, the conventional wisdom from pundits was that it was time that Rubio and Ted Cruz were […]

Mitch PerryDecember 14, 2015

With Puerto Rico facing $72 billion in debt and not able to pay off its creditors, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has joined a group of over a dozen mayors in the U.S. calling on Congress to restore the commonwealth its bankruptcy protections in the omnibus appropriations funding bill being debated in the House of Representatives. Interestingly, Buckhorn is the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 10, 2015

Bob Buckhorn blocked me on Twitter. Or one of his staffers with access to his social media did. Or he told them to. In any case, I can’t view any of Buckhorn’s tweets. A while back I wrote some fairly antagonistic stories about Tampa’s commander-in-chief. In early June when a 14-year old was gunned down […]

Mitch PerryDecember 3, 2015

Wednesday’s mass gun shooting in San Bernadino is just the latest such incident in America, and Yolie Capin has had enough. The Tampa City Councilwoman was given the opportunity to address the audience who gathered at City Hall on Thursday for the council’s weekly meeting, and she used it to denounce the lack of gun control […]

Mitch PerryNovember 30, 2015

Lisa Montelione said it was “excruciatingly hard” to decide to give up her Tampa City Council seat next year, but that’s what will happen now that she’s decided to run for the Florida Legislature in 2016. She’ll take on fellow Democrat Mike Reedy in the House District 63 primary next August, with the winner to […]

Tag: Bob Buckhorn
Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

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

Florida counties have different plans for oil spill funds

Peter Schorsch: The 5 most disappointing Florida politicians of 2015

The 5 most disappointing Florida politicians of 2015

Nan Rich endorses Patrick Murphy in Florida Democratic Senate race

Mitch Perry Report for 12.15.15 – Vegas, baby, Vegas!

Bob Buckhorn calls on Congress to give Puerto Rico bankruptcy protection, while Buddy Dyer sits it out

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn blocked me on Twitter

Yolie Capin kicks off Tampa City Council meeting by saying “we are in a gun out of control state”

Lisa Montelione feels confident in HD 63 Democratic primary versus Mike Reedy