Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Phil AmmannApril 22, 2018

Incumbent Bob Cortes has become the first candidate to qualify by petition in his bid for a third term in House District 30. The Altamonte Springs Republican represented HD 30 since 2014. In a minute-long video Facebook video, Cortes said his campaign provided more than 1,100 signatures, and the process “should be completely done and […]

Scott PowersApril 19, 2018

Republican House District 28 candidate David Smith has picked up the endorsements of neighboring Republican state Reps. Bob Cortes and Scott Plakon, Smith’s campaign announced Thursday morning. Smith, of Winter Springs, is a retired colonel from the U.S. Marine Corps who now is a business consultant. “Colonel David Smith has a thirty-year career of service […]

Scott PowersApril 12, 2018

The House District 51 open seat race in Brevard County is heating up as Cocoa Mayor Henry Parrish posted his second big month of fundraising since entering the race in February. Parrish, a Republican, raised $12,012 in March, following up the $21,100 brought in during his debut month; he said it’s reflecting the revival the […]

Scott PowersMarch 12, 2018

While state lawmakers have been away in Session unable to raise campaign money, a handful of Central Florida challengers – mainly women first-time-candidate Democrats – played a little catch-up on fundraising in February, led by Ann Fuller, who reported raising $8,520 in her first month of a House District 52 campaign, and Joy Goff-Marcil, who reported […]

Scott PowersMarch 7, 2018

An attempt by Orlando Democratic state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith to get the state to provide $1 million to help build a Pulse nightclub memorial in Orlando drew some crossover votes from Republicans (including many from Central Florida) but failed in the House Tuesday night. The proposed amendment, which would have added $1 million for […]

Scott PowersFebruary 27, 2018

Democrat Joy Goff-Marcil, a lawyer who is on the Maitland City Council and serves as vice mayor, has entered the contest to run for Florida House District 30. Goff-Marcil is the second Democrat in the race, joining Clark Anderson of Winter Park, seeking to take on Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes of Altamonte Springs this […]

Scott PowersJanuary 23, 2018

Specialty license plates supporting Orlando City Soccer and declaring the University of Central Florida Knights as the National Champions got approvals Tuesday from the Florida House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee. The soccer plate was approved under House Bill 1263, seeking specialty plates for what sponsor state Rep. Mike Miller of Winter Park noted was the […]

Scott PowersJanuary 16, 2018

Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes called on Gov. Rick Scott Tuesday to reassign a “heinous” murder-for-hire prosecution case away from State Attorney Aramis Ayala of Orlando – but her office basically shrugged off the lawmaker’s demand, contending that Scott no longer has any reason to remove cases from her review. “The author of the letter […]

Scott PowersJanuary 4, 2018

Having largely tackled many of the education and jobs challenges arising from the mass migration of Puerto Ricans seeking a place to live in Florida after Hurricane Maria largely shut down their lives on the island, state and local officials gathered in Orlando told Gov. Rick Scott that housing remains a major problem. Scott met […]

Scott PowersDecember 28, 2017

Housing continues to be the toughest challenge and most likely the biggest long-term challenge as Central Florida absorbs tens of thousands of people displaced from Puerto Rico because of Hurricane Maria, surmised a new task force formed by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto. There still is no clear idea how many of the more than 260,000 […]

Tag: Bob Cortes
Rodney Guttman, image via University of West Florida.

Bob Cortes qualifies by petition for HD 30 re-election bid

David Smith picks up endorsements of Bob Cortes, Scott Plakon in HD 28 race

Henry Parrish has second big fundraising month in HD 51 race

Two Democratic newcomers make up cash ground in Central Florida House races

Carlos Smith’s $1M Pulse memorial amendment draws some Republicans, but fails

Democrat Joy Goff-Marcil enters HD 30 race

UCF ‘National Champions,’ Orlando City Soccer plates move along

Bob Cortes calls for Rick Scott to take murder-for-hire case from Aramis Ayala

Rick Scott’s Puerto Rico roundtable reaches same concern as others: housing

Puerto Rico evacuees to Florida need immediate, long-term housing, task force concludes