Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschSeptember 24, 2018

Brittany Dover has joined Republican Matt Caldwell‘s campaign for Agriculture Commissioner as Deputy Finance Director, and Jeremy Sheftel is now on board as Deputy Campaign Manager, the campaign announced Monday. “We have raised over $1 million in contributions in the three short weeks since the Primary Election,” campaign spokesperson Brian Swensen said in a statement. “It […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 13, 2018

State Rep. Matt Caldwell touted another fundraising win in the race to take over for termed out Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the fall. The Lehigh Acres Republican brought in a combined $106,100 last month – $50,100 for his campaign and another $56,000 for his political committee, Friends of Matt Caldwell. The numbers outshined his […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 6, 2018

The hits keep on coming in the brass-knuckled GOP primary race in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. The latest salvo was Monday afternoon when Florida Politics obtained records of candidate John Ward giving to a Democratic candidate in the 2015 Jacksonville mayor’s race. Ward, a resident of Ponte Vedra Beach, was one of a number of Jacksonville Republican donors […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 23, 2018

On Tuesday morning, Mike Waltz declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 6th Congressional District on Fox and Friends. Tuesday afternoon saw the first bit of incoming: a website attacking Waltz, courtesy of primary opponent John Ward. Ward’s charge: that Waltz is an unrepentant #NeverTrumper. Ward also offered a video to this effect. Ward spokesman Brian Swensen […]

Staff ReportsFebruary 14, 2017

Global public strategy firm Mercury is adding noted Republican political adviser Brian Swensen to its Florida public affairs team as a senior vice president. Swensen comes to the firm following his role as deputy campaign manager for the successful re-election of Sen. Marco Rubio, the latest in a series of key political victories in Florida […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 22, 2016

These are interesting times in the GOP primary for Florida’s United States seat. Evidence has emerged that Carlos Beruff, the Manatee homebuilder, is getting some traction with his TV ad-driven outsider campaign. Gov. Rick Scott spoke highly of Beruff this week in Sarasota, and said he would not endorse between Beruff and Carlos Lopez-Cantera, saying that both would “do a good […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 27, 2016

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis represents Ponte Vedra in Congress, and his wife Casey is a television chat show host. Carlos Lopez-Cantera has a campaign manager, Brian Swensen, who fulfilled a similar task for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry. Yet it’s Todd Wilcox, the seeming dark horse of the Florida GOP U.S. Senate derby, who is best positioned (perhaps) to […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 30, 2015

In Jacksonville politics in 2015, the game changed … perhaps for good. Big money went into campaigns: over $10 million, including soft money, in the mayoral race. Close to $2 million in the sheriff’s race. And even some City Council candidates who raised close to a quarter of a million dollars did so in vain. […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 16, 2015

Duval County in some ways is the home turf of U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis. His wife Casey is the host of First Coast Living, a subsidiary of First Coast News, a local news op which tweeted out an uncharacteristically brutal, if familiar feeling, hit piece on Carlos Lopez-Cantera last night. The subject: “Lt. Gov. Carlos @LopezCantera increasing his profile […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 1, 2015

The number of Lenny Curry campaign events I covered is definitely in three figures. A common thread for many of them was how below the radar they were. Endorsement events at local businesses. A speech to the Visit Jacksonville forum. An appearance at the recreation center in Grand Park. And so on. The media wasn’t at […]

Tag: Brian Swensen

Personnel note: Brittany Dover, Jeremy Sheftel join Matt Caldwell campaign

Matt Caldwell tops Ag Commissioner field in January fundraising

GOP operatives squabble over CD 6 candidate John Ward donating to Democrat Alvin Brown

John Ward attacks ‘#NeverTrump’ Mike Waltz in GOP CD 6 scrum

Personnel note: Public strategy firm Mercury hires Brian Swensen as senior VP

How Alzheimer’s became an issue in the Republican U.S. Senate primary

Todd Wilcox cultivates serious Jacksonville ties

A.G. Gancarski’s Top 10 stories of 2015 in Jacksonville politics

CLC in the 904 next week

It all has changed for Lenny Curry