Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaDecember 26, 2017

Spoiler alert: If you’re a regular of this site, and reading this story, you can guess what the #1 pick is. Otherwise, 2017 still offered a bounty of material to Tallahassee’s reporting ranks. We still chuckle at the uninitiated who ask, “What do you write about when the Legislature isn’t in session?” Without further ado, […]

Scott PowersNovember 30, 2017

Gwen Graham is moving to Orlando. At least her gubernatorial campaign is doing so. The campaign confirmed Thursday that it’s moving its headquarters from Tallahassee, her home for decades, to settle into the City Beautiful, taking advantage of its centralized location to better accommodate campaigning and putting focus on the I-4 corridor battle. The campaign […]

Scott PowersNovember 13, 2017

Note: a previous version of this story inaccurately reported the campaign finances of Lee Mangold, Democrat running in House District 29 in northern Seminole County. Republican State Rep. David Santiago led all Central Florida candidates for the Florida House of Representatives in October fundraising drawing in $21,000 for his re-election bid in Florida’s House District […]

Scott PowersNovember 10, 2017

State Sen. Dorothy Hukill reported raising more than $30,000 in October toward her 2018 re-election bid in Florida Senate District 14 in the northern Space Coast. Hukill’s haul was her biggest one-month total yet, and brings her contributions to $84,700. After expenses the Port Orange Republican had $57,400 in the bank at the end of […]

Scott PowersOctober 31, 2017

Federal and state comprehensive, strategic plans are desperately needed to coordinate services for Hurricane Maria evacuees from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands so that they can best find the services wherever they’re available in Florida, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said Tuesday. Jacobs warned that someone needs to be coordinating where tens of […]

Steve SchaleOctober 9, 2017

Since Maria, the question I’ve gotten more than any other is: “So if X number of Puerto Ricans move to Florida because of the hurricane, what does this mean?” Honestly, I write this blog with some hesitation. As I work on this piece, 80-90 percent of the population still lacks power and some 50 percent […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 27, 2017

I am a disaster researcher. I study the social processes by which communities work in building resilience to emergency events, particularly natural disasters. But earlier this month when the possibility of Hurricane Irma striking Central Florida was becoming real, I also became part of the unfolding event. Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency […]

Scott PowersSeptember 13, 2017

Five Central Florida members of Congress – three Democrats and two Republicans – joined a call Wednesday for Central Florida counties to be designated so that individuals can become eligible for Federal Disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma. U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Val Demings of Orlando, Stephanie Murphy of Winter Park, Dennis […]

Scott PowersSeptember 11, 2017

Central Florida is mainly dealing with power outages throughout, with more than 1.1 million residences and businesses reported without electricity Monday, a situation that also plagues traffic lights and other services. With an estimated 372,000 residences and businesses without power and counting countywide, Orange County’s curfew remains in effect through 6 p.m. Monday. The Orange […]

Scott PowersJuly 18, 2017

The rapidly-growing Venezuelan community in Central Florida sent a message home and to Florida and American politicians with a vote Sunday they said drew more than 28,000 people who waited hours in line at six poling places to vote overwhelmingly to condemn the government and policy of that country’s dictator Nicolás Maduro. Led by radio show […]

Tag: Central Florida
Debate party at Sports Grill Kendall. Image via AP.

Jim Rosica’s review of top state government stories of 2017

Gwen Graham moving campaign HQ to Orlando

David Santiago leads all Central Florida House candidates in October fundraising

Dorothy Hukill raises $30K, Dennis Baxley $33K, in Florida Senate re-election bids

Teresa Jacobs expresses frustration over lack of FEMA, state coordination plans to help evacuees

Steve Schale: Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico and Florida politics

Fernando Rivera: Should I stay or should I go? A disaster researcher’s personal dilemma

Central Florida congressional members seek disaster call for Central Florida

372,000 customers without power in Orange County, 1.1 million in Central Florida

More than 28,000 Venezuelans in Central Florida vote to oppose Nicolás Maduro in straw poll