Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 9, 2018

Janet Cruz’s lead over Dana Young in their Florida Senate District 18 race grew to 355 overnight after the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Canvassing Board began counting provisional ballots and uncounted vote-by-mail ballots. Cruz’s lead had been just shy of 300. The outgoing House Democratic Leader had challenged Young, a Republican, for the state Senate […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 8, 2018

Democrat Janet Cruz is declaring herself the winner in the Florida Senate District 18 race against incumbent Republican Dana Young despite a narrow margin that will trigger an automatic recount. With all early and Election Day votes counted, Cruz leads Young by just 355 votes (about 0.17 percent) out of 207,533 votes counted. “I believe in […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 7, 2018

State Rep. Janet Cruz looks poised to take over for Dana Young in Senate District 18, but not before the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections conducts an official recount of the razor-thin race. Florida law requires a recount in races separated by one-half a percentage points or fewer of the total votes in a race. The gap […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 7, 2018

GOP state Sen. Dana Young‘s future in the Florida Senate is still uncertain after a nail-biter race against Democratic state Rep. Janet Cruz. With nearly 200,000 votes cast in the Senate District 18 contest, the two were separated by 289 votes late Tuesday, with Cruz holding a slender advantage. If that margin holds, it would trigger an […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 6, 2018

The 2018 midterm election is widely considered one of the most contentious in recent history. Like all midterm elections, it’s serving as a referendum on the party in power in Washington. But fueled by the overtly contentious Donald Trump administration, Democrats are fired up to send an anti-Trump message this election. That message is trickling […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 6, 2018

Longtime Florida politics expert Darryl Paulson says voters “appear to be saying no to both Republicans and President Trump.” “Jeff Brandes seems to be the only secure candidate at this point,” said Paulson, a former Republican, in an interview. “That is due to his incumbency, his huge financial advantage and his Democratic opponent entering the race […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 6, 2018

0444c48202e8d4d26d547c685369078a-election-night-party-election-day.jpg

Political candidates spend months rallying volunteers, knocking on doors, hobnobbing with voters at public events and, of course, raising cash. Come Election Night they’re ready, win or lose, to cut loose and either get to work or get back to their families. Whether the champagne is flowing or supporters are drowning disappointing election results at […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorNovember 6, 2018

Political expert Susan MacManus doesn’t foresee a “blue tsunami” in Tampa Bay area races, but thinks a smaller wave is possible. She sees, for example, potential flips for Democrats in one Congressional race and two State Senate contests. Those include the Ross Spano/Kristen Carlson Congressional matchup in East Hillsborough and Lakeland, the Ed Hooper/Amanda Murphy state Senate […]

Drew WilsonNovember 5, 2018

House Minority Leader Janet Cruz is inches ahead of Republican state Sen. Dana Young in the battleground race for Tampa-based Senate District 18. A new survey from St. Pete Polls found Cruz with a point-and-a-half lead over Young with 7 percent of likely voters still undecided, that lead falls well within the poll’s margin of […]

Drew WilsonNovember 3, 2018

With Election Day in sight, Republican Sen. Dana Young is letting some surrogates make the case for her re-election with a pair of new campaign ads rolling out in Tampa-based Senate District 18. The ads, titled “Fix the Problem” and “Sacrifices,” focus on Young’s record of fighting for Florida children, with a special focus on […]

Tag: Dana Young
Debate party at Sports Grill Kendall. Image via AP.

Janet Cruz lead over Dana Young grows, but recount still imminent

Janet Cruz declares victory in close Senate race; Dana Young says not so fast

Here’s how recount in Janet Cruz, Dana Young race will work

Recount? Janet Cruz vs. Dana Young race in SD 18 still too close to call

Tampa Bay competitive ‘blue wave’ races to watch

Darryl Paulson sees possible ‘blue wave’ in Tampa Bay

It’s not the party … it’s the after party! A rundown of where Tampa Bay-area candidates will be on election night

Susan MacManus: Blue wave, maybe; blue tsunami, nope

Final poll of SD 18 offers hope to both Dana Young and Janet Cruz

Dana Young releases a pair of new ads for SD 18 re-election bid