Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2017

With a bipartisan gathering of other Florida congressional members, Orlando’s former police chief Val Demings, now a congresswoman from Orlando, led the House of Representatives in a moment to remember and honor Orlando’s fallen officers Monday night. “I rise today to honor the lives of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton of the Orlando Police Department and Deputy Norm Lewis […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 6, 2017

With just a couple of weeks before President Obama leaves the White House, Florida’s Democratic congressional delegation apparently has no qualms in not standing by him when it comes to the issue of Israel and their settlements in the Palestinian territories. In a vote Thursday night on a resolution condemning a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterDecember 31, 2016

Everyone expected Florida to play an important role in politics this year. And why wouldn’t they? Presidential hopefuls hailed from here; the state’s electoral votes were coveted; and its Senate race could have determined control of the U.S. Senate. But just like many predictions in 2016, some of the prophecies for Florida’s outsized role on […]

Scott PowersDecember 29, 2016

Story co-written by Orlando-Rising staff reporters Scott Powers and Lawrence Griffin. In Orlando, 2016 will always be remembered as the year of the Pulse gay nightclub massacre, and Pulse redefined everything; but it’s not the only major event to have shaped politics in Orlando during the year. Here are a few events that defined politics […]

Scott PowersDecember 3, 2016

Democratic U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando made what’s likely to be his swan song appearance for now before Orange County Democrats Saturday, thanking them for backing him so he could “do so much good for so many people.” Grayson sought the state Democratic nomination to run for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat but lost, and […]

Scott PowersNovember 30, 2016

An event in Congresswoman-elect Stephanie Murphy‘s infancy keeps redirecting her life, a life that has the 38-year-old business professor heading to Washington to represent Orlando and Central Florida as the first Vietnamese-American woman in Congress. When she was six months old, her family fled Vietnam on a refugee boat. Stephanie, her mother, father, brother, and dozens of mostly […]

Scott PowersNovember 23, 2016

As Orlandoans gather round dinner tables with family and close friends, let us start by being thankful that those of us who can be are there to gather. Let’s give thanks for a community that found comfort, faith, and strength in each others arms during the dawn following our darkest day, and for the commitment […]

Scott PowersNovember 22, 2016

Meeting with a bipartisan roundtable of Puerto Rican leaders in Kissimmee Tuesday, Florida’s Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson expressed both hope that current Puerto Rico “rescue” plans being developed will help, and concern that not all the details they want can be delivered. Nelson, Congressman-elect Darren Soto and Osceola County Commission Chairwoman Viviana Janer met […]

Scott PowersNovember 18, 2016

Of the three new members of Congress elected from Orlando this month, Democrat Darren Soto is the one who’s no mystery to constituents, and still committed to the same agenda he’s pursued for nearly 10 years in the Florida Legislature: a stronger, fairer economy. Soto, 38, an Orlando lawyer, defeated Republican businessman Wayne Liebnitzky for the open […]

Associated PressNovember 9, 2016

Metro Orlando’s future U.S. congressional delegation just became a whole lot more diverse. Voters in central Florida on election night picked an African-American woman, a Puerto Rican man and an Asian-American woman to represent them in Washington. The increased diversity was helped by the redrawing of some congressional districts that made the central Florida districts […]

Tag: Darren Soto

Val Demings, Florida members, lead moment in Congress to remember Orlando’s fallen officers

Florida Democratic congressional delegation overwhelmingly opposes President Obama on U.N. Israeli imbroglio

Infamous dates: The moments that shaped Florida politics in 2016

2016 in Orlando politics: Pulse, outside money, hotel taxes, frogs

Alan Grayson says goodbye to Orange County Democrats, for now

‘The girl rescued at sea’ Stephanie Murphy rides that humanitarian service into Congress

Orlando’s cornucopia of thanks runneth over for area leaders

PROMESA task force seeking to rescue Puerto Rico, but pain will come too, Bill Nelson says

For Darren Soto, it’s still all about a stronger, fairer economy

Orlando’s congressional delegation got a lot more diverse