Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersJuly 12, 2017

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The four Republicans fighting to win the Aug. 15 primary for the empty seat in Florida’s House District 44 began defining their differences in their second major debate, Wednesday night. In a forum cosponsored by the Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida and Business Force, Bruno Portigliatti, Bobby Olszewski, John Newstreet, and Dr. Usha Jain […]

Scott PowersJune 23, 2017

Stark differences of policy positions were evident between the one Democrat and three of the four Republicans running to fill the open Florida House District 44 seat but the differences between the Republicans proved more subtle in a debate Friday, boiling down to who claimed the strongest ownership of particular GOP positions. The debate sponsored […]

Scott PowersJune 15, 2017

Florida’s U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, a third-baseman on the Republican’s baseball team who encountered James Hodgkinson moments before the Illinois Democratic activist shot up the practice field, said Thursday he was skeptical that any changed rhetoric would have stopped the shooter. Appearing on the Morning Joe TV show on MSNBC, DeSantis recounted again, as he did […]

Scott PowersApril 5, 2017

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You get a former prosecutor, a retired judge and a defense attorney together to talk about legal issues underpinning Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala‘s decision to not pursue death penalty prosecutions, and you might expect lively disagreement. But a brawl? A debate in Orlando Wednesday between former 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jeff Ashton and […]

Scott PowersMarch 1, 2017

A gun laws debate featuring staunch 2nd Amendment Republican state Rep. Scott Plakon and irrepressible “common-sense reforms” Democrat state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith boiled down Tuesday night between a demand that fundamental rights should not be abridged without compelling reasons, and expressions of perceived compelling reasons. Plakon, a Longwood Republican who sponsored House Bill 6005, […]

Mitch PerryNovember 2, 2016

Debating for the first time in the state Senate District 18 race, South Tampa Republican Dana Young had her voting record pummeled by her three more-liberal male opponents at the Reeves Theatre on the University of Tampa campus Wednesday. Young has maintained a fairly conservative record in her six years representing House District 60, a record her Democratic first-time […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 27, 2016

Despite running in a heavily Democratic district, Republican Mark Griffin is playing to win in the House District 13 race. Thursday evening represented one of the most potentially pivotal evenings in his campaign against Democrat Tracie Davis, the replacement candidate for Reggie Fullwood, whose name is still on the ballot. Davis and Griffin debated at Jacksonville’s Edward Waters College; in […]

Mitch PerryOctober 27, 2016

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While discussing U.S. policy in Syria during the Senate debate between Marco Rubio and Patrick Murphy in Davie on Wednesday night, Rubio one-upped his Democratic opponent by chiding him for saying that the Kurdish resistance fighters known as the Peshmerga were fighting in Iraq, not Syria. Now a Democratic Representative and Iraq veteran is calling on Rubio to […]

Guest AuthorOctober 26, 2016

Candidates for Florida’s newly drawn Senate District 8 outlined their disparate visions for the future to more than 300 students at a debate held at the University of Florida Tuesday evening. But one thing both men had in common was their choice to lead lives that differ dramatically from the lives their fathers led. “Happiness […]

Peter SchorschOctober 20, 2016

About 30 minutes into Wednesday’s presidential debate, Donald Trump was doing well. He was making points that were rational to both his point of view and that of millions of Americans. I thought his supporters would love his strong answer on abortion, for instance. “I am putting pro-life justices on the (Supreme) court,” Trump said. “I will […]

Tag: debate
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 4/18/25-Candles and remembrances are left near the Unconquered statue a few hours after the Florida State University Gathering of Unity Vigil held Friday to honor victims of the recent mass shooting. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

HD 44 special election Republicans distinguish themselves on self-portrayals

HD 44 special election candidates debate health care, education, marijuana, tourism support

Ron DeSantis on Morning Joe: shooter may have been beyond change

Legal debate over Aramis Ayala’s decision turns into hockey game

Young Dems’ guns debate pits ‘fundamental rights’ versus ‘compelling reasons’

Dana Young’s voting record blasted by her SD 18 opponents in debate

HD 13 debate between Mark Griffin and Tracie Davis starts slowly, then heats up

Iraq veteran says Marco Rubio insulted Kurdish forces in Senate debate

Keith Perry and Rod Smith offer different visions for Florida, while touching on the personal at SD 8 debate

Joe Henderson: Can you say ‘Madam President’?