Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJuly 1, 2016

America celebrates its 240th birthday Monday, and the 40th anniversary of the Bicentennial. I was a relatively young kid who doesn’t have a whole lot of recollection of that particular day (other than our family was on vacation someplace in Northern California), but I certainly do remember the yearlong hype into that summer. Two days […]

Mitch PerryJune 30, 2016

Battling in an extremely competitive election this fall against Lisa Montelione, House District 63 Republican Rep. Shawn Harrison has procured another Democrat to back his re-election campaign. It’s former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco. “I’ve had the honor to serve our city and region for four terms as mayor, over several decades. During that time, I’ve had the privilege to work with […]

Mitch PerryNovember 11, 2015

The odds were stacked against him last night, and there were many who were writing him off before last night’s debate. And yet he had a breakthrough performance at the GOP’s 4th presidential debate in Milwaukee. Jeb Bush? No, Rand Paul. Paul’s been down so far this election cycle that the only stories you seem […]

Ryan RayJune 26, 2015

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn spoked to about 100 members of the Capital City Tiger Bay Club in Tallahassee early on Friday afternoon, where he told a North Florida crowd about his mayoral, ideology-free vision for the state as a whole. The visit stoked speculation back home that the mayor — re-elected virtually without opposition this […]

Mitch PerryMay 18, 2015

In a letter published on Sunday in The Tampa Tribune’s editorial section, Tampa House District 63 Republican Shawn Harrison writes that he is “open to a plan for private health coverage that draws down federal dollars with reasonable review, opt-out and sunset provisions included. Perhaps that can be some trial version of the Senate plan. “ […]

Mitch PerryApril 24, 2015

Although most people decry negative advertising in political campaigns, strategists say they work, which is why no matter how odious it is to the average voter, it’s not going away anytime soon. Whether that’s accurate or not, one veteran Florida Republican political strategist admitted at Friday’s Tampa Tiger Bay Club meeting that such advertising can suppress […]

Mitch PerryApril 24, 2015

Although most people dislike negative advertising in political campaigns, strategists say they work, which is why no matter how odious it is to the average voter, it’s not going away anytime soon. Whether that’s accurate or not, one veteran Florida Republican political strategist admitted at Friday’s Tampa Tiger Bay Club meeting that such advertising can suppress […]

Mitch PerryMarch 24, 2015

Tuesday night’s election finale between Jackie Toledo and Guido Maniscalco took a stunning turn at about 7:20 p.m. After the first results from early and absentee balloting showed Toledo holding on to an 8 percentage point lead over Maniscalco, the ballots cast on Election Day itself showed Maniscalco making a major turnaround. By 8 p.m. […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 27, 2015

What a difference four years make. On March 1, 2011, Bob Buckhorn and his supporters crammed into JJ’s Cafe and Bar in Ybor City, fingers crossed, hoping he would make it into the run-off election three weeks later. He did, barely, getting 384 more votes than Dick Greco. Flash forward three weeks later, and Buckhorn […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 16, 2015

Bob Buckhorn won’t be refunding money to contributors after all. The Tampa mayor appeared to be on his way to winning re-election automatically today, as no other man or woman had filed to oppose him — until late yesterday afternoon. But that’s when a write-in candidate by the name of Jose Vasquez qualified for the race, though he […]

Tag: Dick Greco
Elizabeth Martinez Strauss. Image via campaign.

Mitch Perry Report for 7.1.16 — The wheels of justice move excruciatingly slow

Dick Greco is backing Shawn Harrison in the HD 63 race

Mitch Perry Report for 11.11.15 – The return of Rand Paul to the GOP presidential race

Bob Buckhorn makes centrist pitch before Capital Tiger Bay Club

Shawn Harrison a rare GOP House member “open” to Medicaid expansion plan

GOP consultant at Tampa Tiger Bay admits that negative advertising helps suppress the vote

GOP consultant at Tampa Tiger Bay admits negative advertising suppresses vote

Jackie Toledo says not only did she lose, but Tampa did as well

Bob Buckhorn ready to party on Election Night

Bob Buckhorn gets an opponent — sort of — to run against for re-election