Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschDecember 29, 2017

‘Tis the season, and the Legislature’s dubious Christmas present this year was moving up the 2018 Legislative Session two months from its usual March start date. We will no doubt have many gifts in store, besides the inevitable policy food fights, such as perhaps seeing some lawmakers in their ugly holiday sweaters (the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts “sunny, turning warm” for […]

Drew WilsonDecember 18, 2017

Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis picked up an endorsement for his mayoral campaign from LGBTQ rights group Equality Florida. Equality Florida announced the endorsement in a Friday email, with senior Political Director Joe Saunders calling Trantalis’ mayoral run “an unprecedented opportunity to elect a true champion for our LGBTQ community.” “When he’s elected, Dean […]

Mitch PerryNovember 30, 2017

Like his father, state Rep. Chris Latvala of Clearwater is a proud Republican who doesn’t always toe the GOP line – a contrarian streak which sometimes gets him into trouble. Not that Latvala, son of longtime state Sen. Jack Latvala, is that worried about that perception. “My grade with the NRA is a ‘D.’ And I’m proud of […]

Drew WilsonNovember 7, 2017

St. Petersburg voters chose Tuesday to give Mayor Rick Kriseman a second term and keep City Councilmember Darden Rice in place for another four years, both of which were cheered by LGBTQ rights group Equality Florida. “Tonight the LGBTQ community in Tampa Bay saw two of its most vocal champions re-elected for a second term. […]

Scott PowersOctober 30, 2017

The political committee for Florida’s largest LGBTQ public policy organization is endorsing Anna Eskamani in Florida’s House District 47. Equality Florida Action Political Action Committee announced Eskamani’s endorsement as the group’s first in the 2018 election cycle, noting that HD 47 is home to both a large lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, as […]

Mitch PerryOctober 24, 2017

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Former Raymond James Board Chair and CEO Tom James, Equality Florida’s Nadine Smith and two Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer players are featured in a two-minute, forty-second video intended to woo Amazon to the Tampa Bay-area for its second headquarters. Dozens of cities across the country had a Thursday deadline to submit their bid to land the […]

Tamara LushAugust 9, 2017

When 49 people were killed at a gay nightclub in Florida in 2016, Gov. Rick Scott publicly offered his sympathy to the victims’ families and the LGBT community. “These are individuals. Let’s love every one of them,” he said then. Behind the scenes, gay rights advocates say his staffers went a step further, promising to […]

Mitch PerryAugust 9, 2017

Joe Saunders, who along with David Richardson, became the first openly gay member of the Florida Legislature in 2012, is rejoining Equality Florida as its new senior political director. In his new position, Saunders will lead the organization’s civic engagement programs, pro-LGBTQ mobilization efforts, and electoral programs. “I can’t think of a more important place to […]

Mitch PerryJune 12, 2017

In a statement proclaiming Monday as “Pulse Remembrance Day,” Gov. Rick Scott described the Pulse nightclub shooting that killed 49 people a year ago as “an attack on Orlando, our state, the Hispanic community and on the LGBTQ community.” Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, the leading advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Florida, is “glad” Scott […]

Scott PowersMay 12, 2017

Florida’s largest LGBT advocacy group Equality Florida is launching a #HonorThemWithAction campaign in advance of the June 12 commemoration of people killed, wounded and affected by the Pulse nightclub massacre. The effort at this point aims at creating online rallying opportunities for people interested in contributing time and action to the myriad events being planned for June […]

Tag: Equality Florida
Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Image via Visit Florida.

The 12 Days of Christmas, as brought to you by these Florida lobbyists and politicos

Equality Florida backing Dean Trantalis for Fort Lauderdale mayor

Chris Latvala goes to class

Equality Florida celebrates Rick Kriseman, Darden Rice wins

Equality Florida endorses Anna Eskamani in HD 47 race

Tampa Bay’s Amazon pitch features LGBT leader Nadine Smith, Rowdies players

Lawmaker: Governor’s office broke promise to LGBTQs

Joe Saunders back at Equality Florida as senior political director

On Pulse anniversary, Equality Florida calls Rick Scott to ban LGBTQ discrimination statewide

Equality Florida launches Pulse commemorative action campaign