Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersNovember 8, 2016

Amy Mercado and Carlos Guillermo Smith — two former chairs of the Orange County Democrats — will be entering the Florida House of Representatives after easy victories over independent candidates Tuesday. Mercado replaces her father, Victor Torres, in representing Florida House District 48. Torres was elected to the Florida Senate Tuesday in Senate District 15. Smith wins Florida […]

Scott PowersSeptember 22, 2016

Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords of Arizona and her husband former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly plan to kick off a 13-state tour in Orlando next week to push for gun law reforms. Giffords, critically injured and nearly killed in a 2011 shooting rampage in Tuscon, Ariz., and Kelly, a retired Navy captain who was commander […]

Associated PressAugust 28, 2016

The more than 430 fundraisers posted on the GoFundMe website after the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando have exposed weaknesses inherent in these popular do-it-yourself charity campaigns: waste, questionable intentions and little oversight. The fundraisers — an average of more than four for each of the 49 killed and 53 wounded — […]

Scott PowersAugust 15, 2016

This is the year that Central Florida gays step boldly into the political spotlight, joining an increasingly large outpouring of gay candidates statewide. Four openly gay Orlando-area Democratic candidates are running for election in federal and state races this year; Valleri Crabtree in Florida’s 9th Congressional District centered in south Orlando and Kissimmee; Bob Poe in […]

Scott PowersAugust 12, 2016

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who’s faced a torrent of criticism this week for agreeing to speak at a conservative Christian conference that included others with harsh gay-bashing rhetoric, used his pulpit there Friday to urge love for the gay community. “I want to be clear with you, abandoning judgment and loving our LGBT neighbors is not a […]

Scott PowersAugust 11, 2016

After having promised to help following the Pulse massacre, U.S. Sen Marco Rubio has turned his back on Orlando’s pain and added to it by appearing at a controversial conference laced with anti-gay speakers, protesters charged outside that conference Thursday. “Shame on you Marco!” was a message repeated by speaker after speaker, including by Barbara […]

Mitch PerryJuly 7, 2016

If you remember when we first heard about the tea party in early 2009, its supporters talked about having a pox on both houses — that is, they felt Republicans and Democrats were part of the same dirty cesspool that is Washington, D.C. A lot of things have changed since then, but I became a bit […]

Mitch PerryJuly 6, 2016

An online fundraiser for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting set up by Equality Florida has raised more than $7 million. The group, the primary statewide organization advocating for gay and lesbian rights in Florida, launched the GoFundMe.com site shortly after the shooting massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people and injured dozens more took […]

Brendan FarringtonJune 23, 2016

Florida’s Key West is one of the most gay-friendly places in the country. The Florida Panhandle – many locals call it the Redneck Riviera – is a different story. The massacre of 49 people in a gay nightclub happened between these extremes, forcing many Floridians to reconsider their assumptions about the state’s evolving culture. Key […]

Associated PressJune 18, 2016

The largest fundraising arm for the victims of the Pulse nightclub attack reversed course Friday and will now distribute millions of dollars directly to families and survivors instead of through nonprofit agencies. The OneOrlando fund’s decision underscores the complexities of distributing huge amounts of money donated from people and businesses desperate to give some solace […]

Tag: Equality Florida
Gabrielle Russon

Amy Mercado, Carlos Guillermo Smith win Florida House seats

Gabby Giffords, Mark Kelly, to kick off anti-gun tour in Orlando

Scams, waste loom as charity millions donated after Orlando shooting

The year of the openly gay candidate in Central Florida and other parts of Florida

Marco Rubio uses forum at Christian conference to call for love of gay community

Orlando’s LGBT community calls shame on Marco Rubio

Mitch Perry Report for 7.7.16 — Tea Party Patriots heart Marco Rubio

Equality Florida’s Pulse Victims Fund surpasses $7 million

From Key West to Pensacola, Florida’s LGBT attitudes differ

OneOrlando fund changes course, will give money to victims