Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 2, 2017

Now that 2017 is all but upon us — after a tumultuous 2016 electorally — what’s next for Northeast Florida politics? One assurance: unlike in 2016, with a massive electoral turnover in the region’s Washington and Tallahassee delegations, as well as in both the state attorney and public defender offices, 2017 won’t see that. With […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 27, 2016

When 2016 kicked off, the world was different, and our political prognoses reflected those false assurances. We didn’t imagine President Donald Trump on a national level. We figured Hillary Clinton would end up taking on Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio in the general election. And we expected the rhetoric would sound like the previous two or three campaigns. Regarding #jaxpol, we had a pretty good […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 30, 2016

Despite major turnover in the Duval County legislative delegation, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry‘s priorities are largely unchanged. Money for public safety. Money for infrastructure, such as the city’s ongoing septic tank removal project. And one big ask: Curry wants $50 million in state money for Hart Expressway ramp modifications, noting the current setup has outmoded designs and creates […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 4, 2016

Incoming Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry are allies on more issues than not. A year ago, at the Sunshine State Summit, Curry and Corcoran lambasted the “liberal media” as impediments to a conservative governing agenda. Corcoran holds Curry in such high regard he’s even been known to make book recommendations to him. The […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 17, 2016

The race in Jacksonville’s House District 13 has been an oddity since April, when then-incumbent Reggie Fullwood was indicted on federal fraud charges. At first, Fullwood maintained his innocence, beating Tracie Davis and others in the Democratic primary before pleading guilty to two charges, renouncing his candidacy, and resigning his seat. The Duval Democrats chose Davis to replace […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 7, 2016

Word is that it’s going to take a few million dollars to market the Discretionary Sales Surtax referendum, to extend the Better Jacksonville Plan sales tax until 2060 to deal with the unfunded pension liability, to Jacksonville voters. With that long game in mind, the fundraising reports of Build Something That Lasts, Lenny Curry‘s PAC, are […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 28, 2015

David Bauerlein, in The Florida Times-Union, broke the story of Jacksonville’s lobbyists to represent the city in Tallahassee. An internal email from Chief Administrative Officer Sam Mousa delineates how Jacksonville’s strategy will unfold with Marty Fiorentino as the point man. “The mayor has decided to have Marty Fiorentino of the Fiorentino Group to become the lead […]

Peter SchorschNovember 17, 2015

Ballard Partners tops the compensation list for lobbying the Florida Legislature in the third quarter of 2015, bringing in $2.22 million, according to newly released compensation reports. Registered lobbying firms took in almost $32 million in fees — $31,775,000 to be (somewhat) exact — between July and September 2015 to represent clients in front of Florida […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 13, 2015

A strong month of fundraising in October pushed HD 18 incumbent Travis Cummings up to $121,300 in his campaign account. Cummings has spent $30,000, giving him more than $90,000 cash on hand. Three companies associated with the late Jim Moran maxed out for Cummings, as did a lot of Jacksonville power brokers, such as the […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 6, 2015

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Despite running unopposed, Jacksonville Republican Representative Jay Fant understands the importance of fundraising; October, with $19,700 brought in, was his best month in the current cycle. Maxing out: the Jacksonville Association of Firefighters; Florida Blue; John Rood’s Vestcor; Florida Medical Association PAC; Florida CPA PAC; Florida East Coast Industries; the Peyton family’s Gate Petroleum; and […]

Tag: Fiorentino Group

A.G. Gancarski’s 10 predictions for Jacksonville politics in 2017

A.G. Gancarski surveys the wreckage of his 2016 predictions

Jacksonville wants $50M to remove, replace Hart Bridge ramps at sports complex

Despite Richard Corcoran’s opposition, City of Jacksonville will still have lobbyists

Dog track and Republican interests play both sides in HD 13 race

Lenny Curry’s PAC raises, spends big money in February

How the Fiorentino Group will lead Jacksonville lobbying efforts

Firms collect nearly $31 million during Q3 to lobby Florida Legislature

HD 18 incumbent Travis Cummings breaches $120K barrier

HD 15 Rep Jay Fant scores big in October fundraising haul