Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonOctober 15, 2018

Lehigh Acres Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell reeled in another $277,000 for his bid to succeed Adam Putnam as Agriculture Commissioner, but Democratic nominee Nikki Fried kept it competitive with a $218,000 haul for the first week of October. Nearly $97,000 of the fresh receipts reported by Caldwell were deposited in his campaign account, with […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 7, 2018

As September receipts approached a close, Republican Matt Caldwell continued to outraise Democrat Nikki Fried in the race for Agriculture Commissioner. Between his campaign account and his Friends of Matt Caldwell political committee, the North Fort Myers state Representative raised $610,220 between Sept. 22 and 28. Caldwell has $159,128 in his campaign account, and another $595,691 in committee cash, […]

Drew WilsonOctober 1, 2018

A new poll from the Florida Chamber of Commerce brought good news for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, but the three other statewide candidates joining them on the November ballot are also in prime position to topple GOP hegemony. In addition to the U.S. Senate Race and Governor’s, Floridians will […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 28, 2018

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A new poll conducted last week by the Florida Chamber of Commerce shows Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum has increased his lead over Republican opponent Ron DeSantis to 6-points The poll, conducted Sept. 19 through Sept. 24, found the Tallahassee Mayor and his Lieutenant Governor pick, Orlando-area businessman Chris King, with a 48-42 percent lead […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 27, 2018

Shortly after earning the “firm” endorsement of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis took the stage at the 2018 Future of Florida Forum to make his case and lambaste his Democratic opponent, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. “Andrew Gillum has been mayor of Tallahassee for four years. In each of those four […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 27, 2018

Cybersecurity might not be top-of-mind for many businesses, but even an inadvertent data breach can cost millions of dollars and lead to loads of lost business. “The average cost of a data breach is $3.62 million — that’s a worldwide average,” said Eman El-Sheikh, the director of the Center for Cybersecurity at the University of […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 27, 2018

Florida CFO Jimmy Patronis, the only Cabinet member able to run for re-election in the fall, recapped his first year on the job in a Thursday talk at the 2018 Future of Florida Forum. “Just over a year ago Gov. [Rick] Scott called me in June and asked me if I would consider being the […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 26, 2018

The Florida Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday recognized Gov. Rick Scott with its “Spirit of Free Enterprise” award for his “laser-focused” effort to bring jobs to Florida and boost the state’s economy. “I said earlier today that if Florida was a stock, I would buy it,” Florida Chamber CEO Mark Wilson said, adding that he […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 26, 2018

Florida needs to add 1.7 million jobs by 2030, according to new Florida Chamber of Commerce research, but “disruption and transformation” present some unique challenges to meeting that goal. “Eighty percent of the jobs in 2030 don’t exist today,” said former Enterprise Florida chief Gray Swoope, who now heads VisionFirst Advisors. “What are we doing? […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 26, 2018

The Florida Chamber of Commerce kicked off the 2018 Future of Florida Forum with a presentation from its CEO, Mark Wilson, outlining the current climate of Florida and how it could change over the next decade. “Florida is changing. Our economics, our demographics and our politics are all changing, and these changes bring both opportunities […]

Tag: Florida Chamber

Matt Caldwell adds $277K, Nikki Fried $218K in Ag. Commish race

Matt Caldwell stretches fundraising lead in Ag. Commissioner race

Blue wave? Democratic Cabinet nominees up in new Florida Chamber poll

Chamber poll: Andrew Gillum holds 6-point lead over Ron DeSantis

Slamfest: Ron DeSantis lambastes Andrew Gillum at Chamber forum

Cybersecurity training could be a boon for Florida’s future workforce

Jimmy Patronis: Florida is nimble, ready to respond to future challenges

Rick Scott recognized with ‘Spirit of Free Enterprise’ award

Gray Swoope: Rapid change is coming to Florida’s job landscape

Mark Wilson: Florida is changing, and so are its challenges and opportunities