Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiApril 16, 2018

Rep. John Rutherford, the Jacksonville Republican representing Florida’s 4th Congressional District, now has $300,000 in the bank for his re-election campaign. Rutherford had not been aggressively fundraising before the just-concluded quarter. Rutherford ended 2017 with $183,748 on hand. Among interesting donors for Rutherford: Jacksonville donor Peter Rummell, who recently stated that he would only give […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 8, 2018

Rontel Batie is not the incumbent in the Democratic primary in Florida’s 5th Congressional District; that’s Al Lawson. Nor is he the former mayor of the biggest city in the district: that’s Alvin Brown. Nonetheless, Batie (who carried a meager $4,314 cash on hand out of 2017, compared to Lawson’s $100,531), asserts that “this race is far […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 30, 2018

As Florida Politics predicted since Corrine Brown‘s legal fate was still in doubt, former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown is making his move. Less than 24 hours after the former Democratic congresswoman reported to prison, Brown declared to the Florida Times-Union that he was running for Corrine Brown’s old seat. “These challenging times call for each of us to stand […]

Phil AmmannJune 4, 2017

It’s June, finally. And despite the Jacksonville City Council taking a week off, the political scene in Northeast Florida is heating up. One congressional incumbent launched his re-election campaign, while a former Clintonista is mulling her own run in a district just south of Duval County. Sen. Bill Nelson came through the region to talk […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 20, 2017

Democratic Rep. Al Lawson will begin the week in Jacksonville, ascertaining the priorities of the eastern flank of Florida’s far-flung Congressional District 5. Lawson plans to spend Monday through Wednesday working in town, with the following tentative itinerary. Monday will see Lawson working out of his new Jacksonville office on N. Davis Street in LaVilla. He will […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 8, 2016

Northeast Florida will have a completely new Congressional delegation in January, as the Associated Press has called the races in its two districts, and both were won by candidates looking to bridge the partisan divide. As widely expected, Republican John Rutherford downed Democrat David Bruderly in the 4th Congressional District: 280,319 to 110,257 (70 percent to 28 percent) […]

A.G. GancarskiNovember 3, 2016

Congressional District 5 residents and interested parties will have to be in Tallahassee to party with Al Lawson on Election Night. However, to donate to the campaign, one can be anywhere. And Lawson, a veteran legislator and professional lobbyist, has proven adept at securing capital. From Oct. 20 to Nov. 3, Lawson has secured $59,400 in […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 31, 2016

The race between Republican Glo Smith and Democrat Al Lawson in Florida’s 5th Congressional District has defied traditional partisan contours down the stretch. Smith, appearing on WJXT’s “This Week in Jacksonville” Sunday, positioned herself less as a Republican than as the sole impediment to Tallahassee controlling the traditionally Jacksonville-based seat. Smith alluded to having productive […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 26, 2016

With less than two weeks to go until the last votes are cast in the race to replace Rep. Corrine Brown in Florida’s 5th Congressional District, Democrat Al Lawson and Republican Glo Smith continue raising money. Of the two candidates, Lawson is showing more strength down the stretch. Lawson raised $21,000 between Oct. 20 and Oct. 24, highlighted […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 24, 2016

With time running short in the battle to succeed Corrine Brown as the representative from Florida’s 5th Congressional District, both Republican Glo Smith and Democrat Al Lawson continue to raise money. Smith, who had $11,908 on hand as of her October quarterly report, nearly doubled that sum via five donations made between Oct. 22-24 totaling $11,100. Lawson, meanwhile, had almost […]

Tag: Florida’s 5th Congressional District
Image via AP.

John Rutherford now has more than $300K for re-election bid

Congressional candidate Rontel Batie: ‘This race is far from over’

Al Lawson on Alvin Brown: ‘We’re going to retire him’

Jacksonville Bold for 6.2.17 — Summer Slam

Al Lawson begins week in Jacksonville, will visit Eureka Garden

New bipartisan era begins for Jacksonville in U.S. Congress

Al Lawson enjoys five-to-one money edge over Glo Smith in CD 5 race

Al Lawson expands cash lead over Glo Smith in CD 5 race

New money pours in for Al Lawson, Glo Smith in CD 5 race

Glo Smith, Al Lawson continue fundraising in CD 5 contest