Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMay 14, 2018

U.S. Rep. Al Lawson hinted earlier this month about a swath of endorsements from his Florida Democratic colleagues in Congress. On Monday he delivered. In total, eight endorsements came his way: U.S. Reps. Darren Soto, Val Demings. Charlie Crist, Kathy Castor, Lois Frankel, Ted Deutch, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Frederica Wilson. “I am humbled to receive […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 3, 2018

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Al Lawson talked to Jacksonville media about his congressional campaign against former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown. Lawson and Brown both qualified this week, setting up a primary election that matches up a Tallahassee politician against a Jacksonville pol in the race for the Democratic nomination in Florida’s sprawling 5th Congressional District. Lawson said […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 30, 2018

Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown launched his campaign for Florida’s 5th Congressional District on Saturday morning at the IBEW Hall in Jacksonville — the same place he began his first mayoral campaign eight years ago. “They said it wouldn’t happen,” Brown said of that 2011 race. “Let’s do it again.” The location, where the Duval […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 20, 2018

Alvin Brown, the former Jacksonville mayor running in the Democratic Primary for Florida’s 5th Congressional District, may be positioning himself to do the unthinkable and capsize incumbent U.S. Rep. Al Lawson. Brown enjoyed a two-to-one fundraising advantage during the first quarter of 2018: $167,088 to $83,866. Lawson had $100,000 cash on hand at the end […]

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) […]

Tag: Florida’s 5th Congressional District

Florida congressional Democrats fall in behind Al Lawson’s re-election bid

Al Lawson confident in campaign against ‘failed’ Alvin Brown

Alvin Brown’s congressional campaign kick-off has familiar cadence, leaves unanswered questions

Is Al Lawson in trouble? Re-election to Congress may be in doubt

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