Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersNovember 8, 2016

State Sen. Darren Soto’s dream of becoming the first Puerto Rican member of Congress from Florida became reality Tuesday when he swept aside an underfunded Republican opponent in what is now clearly Florida’s first Puerto Rican-dominated congressional district. Early returns based on early voting and mail-in voting, gave Soto an insurmountable lead over Republican nominee […]

Scott PowersNovember 7, 2016

Democratic Florida State Sen. Darren Soto has received the endorsement of President Barack Obama for Florida’s 9th Congressional District. Soto faces Republican nominee Wayne Liebnitzky in CD 9, which covers southern Orange County, Osceola County, and eastern Polk County. “Darren will be the kind of progressive leader we need to build on all of the […]

Scott PowersNovember 4, 2016

The United Farm Workers and one of its founders, legendary organizer and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, have jointly endorsed state Sen. Darren Soto‘s bid for Congress in Florida’s 9th Congressional District, his campaign announced. For Huerta, whose activism and organizing date to her being an organizing partner of César Chávez in the 1950s and […]

Scott PowersNovember 4, 2016

Democratic nominee Darren Soto has collected $42,200 in large checks for his bid to be elected in the Orlando-based Florida’s 9th Congressional District since he filed his last full campaign finance report stating he had raised $1 million overall and had $83,000 in the bank. Soto’s opponent, Republican nominee Wayne Liebnitzky has neither the starting […]

Scott PowersSeptember 20, 2016

A new television commercial from the House Majority PAC and airing in the Orlando market, blames U.S. Rep. John Mica for Congress’s failures to pass budgets and says Democratic challenger Stephanie Murphy endorses the “no-budget, no-pay” proposal for salaries. Mica’s campaign responded by declaring the ad has most of its facts wrong, and said it […]

Scott PowersSeptember 15, 2016

Personal financial disclosure statements for candidates in Florida’s 9th Congressional District race show the professional interests of Democratic lawyer Darren Soto and Republican tool business owner Wayne Liebnitzky say it all. Soto, a state senator from Orlando, lists no assets other than his and his wife’s retirement accounts and his law practice, Darren Soto Law […]

Scott PowersSeptember 9, 2016

Republican congressional nominee Wayne Liebnitzky may be an Osceola County resident, but he’s hoping for surprisingly strong showings in Orange and Polk counties to carry him to what would be an upset win over Democratic state Sen. Darren Soto in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. Liebnitzky, a St. Cloud businessman who decisively won the Republican primary […]

Scott PowersAugust 31, 2016

Don’t expect U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson to offer any support to fellow Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy in what is likely to be a brutal U.S. Senate contest with Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. “Absolutely not,” Grayson told FloridaPolitics.com Wednesday, before accusing Murphy of running “possibly the dirtiest campaign that Florida has ever seen” and […]

Scott PowersAugust 30, 2016

State Sen. Darren Soto took perhaps the biggest step Tuesday in his quest to become the first Hispanic from Central Florida and the first Puerto Rican from the state to be elected to Congress by rolling toward victory the Democratic primary in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. St. Cloud businessman Wane Liebnitzky, who easily won the Republican […]

Associated PressAugust 30, 2016

Even though he’s not running for re-election, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson has very personal connections to the campaign in his Florida district. His new wife is facing off against his former district director for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Congressional District at the end of the month, and they also face a state senator […]

Tag: Florida’s 9th Congressional District
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 11/19/24-Sen. Barbara Sharief, D-Miramar, takes the oath of office during reorganizational session, Tuesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Darren Soto wins CD 9, gives Florida its first Puerto Rican congressman

After warming up for Barack Obama, Darren Soto announces his endorsement in CD 9

United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta endorse Darren Soto in CD 9

Darren Soto draws $42K in big checks in closing weeks of CD 9 race

New PAC ad says Stephanie Murphy endorses no-budget no-pay in Congress

CD 9 personal financials: Darren Soto’s law practice and Wayne Liebnitzky’s tools business dominate

Wayne Liebnitzky eyeing Polk-Orange path in CD 9 race

Alan and Dena Grayson blame losses on ‘sewer money,’ don’t rule out political comebacks

Wayne Liebnitzky, Darren Soto to face off in CD 9

Alan Grayson looms large in race to succeed him in U.S. House