Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan NicolNovember 26, 2018

Democratic state Sen. Lauren Book and GOP state Sen. Manny Diaz are among the newly-named legislative committee chairs hailing from South Florida. Book, who represents Senate District 32, was one of only two Democrats (Tallahassee’s Bill Montford is the other) named to head a committee; she will lead the Committee on Children, Families, and Elder […]

Ryan NicolNovember 6, 2018

State Sen. Gary Farmer has prevailed in the race for Senate District 34 over write-in candidate Richard Hal Sturm. Farmer earned 94 percent of the vote to Sturm’s 6 percent. Farmer was widely expected to hold on to the seat in his matchup against Sturm, who appeared on the ballot as a write-in candidate. The […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 26, 2018

Florida Democrats touted some impressive poll numbers in Republican-leaning state Senate races last week, but now that the sunshine pumping has worn off it looks like there’s some serious flaws in those numbers. To recap, the Florida Democratic Party pointed to a handful of Change Research polls that showed showing Melissa “Mel” Martin leading incumbent Sen. Dorothy […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 25, 2018

Gainesville Democrat Kayser Enneking bested Republican Sen. Keith Perry for the second reporting cycle in a row in the race for Alachua County-based Senate District 8. Enneking, a physician, raked in nearly $51,000 in hard money during the first two weeks of September, replenishing her campaign account after a primary battle that became costly in […]

Scott PowersSeptember 10, 2018

In 2017 the Florida Legislature acknowledged and apologized for one of Florida’s ugliest recorded events of 20th-century racism. Yet barring a late surprise it would be left to the next state government to address the Groveland Four, and all four Democratic Florida Cabinet nominees pledged they would move swiftly, if elected, to issue long-sought pardons. […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 4, 2018

A political committee tied to David Perez, the Democratic nominee in Senate District 36, posted its best fundraising numbers to date for reporting period covering the last week of August. Floridians for Change, chaired by attorney Mark Herron, reeled in $65,000 between Aug. 25 and Aug. 31, bringing its overall fundraising to $231,500 since it […]

Ryan NicolAugust 28, 2018

ELECTION-RESULTS-Gary-Farmer-vs.-Jim-Waldman.jpg

Gary Farmer has lapped Jim Waldman in the Democratic primary for Senate District 34. With 98 of precincts reporting, Farmer ended miles ahead of Waldman, beating him 70 percent to 30 percent. This contest was a rematch of 2016, when Waldman, along with Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed, challenged Farmer for the Democratic nomination. Farmer faced a barrage of […]

Drew WilsonAugust 2, 2018

After more than $200,000 spent on attack ads slamming Fort Lauderdale Sen. Gary Farmer, his lead has only grown in the primary rematch between him and former Rep. Jim Waldman. A tracking poll conducted by SEA Polling & Strategic Design found that as of Aug. 2, the first-term Senator had a 42-14 lead over Waldman […]

Drew WilsonAugust 1, 2018

Democratic state Sen. Gary Farmer’s words are coming back to bite him. As first reported by Florida Politics in March, Farmer and Democratic Sen. Lauren Book were the top two names in contention to succeed current Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson, but things went sideways in the Democratic caucus and Farmer made some sexist remarks […]

Drew WilsonJuly 23, 2018

Former Democratic Rep. Jim Waldman dumped six figures into his Senate District 34 bid, but his self-funding was outpaced by another major haul for incumbent Democratic Sen. Gary Farmer. Waldman’s $150,000 campaign loan was disclosed on his new campaign finance report covering July 7 through July 20. Alongside the loan came another 16 checks, including […]

Tag: Gary Farmer
An adult female loggerhead sea turtle named Pennywise swims in a rehabilitation tank at Loggerhead Marinelife Center on Friday, May 23, 2025, in Juno Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Cody Jackson)

South Florida represents: Lauren Book, Manny Diaz named Senate committee chairs

Gary Farmer cruises to re-election in SD 34

Is faulty polling fueling Florida Democrats’ optimism in Dorothy Hukill-Mel Martin race?

Kayser Enneking bounces back in SD 8 money race

Democrats for Cabinet calling for Groveland Four pardons, Republicans mum

David Perez adds $65K days after winning SD 36 Democratic primary

Gary Farmer wins easy in SD 34

Poll: Attack ads backfiring in Gary Farmer, Jim Waldman rematch

New ads slam Gary Farmer as ‘sexist’ and ‘obnoxious’

Jim Waldman antes up as Gary Farmer piles on committee cash