Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Martin DyckmanMay 25, 2015

The obituaries for Helen Gordon Davis correctly recounted what one called her “trailblazing” career in the Florida Legislature, where in 1974 she became one of very few women – the first from Hillsborough County – in what a colleague famously called “the land of the Bubbas.” She weathered the sexism and condescension and compiled a […]

Martin DyckmanMay 25, 2015

The obituaries for Helen Gordon Davis correctly recounted what one called her “trailblazing” career in the Florida Legislature, where in 1974 she became one of very few women – the first from Hillsborough County – in what a colleague famously called “the land of the Bubbas.” She weathered the sexism and condescension and compiled a […]

Guest AuthorMarch 29, 2015

I tend to believe systems self-regulate towards maintaining equilibrium. However, for the first time, I am starting to ponder, “Is America’s current two party system heading towards collapse?” A simple definition of complex systems is a system comprised of many, diverse actors who have interdependent relationships providing feedback and adapting in an ever-changing landscape. We all can agree, […]

Mark FerruloJanuary 14, 2015

The new Legislature has been sworn in. At their swearing-in, members took an oath of office, placed their hands on a Bible and promised to uphold the Florida Constitution. Legislatures have tinkered in nefarious ways with voter-passed constitutional amendments in the past, but this new Legislature must do the right thing when implementing Amendment 1, […]

Mark FerruloJanuary 13, 2015

The new Legislature has been sworn in. At their swearing-in, members took an oath of office, placed their hands on a Bible and promised to uphold the Florida Constitution. Legislatures have tinkered in nefarious ways with voter-passed constitutional amendments in the past, but this new Legislature must do the right thing when implementing Amendment 1, […]

Guest AuthorDecember 22, 2014

Clinton and a Bush are gearing up for a run at the White House. Is it 1990 or 2014? Congress is under Republican control with a Democrat in the White House. Is it 1946, 1994 or 2014? A Republican is heading to Florida’s Governor’s Mansion after just half of registered voters turned out to vote. […]

Martin DyckmanOctober 19, 2014

The term limits initiative that Florida voters put into the Constitution in 1992 was one of the most popular issues ever, passing with 3,625,500 “yes” votes to only 1,097,127 against it. But what it has done to the Legislature makes it one of the costliest mistakes in Florida history. The voters deserve an opportunity to […]

Peter SchorschJuly 2, 2014

In a one-two punch from the Tampa Bay Times, columnists John Romano and Daniel Ruth both blame the lack of competitive legislative races this election cycle on the redistricting process. They believe gerrymandering has turned the system into an anti-Democratic incumbent protection plan. There’s no denying the lack of competitive (never mind interesting) legislative races […]

Martin DyckmanJune 23, 2014

Politicians have been known to crack jokes about elections that lacked for any candidates. That’s extremely rare, but it has happened. The likelier event is an election without voters, and there’s nothing funny about it. When qualifying for state offices closed in Florida last week, more than a third of the candidates for the Legislature […]

Guest AuthorJune 22, 2014

Thanks to modern pharmacology, to the eternal relief of couples everywhere, his erectile dysfunction may be due to decreased blood flow, not age, and treatable — or so the advertising claims. And, happily, with judicious pill-popping they may be back in the sack to marital (or whatever) bliss, their only major fear being that an […]

Tag: gerrymandering

Martin Dyckman: Helen Gordon Davis, an early victim of racial gerrymandering in Florida

Martin Dyckman: Helen Gordon Davis an early victim of racial gerrymandering in Florida

Alex Patton: Is America's two-party system heading toward collapse?

Mark Ferrulo: Don’t slap Amendment 1 voters in the face

Mark Ferrulo: Don't slap Amendment 1 voters in the face

Mark Pafford: Florida Democrats will stay focused on our key issues

Martin Dyckman: Elect Crist if you want to fix the mess created by term limits

Peter Schorsch: Don’t blame gerrymandering for lack of competitive races

Martin Dyckman: Gerrymandering, campaign money killing Florida elections

Stephen Goldstein: Boycotts are the cure for Florida’s Electoral Dysfunction