Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryApril 30, 2015

When he began running countywide as the Democratic challenger to Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair in 2007, Kevin Beckner started out very early. He had to. Very few people in the political community knew him during his debut run for office. Hillsborough County is a huge area to campaign in, plus he was an openly gay […]

Mitch PerryApril 29, 2015

Longtime Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan says he’s considering a run for mayor of Tampa in 2019. “I’m encouraged every day to consider running for either mayor of Tampa or a constitutional seat,” Hagan said Tuesday. Having just been re-elected to his District 5 countywide commission seat last year, he admits he’s not in any […]

Mitch PerryApril 24, 2015

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign will be kicking off a major grassroots organizing effort starting next week, sending staffers to all 50 states in the country to begin building up a network of volunteers to start getting selling the message on a Clinton candidacy. It’s being called the “Ramp up Grassroots Organizing Program,” and will be led […]

Mitch PerryApril 1, 2015

It was over in less than a minute. The much anticipated vote for Tampa City Council chairman was decided quickly Wednesday afternoon, as the newly sworn-in council picked Frank Reddick to be their chairman for the next year. As expected, it was a close vote, with Reddick defeating current chair Charlie Miranda on a 4-3 vote. […]

Mitch PerryMarch 24, 2015

The city of Tampa’s uneventful election season comes to a halt Tuesday night. By 8 p.m. we should have a winner in the only city council race that remains undecided — the District 6 battle between Guido Maniscalco and Jackie Toledo. I hate the overuse of the term “Seinfeld” to describe something as being about […]

Mitch PerryMarch 19, 2015

The Tampa City Council has an election every year to choose a new chair. The majority has chosen the status quo in recent years, continuing to choose longtime member Charlie Miranda as their leader, with nary a vote for the board’s other six members. That lack of leadership diversity has bothered a few members of […]

Mitch PerryMarch 14, 2015

Five of the seven members of the current Tampa City Council have composed a statement expressing their disdain with the negative attacks that keep on coming in the District 6 City Council race between Guido Maniscalco and Jackie Toledo. “While none of us are strangers to the rough and tumble of the political process, we […]

Mitch PerryMarch 3, 2015

The most lackluster campaign that this reporter has covered in his 15 years living in Tampa comes to a conclusion tonight — at least for most of the candidates vying to win the five Tampa City Council seats up for election. There’s not much drama. Though there has been a lot of coverage of the […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 25, 2015

Tuesday night’s Tampa Bay Young Republicans City Council forum was the last official scheduled campaign forum of the 2015 campaign season, and while District 1 candidate Susan Long said she couldn’t recall a comment she made at an earlier debate because “there’s been so many of them,” the fact is that this was a relatively light […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 25, 2015

Tuesday night’s Tampa Bay Young Republicans City Council forum was the last official scheduled campaign forum of the 2015 campaign season, and while District 1 candidate Susan Long said she couldn’t recall a comment she made at an earlier debate because “there’s been so many of them,” the fact is that this was a relatively light […]

Tag: Harry Cohen
Image via AP.

Kevin Beckner starts fundraising early for clerk of courts post

Ken Hagan looks at 2019 run for Tampa mayor

Hillary Clinton campaign about to ramp up in Florida

Tampa City Council picks Frank Reddick to be new chairman

Mitch Perry Report for 3.24.15 — Tampa’s election season ends tonight

Tampa Council argues diversity vs. status quo in who will lead

Majority of Tampa City Council members express concern over negativity of District 6 race

Mitch Perry Report for 3.3.15 — Democracy now in Tampa

Tampa City Council candidates talk about favorite Cuban sandwiches & other crucial minutiae

Tampa City Council candidates talk about favorite Cuban sandwiches & other crucial minutiae