Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJune 5, 2017

In 2016, Democrats targeted a handful of Florida House districts they believed they could flip from red to blue. One of them was Hillsborough County’s House District 63, where the Florida Democratic Party put some money behind Lisa Montelione in her bid to oust Republican incumbent Shawn Harrison. After a close race, Harrison ultimately prevailed, 51 to 49 […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 20, 2017

Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee Chair Ione Townsend says that while the local party takes pride in the smooth transition of power that will take place on Friday, she says they are united in holding Donald Trump accountable for the policies and programs in plans for the American public. In a statement released just hours before Trump succeeds Barack Obama as […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 13, 2017

Blame it on the fog of internal byzantine party rules, but Alan Clendenin remains eligible for Florida Democratic Party chair. Late Friday afternoon, this website reported that Clendenin was ineligible to compete in Saturday’s vote, after an FDP subcommittee voted to accept a complaint filed against him regarding his move last month from Hillsborough County to Bradford County to make himself eligible […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 11, 2017

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson has made it clear what had been strongly rumored for the past month now – he’s firmly behind Coconut Grove real estate developer and Democratic party donor Stephen Bittel in the race for the Florida Democratic Party Chair position. “I have known Stephen Bittel for over 30 years and believe he will be an extraordinary Chair of […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 10, 2017

Coconut Grove real estate developer and major political donor Stephen Bittel rolled out a list of new endorsements of bid for Florida Democratic Party chair on Monday, including South Florida congressional members Ted Deutch, Lois Frankel, and Alcee Hastings . Also backing Bittel is Janet Cruz, the House Minority Leader from Tampa, which also is the (once and former) home of Alan Clendenin, who […]

Mitch PerryDecember 9, 2016

When it comes to drama with their upcoming party reorganization meetings taking place next week, Pinellas County Republicans and Democrats have nothing on their Hillsborough County brethren. This coming Monday night, the local executive committees for the Republican and Democratic Parties in Pinellas County will be voting for their party leaders, and in both cases, […]

Mitch PerryDecember 8, 2016

For the #NeverTrumper Republicans out there, this Trump presidency might work out pretty well, after all. Jeb Bush was seen doing cartwheels after Trump selected Betty DeVos to become his Secretary of Education. “I’m so excited,” Bush said last week at the National Summit on Education Reform, sponsored by the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which Bush founded and chairs and […]

Mitch PerryDecember 7, 2016

“Image is everything” that great philosopher, Andre Agassi, once said in a series of television ads for Canon in the early 1990’s. Though a bit of an exaggeration, there’s no question that the image of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee has taken a significant body blow following its reorganization meeting on Monday night. To recap: Party Chair Ione Townsend concluded that the party’s by-laws […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2016

After a rough start, Hillsborough County Democrats re-elected Ione Townsend as party chair Monday night. A raucous first 50 minutes of the group’s reorganization meeting culminated in five Tampa City Council members and two Hillsborough County school board members leaving the hall in disgust when they were not allowed to participate in the Democratic Executive […]

Mitch PerryDecember 2, 2016

Viewed from a certain angle, the Democratic Party resembles a smoking pile of rubble in the wake of last month’s general election. Not only will Donald Trump become president in less than two months, but the Senate and House (and soon the Supreme Court) are in Republican control. Instead of giving up, however, there appears to be […]

Tag: Ione Townsend
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

Bob Buckhorn crosses party lines to help Shawn Harrison’s bid for re-election

Hillsborough County Democratic Party says they are united in holding Donald Trump accountable

Subcommittee accepts complaint against Alan Clendenin, but he remains eligible for Fla. Dem Chair

Bill Nelson now officially backing Stephen Bittel to lead Florida Democrats

Janet Cruz among those backing Stephen Bittel’s bid for Florida Democratic Party leadership post

Pinellas GOP, Democrats poised to elect party leaders this Monday night

Mitch Perry Report for 12.8.16 – Al Gore gets punk’d

Mitch Perry Report for 12.7.16 – The Hillsborough County DEC melts down

Uproar at Hillsborough DEC meeting; City Council, School Board members leave in disgust

By-law change adds controversy to Monday night’s Hillsborough DEC election