Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryNovember 25, 2015

Outgoing Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday immediately restoring voting rights to more than 100,000 ex-felons convicted of nonviolent offenses. “This disenfranchisement makes no sense,” Beshear, a Democrat, said in his announcement. “It makes no sense because it dilutes the energy of democracy, which functions only if all classes and categories of people have a […]

Phil AmmannNovember 18, 2015

Jeb Bush and his supporters have spent more than twice that of any other candidate or outside group on TV ads in the 2016 presidential race. And what does the former Florida governor get for nearly $20 million, asks Mark Murray of NBC News. Apparently, not much. Bush’s poll numbers are currently languishing in the […]

Associated PressNovember 12, 2015

For months, Marco Rubio‘s campaign team in South Carolina operated out of a staffer’s garage, plotting strategy for the first-in-the-South primary from freshly painted yard sale furniture and tiny classroom desks. The shoestring budget setup was a point of pride for the Republican presidential candidate’s team. Now, with Rubio enjoying a burst of momentum as […]

Jac VerSteegNovember 2, 2015

As the prospects for President Jeb Bush fade, his fans should consider a fallback plan: U.S. Sen. Jeb Bush, R-Florida. That goal has many advantages. It allows Jeb to concentrate on a single state, and a state that knows him better than Iowa or New Hampshire. He has higher name recognition in Florida than any […]

Jac VerSteegNovember 1, 2015

As the prospects for President Jeb Bush fade, his fans should consider a fallback plan: U.S. Sen. Jeb Bush, R-Florida. That goal has many advantages. It allows Jeb to concentrate on a single state, and a state that knows him better than Iowa or New Hampshire. He has higher name recognition in Florida than any […]

Associated PressOctober 24, 2015

For months, Jeb Bush‘s campaign insisted it was too early. Too early to worry about the Republican presidential candidate’s sluggish poll numbers. Too early to fret over the rise of unorthodox candidates Donald Trump and Ben Carson. Too early to question if the one-time front-runner is merely a pedestrian candidate. But with just over three […]

Bob SparksOctober 8, 2015

Fifteen months before the presidential election, New Hampshire and Iowa is where the action is. That is true every four years. Winning the nomination and the general election requires a strong performance in several key states. In 2016, the next president will have won at least two of a group of three swing states that […]

Peter SchorschOctober 4, 2015

Earlier this week, POLITICO ran “5 Reasons to Bet $5 on Marco Rubio” and tried to make the case for a path to the presidency for Florida’s talented junior senator. Rubio has had very good showings in the first two debates — the same in which Jeb Bush had performed at what charitably might be called a workmanlike […]

Mitch PerryOctober 1, 2015

Since I’ve been following politics, it’s been a common complaint to question why the two major political parties have allowed two relatively homogenous states like Iowa and New Hampshire to have such an outsized influence in choosing our presidential nominees. And over the past three presidential cycles, invariably there’s been “serious” proposals floated to change the cycle, […]

Associated PressSeptember 30, 2015

With a presidential debate and a contentious appearance in Congress coming, Hillary Rodham Clinton faces an October full of opportunity and risk for her presidential campaign. The former secretary of state has spent months watching her poll numbers sink in crucial early voting states and faced endless questions about her email practices at the State […]

Tag: Iowa

Mitch Perry Report for 11.25.15 — Florida now one of 2 states withholding vote from ex-felons

What does Jeb Bush get for $20 million in TV ad buys? Not much.

Marco Rubio’s low-budget campaign looks to ramp up as voting nears

Jac VerSteeg: What if Jeb Bush ran for U.S. Senate instead?

Jac VerSteeg: What if Jeb ran for U.S. Senate instead?

No longer patient, Jeb Bush backers fret about sluggish campaign

Bob Sparks: When likability and the desire for leadership and experience collide

Peter Schorsch: Is it time to bet on Jeb Bush again?

Mitch Perry Report for 10.1.15 – Will Reince Preibus have the guts to change the GOP presidential primary schedule?

For Hillary Clinton, October presents series of risks and rewards