Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschNovember 9, 2015

The state Senate’s Republican members will meet Dec. 2 to formally select state Sen. Joe Negron as Senate President-designate for the 2016-18 Legislative Term. Senate President Andy Gardiner announced the move in a Monday press release, making official what FloridaPolitics.com first reported last week: That state Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican, had ceded the race to […]

Peter SchorschNovember 5, 2015

The bitter race between Jack Latvala and Joe Negron for the Florida Senate presidency has come to an end. “I am withdrawing from the race for Senate President,” said Latvala, a Clearwater Republican, in an exclusive to FloridaPolitics.com. “I am supporting Joe Negron for Senate President.” The deal for Latvala? “I will be Appropriations Chairman,” […]

Drew WilsonNovember 3, 2015

A conservative group came out against Gov. Rick Scott’s economic incentives plan Tuesday, deriding it as corporate welfare and saying it lacks transparency. Americans for Prosperity Florida director Chris Hudson said his group agreed with Scott’s call for broad-based tax cuts at his 2015 State of the State address, as well as his statement that […]

Drew WilsonNovember 3, 2015

A trio of bills that would help disabled Floridians find employment and manage their personal finances cleared their Senate committee stops Tuesday, all with unanimous votes. The bills – SB 376, SB 388 and SB 7010 – are collectively known as the “cradle to career pathway” in the upper chamber, an initiative aimed at improving […]

Peter SchorschNovember 2, 2015

When Jack Latvala isn’t pulling in a six-figure monthly haul for his political committee, it would appears he’s hard at work pulling in a six-figure monthly haul for his re-election campaign. Latvala’s campaign has pulled in $172,752 in the first 19 days it was in operation, and only spent $6,090, leaving his campaign account with $166,662 cash […]

Drew WilsonOctober 31, 2015

Early committee finance numbers for Republican Sens. Jack Latvala and Joe Negron show the two rivals for Senate President are as close as ever in fundraising. Latvala’s outfit, Florida Leadership Committee, entered October with a little more than $1.6 million on-hand, and the committee should get a little boost above that mark once final reports […]

Peter SchorschOctober 29, 2015

Did Don Gaetz really say what he said on Wednesday? Did he really apologize for not putting people under oath when his Senate – for the first time in memory – had to plead guilty to violating the Constitution? Did he really use a point of personal privilege to give a speech that should have […]

Gary FineoutOctober 29, 2015

Amid an ugly political brawl in which one senator publicly accused another of being a bully, the Florida Senate on Wednesday narrowly approved a new map for the state’s 40 senate districts. But some senators predicted shortly after the 22-18 vote that the proposal may not pass the Republican-controlled Florida House. That’s because the Senate […]

Jim RosicaOctober 28, 2015

For the first time in recent memory, a sitting Florida senator invoked the Senate Rules during a floor session to call out a colleague specifically for impugning his integrity. State Sen. Don Gaetz, a Niceville Republican and previous Senate President, raised a “question of personal privilege” to defend his honor against attacks made in the press […]

Jim RosicaOctober 27, 2015

The “coalition plaintiffs” in the state Senate redistricting challenge announced Tuesday night they were submitting their own redrawn district map – weeks after the chairman of the chamber’s redistricting panel invited them to participate in the map-making process. The Senate set up its own map on Tuesday for a Wednesday vote, one that combines a version of South Florida districts […]

Tag: Jack Latvala
State Sen. Vic Torres at U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost event before the collapse. Photo via Jacob Ogles.

Joe Negron to be formally voted Senate President next month

Jack Latvala ends Senate presidency bid, will support Joe Negron, and be Appropriations chief

Americans for Prosperity blasts Rick Scott’s economic incentive plan as “risky”

Senate committee approves 3 “cradle to career” bills

Jack Latvala raises more than $172K in first 19 days of re-election campaign

Fundraising reports show Senate rivals Jack Latvala, Joe Negron close as ever

On Don Gaetz, Jack Latvala, and bullies

What’s next after Florida Senate narrowly approves new Senate map

Don Gaetz strikes back against ‘bully’ Jack Latvala

Plaintiffs now say they’re filing their own Senate district map