Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Melissa RossOctober 7, 2015

Home furnishing giant IKEA has set hearts aflutter in Jacksonville, announcing it plans to start construction next summer and open a new location in Duval County in the fall of 2017. The proposed store will be 294,000 square feet, sited at the intersection of Gate Parkway and I-295 near the St. Johns Town Center. IKEA, […]

Melissa RossOctober 6, 2015

One month, one city, two panels looking at the future of energy, with two very different tones. This October, Jacksonville will host the Florida Energy Summit. The event, sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the JAX Chamber, is billed as “convening energy leaders from across the state and around the nation to share ideas on […]

Melissa RossOctober 5, 2015

It’s presented as the next program in the OneJax Institute’s “Civil Discourse” series. But an upcoming forum on the UNF campus called Gun Control: A Loaded Topic, could get a bit heated. The free event, moderated by UNF president and former Jacksonville mayor John Delaney, will feature both supporters and opponents of the so-called “campus carry” […]

Melissa RossOctober 2, 2015

It’s billed as the first book that examines the Tea Party’s successful “primary” campaign against what the movement has dubbed Republicans in Name Only (RINOs). (Another, less flattering nickname is cuckservative, but that’s a story for another day.) UNF political science professor Ron Libby argues that 2016 is the year the Tea Party has moved […]

Julie DelegalSeptember 30, 2015

A new voice has emerged in the debate about capital punishment, and, in one respect, it echoes a very old one. Marc Hyden is a former field director for the National Rifle Association — sealing forever his street cred as a deep-dyed conservative. His new gig is coordinating a group that rose from the ground up, […]

Melissa RossSeptember 30, 2015

Hillary Clinton may be the Democratic frontrunner in Florida (and nationally), far outstripping all comers in terms of fundraising, organization, name recognition, and campaigning experience. But in terms of sheer enthusiasm and excitement, perhaps the campaign story of 2016 is the grassroots groundswell surging behind Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders has jumped from a meager […]

Melissa RossSeptember 29, 2015

A new poll shared with Florida Politics finds some vulnerabilities for North Florida State Attorney Angela Corey as she seeks re-election, although the questions asked of registered voters in the 4th Circuit appear to be weighted in favor of her challenger, Wes White. The poll, conducted by Central Florida firm Gravis Marketing, used automated telephone […]

Melissa RossSeptember 28, 2015

In an email to constituents, Democratic Sen. Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville says she’s filed a renters protection bill. SB 342 would require a residential agreement to advise that if renters insurance is not required, the renter’s personal belongings will not be covered in the event of damage to their domicile unless they acquire renters insurance. “I am […]

Melissa RossSeptember 23, 2015

North Florida Democrats are pushing back after a report that Rep. Janet Adkins told a group of North Florida GOP activists in a closed-door meeting that the key to defeating U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown is boosting the number of black prisoners in her district. “It’s clear to me that kind of gamesmanship from Rep. Adkins is […]

Melissa RossSeptember 22, 2015

Florida’s a big, complex state. Different cities deal with different issues and often seem like they are on different planets. For example, in conservative Jacksonville the City Council just signed off on a new budget that keeps taxes low and prioritizes public safety, big concerns in Duval. Meanwhile, down in drowning Miami-Dade, Mayor Carlos Gimenez […]

Tag: Jacksonville

IKEA announces plans to open a store in Jacksonville

Jax climate and energy panels: a tale of two conferences

OneJax/UNF forum on gun control timely, tense

Caustic brew: Tea Party “purging” GOP establishment in 2016, says Jax author

Julie Delegal: A new, conservative voice opposes capital punishment

Why Jax Dems say they #FeeltheBern

New poll released in closely watched Jax State Attorney’s race

Email insights: Sen. Audrey Gibson files legislation to protect renters

Duval Dems: Janet Adkins comments on Corrine Brown “exactly what we don’t need in politics today”

Miami-Dade hires “resiliency officer” to fight effects of sea level rise