Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaAugust 10, 2016

Incoming House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz of Tampa has let go two top staffers as she remakes the chamber’s Minority Office. Its staff director, 17-year House veteran Durward Brewer, and communications director Paul Flemming have been released, Cruz said Wednesday. Taking Brewer’s place will be Joe McCann, a lobbyist and former senior VP at the Ballard Partners lobbying firm and a […]

Mitch PerryAugust 2, 2016

As FloridaPolitics.com reported last week, incoming House Minority Leader Janet Cruz is convinced the Democrats can flip six seats from red to blue in the state House elections this fall. To accomplish that ambitious goal, the party has invested resources into some of its competitive primaries this summer, including the House District 59 race between educator Naze Sahebzamani and attorney Rena Frazier. Specifically, the […]

Mitch PerryJuly 29, 2016

Good morning, Well, I’m glad it just started raining in Philadelphia, because I didn’t set an alarm, and a plane awaits to go to whisk me to Tampa in a few hours, so not much time for any insights from this week. Let’s just say this: When Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim-American soldier slain in […]

Mitch PerryJuly 28, 2016

Florida Republicans dominate state government in Tallahassee, and in the state House, it’s not even close. Yet incoming House Minority Leader Janet Cruz says she “conservatively” believes the Democrats can flip six seats this coming fall, and — just as importantly — retain that number in 2018, beginning the party’s journey to finally getting close […]

A.G. GancarskiJuly 27, 2016

Reggie-Fullwood-after-casting-his-vote.-phote-credit-Jeff-Branch-1024x1024.jpg

Florida House District 13 incumbent Democrat Reggie Fullwood was left for dead, politically speaking, not too long ago. With a federal trial on 14 counts pending, Fullwood drew Democratic and Republican challengers alike in his solidly Democratic Jacksonville seat. Now, however, Fullwood appears to have overcome those issues to some degree. After a hearing last week in which […]

Joe HendersonJuly 25, 2016

The Democratic game plan heading into their convention in Philadelphia would seem simple enough. Stay positive, show unity, stay on message, don’t respond to Donald Trump’s tweets, and, by all means, don’t try to scare the bejeebers out of America. Do all that and you should be peachy keen, unless WikiLeaks sends out 19,252 damaging emails […]

Mitch PerryJuly 22, 2016

(UPDATE: Hillary Clinton chose Tim Kaine to be her VP nominee. That occurred shortly after this post was originally written). Hillary Clinton did not name her running mate at a rally in Tampa on Friday afternoon. Although that nonevent was probably the most newsworthy part of her campaign appearance late Friday afternoon at the Florida State Fairgrounds, […]

Mitch PerryJuly 15, 2016

Bad news for folks who were psyched that Tim Tebow was announced on Thursday to be a featured speaker at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Like Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady before him, Tebow became the latest (former) pro quarterback who has disavowed any intentions that he would be speaking at Donald Trump‘s party next […]

Drew WilsonJuly 11, 2016

Democratic Rep. Ed Narain announced Monday that Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Lesley “Les” Miller has endorsed his bid for the District 19 seat in the Florida Senate. “I’ve known Ed Narain since he was a student leader at the University of South Florida and now as state representative,” said Miller, who himself served 14 years […]

Ryan RayJune 24, 2016

As of the close of business for the state Division of Elections, it appears candidates in some 29 state House seats — nearly a quarter of the 120-member body — are already headed to Tallahassee. About 15 Republicans and 14 Democrats will have no need for a campaign manager this election cycle, according to a preliminary […]

Tag: Janet Cruz
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Janet Cruz shakes up House Dems office, hires Joe McCann

HD 59 Democratic candidate Naze Sahebzamani says she’s OK that she’s not the party favorite

Mitch Perry Report for 7.29.16 — Goodbye from Philadelphia

Janet Cruz says she believes Florida Democrats can flip 6 House seats this fall

Dem leaders, unions back Reggie Fullwood for re-election

Joe Henderson: Email leaks prove DNC fix was in, disgusting and Nixonian

Hillary Clinton ridicules Donald Trump’s “dark and divisive division” in Tampa speech

Mitch Perry Report for 7.15.16 — No Tebowing in Cleveland

Hillsborough County chair Les Miller endorses Ed Narain in SD 19 race

More than two dozen House members automatically re-elected