Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJanuary 6, 2016

Tampa House Democrat Janet Cruz is emotionally torn. The HD 62 Representative has worked hard over the past year in working to fundraise and recruit candidates to run for the state House in 2016, all part of her job duties as she is scheduled to become the incoming House Minority Leader in 2017. It’s a […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 6, 2016

One of the top political players in the state — and certainly one of the top two or three lobbyists in the Tampa Bay region — has a new home. Ana Cruz, along with Todd Josko, is moving from Floridian Partners to Ballard Partners, where she will serve as managing partner of the Tampa office. Ballard Partners represents […]

Mitch PerryDecember 11, 2015

Since he began campaigning for president this year, one part of Donald Trump’s stump speech that has remained intact is when he attacks Bowe Bergdahl, calling him a traitor and saying he should be executed for deserting. “We’re tired of Sgt. Bergdahl, who’s a traitor, a no-good traitor, who should have been executed,’ Trump said in […]

Mitch PerryDecember 10, 2015

Wednesday night, organizers with the group Regulate Florida told supporters in a conference call that they’re ending their attempt to put a pro-legalization of marijuana on the ballot next year in Florida. FloridaPolitics.com was on that call, and posted the story soon after. In a statement sent shortly after that call was completed, Regulate Florida […]

Mitch PerryDecember 9, 2015

Florida Governor Rick Scott has been targeting the Florida public hospital industry for much of this year, after the Florida Hospital Association made a strong pitch for the Legislature to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, a push that failed for the third straight year in Tallahassee, and after the federal government announced deep cuts in hospital funding […]

Mitch PerryDecember 9, 2015

Tampa area state Rep. Jamie Grant said Wednesday he’s not backing away from his Monday tweet calling Donald Trump‘s proposed ban on Muslims from entering the country a “a fascist proposal.” “The answer to immigration problems in this country is not fascism. It’s not registries of people who look a certain way or believe a certain thing,” […]

Ryan RayDecember 1, 2015

The House Appropriations Committee heard from Gov. Rick Scott‘s chief budget aide Tuesday afternoon, who presented Scott’s $79.3 billion proposed budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year before being peppered with questions on taxes, state worker pay, hospital regulation and land acquisition among other issues. Cynthia Kelly, director of Scott’s Office of Policy and Budget presented the governor’s “Florida […]

Peter SchorschNovember 12, 2015

You cannot turn on the television without seeing an ad for daily fantasy sports players DraftKings or FanDuel. That’s because the interest in daily fantasy sports is at stratospheric levels. Fantasy sports is as popular as Buffalo wings and cold beer. A report in Fortune shows that 57 million North Americans are betting $465 a year on fantasy sports, […]

Staff ReportsOctober 8, 2015

The Florida Democratic Party’s House Victory division – responsible for recruiting, directing and fundraising for Democratic state House campaigns – has hired Steve Jackson to fill the new role of Political Director. As first reported in the Tampa Bay Times, the move was announced by incoming Minority Leader-designate Rep. Janet Cruz of Tampa. Read the text of her announcement […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 14, 2015

Earlier this year, a national organization rated the Tampa Bay area as 11th in the nation for traffic congestion. Obviously, the region has problems with traffic, which is perhaps why St. Petersburg state Senator Jeff Brandes called it a “game-changer” today in describing what could be a $17 million contract that the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority (THEA) was awarded by […]

Tag: Janet Cruz
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Janet Cruz undecided about whether to run for new Senate seat

Top Tampa-based lobbyist Ana Cruz moving to Ballard Partners

Mitch Perry Report for 12.11.15 – Bowe Bergdahl speaks

Mitch Perry Report for 12.10.15 – Recreational pot measure supporters back off 2016 ballot bid

Tampa house Democrats blast Scott administration’s investigation into public hospitals

Jamie Grant doubles down on referring to Donald Trump proposal on Muslims as “fascist”

House budget panel hears from Rick Scott’s budget chief, and vice versa

Don’t throw the daily sports fantasy baby out with the bathwater

House Democrats hire Steve Jackson as political director

Tampa Expressway Authority awarded first phase of funding for connected vehicle pilot program