Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonJune 29, 2018

Florida Democrats say Senate District 24 is one of their top targets in the fall, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Democratic candidate Carrie Pilon narrowly outraised incumbent Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes in April, but followed that up with an underwhelming performance in May. Her newest report, which covers the first three weeks of […]

Peter SchorschJune 26, 2018

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police generally need a search warrant if they want to track criminal suspects’ movements by collecting information about where they’ve used their cellphones. Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes may not have been the first Florida lawmaker to raise concerns about that issue, but he has probably been the loudest. […]

Peter SchorschJune 24, 2018

A record number Democratic candidates qualified for state races this week, and the Florida Democratic Party said now it’s time to prepare for the “Blue Wave.” “From the Gubernatorial race, to State House and Senate, to county commissioners and mayors, we have the most qualified, committed, and exciting group of candidates we have ever seen,” […]

Kate BradshawJune 14, 2018

The Republican state Senator from St. Petersburg fell a few slots this year. That’s not to say Jeff Brandes doesn’t have the juice he did in prior years. And like in previous years, he had a busy 2018 Session. He sponsored some 65 bills and co-sponsored dozens more. He sat on seven committees, including as chair of […]

Drew WilsonJune 11, 2018

St. Petersburg Republican Jeff Brandes recorded another six-figure haul in his Senate District 24 re-election bid, while Democratic challenger Carrie Pilon saw a massive drop-off in fundraising in only her second month on the trail. In a Monday press release, the Brandes campaign celebrated raising nearly $187,000 in May, the third month in a row recording […]

Drew WilsonJune 7, 2018

The mayors of Pinellas County’s beach communities want to find a way to reclaim their power to restrict short-term rentals in their towns. The first step will be to organize a roundtable discussion involving state legislators and others involved in the short-term rental business. The mayors who make up the Big-C, the Barrier Islands Government […]

Staff ReportsJune 6, 2018

Floridians who want solar panels on their rooftop but are skittish about the cost will soon have an option: Sunrun. The solar-as-a-service biz is coming to the Sunshine State this summer with plans allowing customers to start generating their own electricity for as little as $0 upfront. And thanks to the company’s home battery, “Brightbox,” […]

Drew WilsonMay 31, 2018

Lehigh Acres Republican Rep. Matt Caldwell added another 10 names to his extensive list of backers Thursday. The bulk endorsement — his tenth since entering the Cabinet race — includes Republican pols from across the Sunshine State, many of them from Brevard County. St. Petersburg Sen. Jeff Brandes, Tequesta Rep. MaryLynn Magar and Sarasota County […]

Peter SchorschMay 29, 2018

Two incumbent state Senators enter the summer with nine-point leads over their Democratic challengers, while two former state Representatives seeking an open seat in the Senate are essentially tied, fresh polling shows. Pinellas Republican Jeff Brandes leads Democratic trial lawyer Carrie Pilon 48-39, according to a survey conducted by St. Pete Polls, while a separate […]

Phil AmmannMay 22, 2018

With a tip of the hat to LobbyTools, here are the latest movements – both on and off – of the legislative merry-go-round. On: Connie Ennis is a new administrative assistant for the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. On: Karina Pereira is a new legislative assistant for Fort Lauderdale Democratic Sen. Gary Farmer. On: Elise Minkoff is the new legislative assistant […]

Tag: Jeff Brandes

Carrie Pilon craters in SD 24 money race

Reconciliation

Florida Democrats say ‘no GOP seat is safe’ in 2018

#8 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Jeff Brandes

Jeff Brandes adds $187K for re-election, Carrie Pilon sputters

‘Leave us the heck alone’: Beach towns seek meeting with state lawmakers on short-term rentals

Solar-as-a-service coming to Sunshine State

Matt Caldwell touts ‘tenth wave’ of Ag Commissioner endorsements

New polling: Jeff Brandes, Dana Young begin re-election campaigns with nine-point leads, while Amanda Murphy, Ed Hooper tied

Latest on the legislative staffing merry-go-round

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.