Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJuly 12, 2016

While there should be smiles in Portsmouth, New Hampshire later today when Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have their unity rally, some things to contemplate about Clinton, a week after the FBI announced they will not indict her in the investigation of her email server while serving as secretary of state. A majority of Americans […]

Mitch PerryJuly 11, 2016

The Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission is poised to begin increasing fines on Uber and Lyft drivers soon, and that’s not going down well with one of the agency’s biggest critics, state Sen. Jeff Brandes. The St. Petersburg Republican has frequently criticized the PTC over the years for their confrontational stance towards the two ridesharing companies, […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJuly 8, 2016

There’s less than two months until Floridians start casting votes, and organizations across the state are rolling out endorsements for state and federal candidates. Several organizations — including the Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Florida Chamber of Commerce — issued endorsements this week. — Florida Parents Against […]

Mitch PerryJuly 7, 2016

Even before they began operating in Tampa, a coterie of Tampa Bay area Republicans have championed ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft. Those state Representatives include Jeff Brandes, Jamie Grant and Dana Young. In a fundraising pitch sent to supporters in her bid for the state Senate District 18 seat this fall, Young boasts about the work Republicans […]

Jim RosicaJune 30, 2016

It’s almost Independence Day, which in Florida means: Time to scare some birds. Although you can buy fireworks in the state, they’re not actually legal here. Indeed, The Tampa Tribune in 2014 called fireworks sales in Florida an “institutionalized charade,” leading one lawmaker to call for “more freedom (and) less fraud.” Retail sales are allowed only […]

Peter SchorschJune 29, 2016

Pat Neal, a Manatee County developer and former Florida state senator, will not run for Chief Financial Officer in 2018. Facing a self-imposed deadline of July 1 to make a decision about a run, Neal told FloridaPolitics.com in an exclusive interview Wednesday he will not be on the ballot in two years. “I have a […]

Joe HendersonJune 29, 2016

Elections are supposed to be about choices, but after candidate qualifying ended in Florida last week, many elections are already decided. Voters in 11 districts won’t get to choose their state senator because the incumbent faces no opposition — seven Republicans and four Democrats, if you’re keeping score. And in Senate District 24, Pinellas County […]

Mitch PerryJune 24, 2016

St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes looks to win re-election easily this November to his Pinellas/Hillsborough Senate District 24 seat. No Democrat has emerged in 2016 to oppose him, perhaps intimidated by Brandes’s war chest, which includes more than $300,000 cash-on-hand. An Army veteran, Brandes graduated from Carson-Newman College in Tennessee in 1999 with a degree in business administration. […]

Mitch PerryJune 23, 2016

A court has rejected a request by a coalition of taxi cab companies to have Victor Crist removed as chair of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission. The Second District Court of Appeal in Lakeland issued an order dismissing the request Thursday. “This was a malicious intent by the taxi coalition and their representatives to discredit me,” Crist said, […]

Peter SchorschJune 22, 2016

Attend a political function anywhere in Pinellas County and it’s almost inevitable you’ll see one name consistently listed as a sponsor. That is, other than Bill Edwards. The name is Alan Suskey of Suskey Consulting, the governmental affairs firm based in Tallahassee, but with deep roots in Pinellas. Of course, Suskey doesn’t have the millions of dollars Edwards has, so […]

Tag: Jeff Brandes

Mitch Perry Report for 7.12.16 — Will the FBI open another investigation into Hillary Clinton?

Hillsborough County PTC is raising fines on ridesharing drivers, and Jeff Brandes doesn’t like it

Endorsement watch: Florida Parents Against Common Core, Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida, Florida Retail Federation and others issue endorsements

Email insights: Dana Young touts her support of Uber and Lyft in fundraising pitch

Florida’s bizarre fireworks law still in place

Pat Neal will not be a candidate for Chief Financial Officer in 2018

Joe Henderson: Unopposed candidates create ‘great void’ in local politics

Jeff Brandes gets write-in opponent in bid for re-election to SD 24 race

Court rejects taxi companies request to remove Victor Crist from Hillsborough PTC

Alan Suskey aiming to be Pinellas’ man in Tallahassee