Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Staff ReportsNovember 6, 2018

In the northern half of Florida, the races for Congressional District 6 and District 15 captured the attention of the national media as well as pundits. Some of the others were decided shortly after the polls closed, or before. Democratic Reps. Val Demings of Orlando and Kathy Castor of Tampa are returning to Washington after receiving no opposition in […]

Darryl PaulsonJune 6, 2017

Some readers may be incapable of getting beyond the title of this article. How in the world can anyone defend politicians and politics? It’s easy and, I would argue, necessary. One recent study found that Americans rank politicians lower than cockroaches. I hope Americans are expressing their frustration with politicians, but not their actual sentiments. […]

Darryl PaulsonMay 4, 2017

Florida’s Republican Party has governed Florida for less than a third of the past 150 years. After the Civil War, a coalition of newly enfranchised blacks, a small number of native white Republicans and northern carpetbaggers dominated Florida politics from 1865 to around 1885. After the blacks were stripped of their voting rights at the […]

Associated PressMarch 31, 2017

Most Americans disapprove of Donald Trump‘s overall performance two months into his presidency. But they’re more upbeat about at least one critical area: his handling of the economy. Nearly 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of Trump’s overall performance, and about the same percentage say the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to a […]

Associated PressJanuary 3, 2017

Falling in line with tradition, Bill and Hillary Clinton plan to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration. It’s a decision that will put Hillary Clinton on the inaugural platform as her bitter rival from the 2016 campaign assumes the office she long sought. The Clintons announced their decision to attend the Jan. 20 inauguration shortly after former […]

Scott PowersNovember 30, 2016

An event in Congresswoman-elect Stephanie Murphy‘s infancy keeps redirecting her life, a life that has the 38-year-old business professor heading to Washington to represent Orlando and Central Florida as the first Vietnamese-American woman in Congress. When she was six months old, her family fled Vietnam on a refugee boat. Stephanie, her mother, father, brother, and dozens of mostly […]

Mitch PerryNovember 8, 2016

The last presidential contest I really didn’t pay that much attention to was back in 1980, but I do remember this: I was in high school, and I had the TV on but the sound down when Jimmy Carter came out at around 6:15 PST to announce he was conceding the election. It was pretty early […]

Steve SchaleOctober 25, 2016

Dear friends and casual Twitter followers: It is Florida election memo time! I know you all are excited. Fourteen days left. If Jaguars fans can survive the Gus Bradley era, America can do 14 days of this. Also of note: 18 days until FSU basketball tips off. So here are some notes on the first […]

Associated PressOctober 10, 2016

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An estimated 66.5 million people watched the second debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, down from the record-setting audience who saw their first match but on par with the Obama-Romney contests four years ago. The first debate reached a total of 84 million viewers, more than for any other presidential debate on record, the […]

Associated PressSeptember 26, 2016

Everyone’s aware of the stakes for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the first presidential debate, but there’s a third person in the equation who faces a different pressure: Lester Holt. The NBC News veteran is moderating his first general election debate, making him solely responsible for the questions asked each candidate and for steering […]

Tag: Jimmy Carter
Mike Johnson. Image via AP.

Several North Florida Congressional incumbents cruise to big wins

Darryl Paulson: In defense of politics

Darryl Paulson: Should the Florida GOP feel blue?

Poll: Most disapprove of Donald Trump, except on economy

Bill and Hillary Clinton to attend Donald Trump inauguration

‘The girl rescued at sea’ Stephanie Murphy rides that humanitarian service into Congress

Mitch Perry Report for 11.8.16 — Getting the results before the polls close

Steve Schale: Notes on the first day of early voting in Florida

Unlike first, second debate doesn’t set viewership record

Moderator Lester Holt under scrutiny during debate