Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan RayJuly 28, 2015

Former U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland said Tuesday he won’t seek the Panhandle congressional seat he represented from 2011 until 2015. “It is after great thought and prayerful consideration that I’ve decided not to be a candidate for Congress in 2016,” the Panama City Republican said. “I’ve been blessed with the support of Susan and our […]

Matthew IsbellJune 29, 2015

Florida’s western Panhandle has not been exactly known as a hotbed of electoral campaigns during recent election cycles. The region stretching from Pensacola to Panama City is steadfastly Republican in registration and in electoral dominance. GOP primaries decide most fights in the region, and incumbency has ensured few contentious primaries outside of local offices. The region is […]

Daniel TilsonJune 18, 2015

Hey, you! Yeah, you, the one who didn’t vote in 2014. If you gag when you see your electric bill, wonder why the Sunshine State barely uses solar power, or frown at the idea of unidentified toxic chemicals being pumped into the ground under you… Well hey, this is a story about why voting really […]

Peter SchorschJune 4, 2015

While Tallahassee is buzzing today with news that Jeb Bush will officially launch his presidential campaign June 15, Adams Street is also buzzing with talk that Rep. Matt Gaetz is about to draw a serious contender in the race for State Senate District 1. Bay County Commissioner George Gainer, a Republican, is expected to file to […]

Bruce RitchieApril 23, 2015

A Senate bill amendment to bar legislators from being on the Public Service Commission within two years of leaving office was withdrawn Thursday. Sen. John Legg, a Republican from Lutz, had filed the amendment to SB 288, a PSC bill that was brought up on second reading Thursday. The amendment was withdrawn because of a […]

Bruce RitchieApril 22, 2015

Sen. John Legg says he considers former Rep. Jimmy Patronis to be a friend and a fine man, but he doesn’t think he should have gone so quickly from the Legislature to the Public Service Commission. So Legg has filed a bill amendment he said is aimed at preventing that from happening in the future. Patronis, […]

Bruce RitchieMarch 11, 2015

Former Rep. Jimmy Patronis wants senators to know he can serve on the Florida Public Service Commission and still help run his restaurant in Panama City Beach. PSC Commissioner Julie Brown wants you to know that last fall she didn’t vote for gutting utility energy conservation goals. Both commissioners are going through Senate confirmation for […]

Ryan RayJanuary 16, 2015

Freshman state Rep. Jay Trumbull of Panama City has filed paperwork to run for re-election in 2016, according to the Florida Division of Elections. The 25-year-old Republican won big during his first bid for office back in November, taking 69 percent of the vote against Democrat Jamie Shepard and Green Party nominee Henry Newman Lawrence, […]

Bruce RitchieSeptember 18, 2014

State Rep. Jimmy Patronis told me more than once that I would miss him after this year when he leaves the Florida Legislature because of term limits. Maybe I won’t be covering him in the Legislature any more. But he’ll still be in Tallahassee. Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday appointed Patronis, R-Panama City, to the […]

Adam WeinsteinAugust 31, 2014

The state of Florida and one of its flagship universities are about to embark on an exciting new experiment: What happens when you turn an institution of higher learning into an annex of the Legislature and lobbyists? That’s about the only conclusion I can come to when I look at the presidential search process — […]

Tag: Jimmy Patronis
Family members appear behind a pile of debris outside their home in Steinhatchee, Fla., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, after Hurricane Helene slammed Florida's Big Bend as a Category 4 storm Thursday night. (Ashleigh Lucas/WUFT News)

Steve Southerland will not run in 2016

Family matters: excitement builds for western Panhandle primary

Daniel Tilson: Rick Scott's Public Service Commission: "Frack you, Florida!"

Matt Gaetz about to draw a serious challenger for Senate race in George Gainer

PSC/Duke Energy bill teed up for Senate vote after amendment withdrawn

Amendment filed to stop Legislature-to-PSC pipeline

Jimmy Patronis, Julie Brown slide through committee stop toward PSC confirmation

Jay Trumbull files for a second term in the Florida House

Bruce Ritchie: Rep. Jimmy Patronis’ appointment to the PSC is no surprise

Adam Weinstein: Presidential search is latest battle for free-market lobbyists trying to transform FSU