Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonAugust 9, 2017

Another state House election is likely to go without a credible candidate from the Democratic Party. Former Plant City Mayor John Dicks said he won’t enter the race to replace Republican Rep. Dan Raulerson, who is resigning his seat effective Aug. 15, and so far no big names have shown excitement at the opportunity to […]

Tom JacksonNovember 29, 2016

A ritualistic subplot of virtually every election organizes around announcements by those who threaten to leave the country if the vote doesn’t go their way. They shouldn’t be taken seriously. Interestingly, politicians with far more at stake than your garden-variety celebrity almost never declare their intention to abandon the nation for distant parts. The phenomenon […]

Joe HendersonAugust 17, 2016

Brian-Willis-Hillsborough-County-district-6-e1471462556277.jpg

Brian Willis has the editorial endorsement of the Tampa Bay Times in his bid to win the Democratic primary Aug. 30 for Hillsborough’s District 6 county commission seat. He has been, in the words of one veteran local observer of the political scene, “very impressive” on the campaign stump. He seems to have momentum. In […]

Tom JacksonAugust 3, 2016

They’d reached closing statements at a recent forum for Hillsborough County Commission District 6 Democratic hopefuls in Bealsville, near Plant City, and Pat Kemp, the Tampa lawyer and serial candidate, was feeling magnanimous. The town center was a thing of beauty, she said, praising the town hall, expanded library, a roundabout with a flag at […]

Mitch PerryJune 15, 2016

Is Marco Rubio ready to do the (almost) unthinkable, and announce he will be running again for the U.S. Senate seat he renounced a year ago? We’ll find out soon enough — the deadline to make such a decision is just nine days away. The man who runs this website, Peter Schorsch, wrote last night a deal is […]

Mitch PerryFebruary 12, 2016

While watching the first hour of Thursday night’s Democratic presidential debate, I started thinking that Marco Rubio has gotten a bit of a bum rap. For months (maybe longer), political reporters have complained that Rubio has liberally inserted his standard stump speech into his answers to questions on the campaign trail. That meme hit Def Com […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 19, 2016

I know soccer aficionados (somewhat pretentiously) like to call their favorite sport “The Beautiful Game.” As much as I respect that it’s the world’s favorite sport, it ain’t America’s. That would be football. Personally, I would advocate that basketball is actually the most beautiful sport when it’s executed the way the San Antonio Spurs did two years […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 9, 2015

Rumor du jour is that there will be another candidate getting into the wide open countywide Hillsborough County District 6 seat, but it’s not a Republican taking on Jim Norman. The rumor that percolated over the Labor Day weekend is John Dicks, the 62-year-old former Plant City Mayor and Commissioner, is contemplating entering the Democratic […]

Tag: John Dicks
Crowds gather to see Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. (Gabrielle Russon)

John Dicks won’t run in HD 58 special election

Tom Jackson: Topsy-turvy election seen from bottom of the world

Joe Henderson: Endorsement, momentum may not be enough in Hillsborough District 6 race

Tom Jackson: Old-school Democrat hopes Hillsborough can make a deal

Mitch Perry Report for 6.15.16 — What will Marco do?

Mitch Perry Report for 2.12.16 – Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders clash in Milwaukee

Mitch Perry Report for 1.19.16 — Sorry, LeBron. Actually not sorry

Mitch Perry Report for 9.9.15 – Another Democrat to enter Hillsborough County District 6 race?