Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersMarch 20, 2018

Orange County sheriff candidate Jose “Joe” Lopez formally kicked off his campaign amid supporters late Monday with a pledge to run his campaign and the sheriff’s office with integrity, loyalty and effective leadership. Lopez, a retired chief from the Florida Highway Patrol, faces Orlando Police Chief John Mina in the contest. They both seek to […]

Scott PowersMarch 16, 2018

Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings has endorsed Orlando Police Chief John Mina in the election to be his successor. Citing Mina’s accomplishments as chief of the Orlando Police Department and the trust he has built in the community, Demings, who is in his third term as sheriff, said he considers Mina is the best choice […]

Scott PowersMarch 13, 2018

Retired Florida Highway Patrol Chief Jose “Joe” Lopez and Orlando Police Chief John Mina each raised about $20,000 in the first month of the Orange County sheriff’s race. Lopez, of Orlando, is reporting that he brought in $20,263.93, including $3,888.93 for professional campaign services during February. His campaign spent $256 leaving it with about $16,119 […]

Scott PowersMarch 5, 2018

Tom Stroup, a retired police captain, is withdrawing from the Orange County Sheriff’s race. He made the announcement on Facebook over the weekend. Stroup was the only Republican in the race. His withdrawal will leave Orlando Police Chief John Mina and retired Florida Highway Patrol Major Jose “Joe” Lopez as the only current candidates. Both […]

Scott PowersFebruary 14, 2018

Orlando Police Chief John Mina has officially entered the race to run for sheriff, seeking to succeed his longtime partner in Orlando law enforcement Sheriff Jerry Demings, who is running for county mayor. Long expected to be a candidate, Mina filed his candidacy paperwork Wednesday morning with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office. He […]

Scott PowersJanuary 10, 2018

Retired 32-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Thomas Stroup has filed to run for Orange County Sheriff, the first major candidate into the contest to succeed Jerry Demings, who has held the job for nine years and is running for mayor this year. Stroup, 60, a Windermere Republican, retired three years ago as […]

Scott PowersJune 2, 2017

For the third-straight year, Orlando has been denied local anti-terrorism money for not being a significant enough target under federal guidelines, exasperating Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings who has pushed federal officials to reconsider their decision-making process. Demings, as have other current and former members of Congress from Orlando, has been pushing U.S. Homeland Security […]

Larry GriffinJanuary 17, 2017

Markeith Loyd, suspected in the killing of Master Sergeant Debra Clayton in a shootout last week, was caught after over a week of hunting by the Orlando Police Department Tuesday night. He’ll face multiple charges of first-degree murder and aggravated assault. Loyd has been the subject of a nine-day-long manhunt by the OPD as well as […]

Associated PressJanuary 10, 2017

Law enforcement officers in Orlando were engaged in a massive manhunt early Tuesday for a man accused of fatally shooting a police officer who approached him outside a Wal-Mart. The manhunt itself has led to the death of a sheriff’s deputy in a traffic accident and the injury of another officer. Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, […]

Larry GriffinJanuary 9, 2017

Orlando-Police-Chief-John-Mina-and-Orlando-Mayor-Buddy-Dyer-1024x1024.jpg

Orlando Police Chief John Mina was sure of himself standing before a crowd Monday afternoon – they were going to catch Markeith Loyd, the suspect in the killing of Master Sergeant Debra Clayton by firearm earlier in the day. “It doesn’t matter where he goes,” Mina said. “We’ll track him to the ends of the […]

Tag: John Mina

Joe Lopez pledges integrity, loyalty, effective leadership in Orange County sheriff’s race

Jerry Demings endorses John Mina for Orange County Sheriff

Joe Lopez, John Mina each raise about $20K in first month of Orange County sheriff’s race

Tom Stroup withdrawing from Orange County Sheriff’s race

Orlando Police Chief John Mina files to run for Orange County sheriff

Tom Stroup files to run for Orange County sheriff

Orlando denied federal anti-terrorism money again; Val Demings says ‘we are baffled’

John Mina: ‘Great police work’ led to the capture of murder suspect Markeith Loyd

Orlando mourns deaths of 2 law enforcement officers

John Mina ready to go ‘to the ends of the Earth’ to catch shooting suspect Markeith Loyd