Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryApril 14, 2015

The White House announced Tuesday that President Barack Obama intends to remove Cuba from the U.S. government’s list of nations that sponsor terrorism, eliminating a major obstacle to the restoration of diplomatic relations after decades of hostilities. The move had been a top priority with the Raul Castro-led Cuban government since diplomatic relations between the […]

Mitch PerryApril 14, 2015

On Monday, Pat Kemp made official what she has told anyone who asked since last November’s election – she is running again for a Hillsborough County Commission seat in 2016, this time in the District 6 countywide seat being vacated by Kevin Beckner, whose term ends next year. Florida Politics originally reported she would run […]

Mitch PerryMarch 30, 2015

Ron Christaldi, chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, said Monday that in 2013, a half-dozen members of the chamber visited Vice President Joe Biden and other White House officials to discuss the potential for business with Cuba. “They asked me about what the business community wanted and were we ready to take advantage […]

Mitch PerryMarch 30, 2015

U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker visited Tampa Monday, ostensibly to discuss the Obama administration’s new forays into diplomatic relations with Cuba. However, she used the majority of her speech to pump up the Trans-Pacific Partnership. That’s one of the biggest international trade agreements in modern history, which President Barack Obama hopes to have negotiated before […]

Mitch PerryMarch 26, 2015

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The organizers behind Saturday’s Tampa Pride Festival and March received a commendation this morning from the Tampa City Council, 48 hours before the big event takes place in Ybor City. It’s the first of its kind in Tampa since 2002, but longtime community members acknowledge that event 13 years ago was somewhat disappointing. In the […]

Mitch PerryMarch 25, 2015

Tuesday a Public Policy Polling survey showed that a majority of Floridians wanted neither Jeb Bush nor Marco Rubio to run for president in 2016. That was so yesterday. Literally. A new poll released Wednesday morning from St. Leo University shows quite the opposite: Sixty-three percent of Floridians want Bush to run for president, and 58 […]

Mitch PerryMarch 24, 2015

A few hours after the state Senate nearly unanimously approved a resolution denouncing the Obama Administration’s recent diplomatic breakthrough with Cuba, Tampa U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor‘s office announced a forum next week in Tampa to look at the new policies and what they will mean for local travel and trade. The event, called the Cuba […]

Mitch PerryMarch 24, 2015

President Barack Obama‘s diplomatic breakthrough with Cuba in December has been met mostly with approval in the Tampa Bay area from political and business leaders. A Pinellas County delegation visited the communist island for the first time in January, while the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce is planning another visit in May. Tampa area U.S. […]

Mitch PerryMarch 23, 2015

While South Florida Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy gathered statewide attention Monday by declaring his candidacy for Marco Rubio‘s U.S. Senate seat, the liberal wing of the Democratic Party wasn’t part of the cheering section. The Progressive Democratic Caucus announced Monday morning that a recent informal survey it took showed Orlando area Congressman Alan Grayson to […]

Mitch PerryMarch 17, 2015

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you and yours. Well, it was quite a busy Monday. I reported a number of stories, but none bigger locally than this: The Pinellas County Democratic Party already has one more candidate to challenge David Jolly in 2016 than they did this past year. He’s Eric Lynn, and he’s definitely […]

Tag: Kathy Castor

Kathy Castor praises, Marco Rubio condemns Cuba’s removal from terrorist list

Pat Kemp says she’s the best Democrat in the Hillsborough County Commission District 6 seat

Tampa officials host conference on Cuba

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker pumps disputed trade agreement in Tampa

Organizers prepare for Tampa Pride event on Saturday

New poll says Floridians DO want Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio to run for president

U.S. Secretary of Commerce to attend Cuba forum in Tampa

Senate denounces Obama overture to Cuba

Florida Democratic Progressives want Alan Grayson in U.S. Senate bid

Mitch Perry report for 3.17.15 — David Jolly to get a challenger?