Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan RayJune 1, 2016

A pair of eminent Florida politicos want to introduce legislation to create a specialty Florida license plate bearing the logo of Auburn University. That’s a bad idea for several reasons. No animus against Democratic strategist Kevin Cate, one of the kindest political people around, or Rep. Jamie Grant, who gives me courage despite my own receding hairline. But this […]

Jim RosicaMay 24, 2016

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An effort to establish a Florida specialty license plate for Auburn University is barreling toward reality. On Tuesday, a website set up to promote the drive showed 2,480 people had pledged to buy the tag if approved. New plates need 4,000 “pre-sales” before they can be produced. The plate is backed by two Auburn grads: Democratic PR […]

Ryan RayMarch 2, 2016

The 2016 Session is quickly coming to its conclusion, and you know what that means. Well, yes, Solo cups on the chamber floor and green bottles emerging from bottom drawers in legislative offices up and down the Capitol tower but also: #CateSineDie. Here’s how the annual parlor game’s eponym put it Wednesday morning: “Before tomorrow […]

Guest AuthorFebruary 8, 2016

The whole world watched and waited to learn the names of the winners of the $1.5-billion Powerball jackpot last month. Any news, and a lot of non-news speculation, was breaking news. Then we learned something. Publix in Melbourne Beach, Florida, sold one of the winning tickets. It was rewarded $100,000, but, it lost a lot […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 10, 2016

They don’t get as much attention as policy debates that gum up and even fracture legislative sessions (think Medicaid expansion), but a slew of proposed legal-related changes will be before legislators this year – some new, some old standbys. For instance, the Legislature will try to overhaul Florida’s alimony law for at least the third time in recent […]

Ryan RayDecember 14, 2015

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Strategist and communications consultant Kevin Cate just released his 2015 online holiday greeting Monday morning, and we get the feeling supporters of Donald Trump‘s 2016 bid for the White House won’t be watching it around the Christmas ham. CateComm’s new video asks whether Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – or any other red-state hero – can “save” the GOP […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 4, 2015

In terms of Jacksonville politics, few have a résumé to match that of former Chief of Staff Chris Hand, who worked in the Alvin Brown administration for its entire four years, and before that was press secretary for then-Sen. Bob Graham and campaign manager for Alex Sink when she won as state CFO in 2006. Hand is working […]

Ryan RayNovember 2, 2015

A gaggle of Republican House members gathered outside the Capitol Monday morning to register their opposition to a bill they call the “home tax” – and to smash it in effigy. “Any time you are taking money from homeowners, it’s a tax hike,” Rep. Dennis Baxley said. “We always have to be vigilant because increased costs […]

Jim RosicaOctober 21, 2015

Matt Galka‘s secret to success? “Be the same person on TV that you could talk to at a bar,” he says. The 27-year-old “multimedia journalist” started with Tallahassee’s local CBS affiliate, WCTV, in 2011. He’s now with Capitol News Service, helmed by broadcast veteran Mike Vasilinda, reporting “on the Florida Legislature and politics for more than […]

Staff ReportsOctober 14, 2015

Citizens are twice as important in the lawmaking process as lobbyists or the Governor, less than half of lawmakers operate their own social media all of the time, and newspapers aren’t dead to lawmakers, according to the 2015 CATECOMM Florida Legislative Aide Study. “Most of the advice from legislative aides to the public is strikingly […]

Tag: Kevin Cate
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 4/18/25-Candles and remembrances are left near the Unconquered statue a few hours after the Florida State University Gathering of Unity Vigil held Friday to honor victims of the recent mass shooting. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

An Auburn license plate in Florida is a bad idea

Florida’s ‘Auburn tag’ over halfway to required pledges

It’s time to play #CateSineDie and bet on when the Sine Die hankies will drop

Kevin Cate: How Publix lost the power of Powerball

2016 Legislative Food Fights: Legal, judicial reforms again on lawmakers’ to-do list

Kevin Cate’s 2015 holiday greeting brought to you by “misfit” Donald Trump

Chris Hand: “I have seen Corrine Brown work miracles in Congress”

Lawmakers vow to “smash the home tax”

Meet Matt Galka, one of the “30 Under 30” rising stars of Florida politics

2015 Florida Legislative Aide study: To change law, bring solutions and don’t be a jerk