Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bill RuftyJune 29, 2018

Lakeland attorney Kristen Carlson entered the Democratic primary for Florida’s 15th Congressional District only two days before the deadline, but a poll released by her staff shows her ahead of her two opponents, each of whom has been running for the spot for a year or more. The poll’s frequency count shows Carlson ahead with […]

Bill RuftyJune 14, 2018

The Tampa Tiger Bay Club will host all candidates who are running to fill the vacancy in Florida’s 15th Congressional District at a meeting Friday at the Ferguson Law Center in Tampa. Tiger Bay officials invited the three Democrats and six Republicans competing to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross of Lakeland, who is retiring […]

Bill RuftyJune 13, 2018

Ray Pena, of Lakeland, is running for the Democratic Party’s nomination for Florida’s 15th Congressional District as the first Hispanic-American to seek the district located in portions of Hillsborough, Polk and Lake counties. He is doing it the old-fashioned way, handshaking every person he meets and appearing at all public candidate meetings. He enumerates the issues […]

Bill RuftyJune 7, 2018

EMILY’s List, the progressive organization that supports women candidates for office, has recommended Kristen Carlson, Lakeland attorney and 11th-hour entrant into the Democratic primary, for Florida’s 15th Congressional District. The endorsement put two organizations that support Democratic candidates at odds with one another. At least one Democratic candidate, Greg Pilkington of Indian Lake Estates, withdrew […]

Staff ReportsMay 29, 2018

While new polling gives state Rep. Ross Spano a six-point lead in the Republican primary for Florida’s 15th Congressional District, a third of voters surveyed say they are unsure. St. Pete Polls conducted the survey May 25-27 which has the Dover Republican leading fellow state Rep. Neil Combee, 29-23 percent. The poll asked 494 likely […]

Bill RuftyMay 23, 2018

Kristen Carlson of Lakeland entered the Democratic Primary for Florida’s 15th Congressional District just over two weeks ago and has reported campaign donations of more than $100,000 already. Her staff said most of it came in during the first 13 days. Carlson, a former General Counsel for the Florida Department of Citrus, current counsel for […]

Bill RuftyMay 21, 2018

Many political junkies are questioning whether two different entities that support the same goal — a Democrat in Florida’s 15th Congressional District — are backing two different candidates in the primary. Andrew Learned of Valrico has been a candidate for the post since June 23, 2017, and has the advice and help from the Democratic […]

Drew WilsonMay 11, 2018

Ross Spano will be on the move this weekend. The Republican state representative will hold three campaign kickoff events within the boundaries of Florida’s 15th Congressional District, which he declared for shortly after current CD 15 U.S. Rep. Dennis Ross announced he wouldn’t seek re-election in 2018. He had previously been a candidate to replace […]

Bill RuftyMay 4, 2018

Accusing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee of meddling in the 15th Congressional District Primary, Gregg Pilkington of Indian Lake Estates said he is discontinuing his race for the seat. “It would be against my principles to continue, knowing that this is a rigged (primary) election by the DCCC,” Pilkington said. He added that he wouldn’t […]

Bill RuftyMay 4, 2018

Lakeland attorney Kristen Carlson has entered the Democratic primary for Florida’s 15th Congressional District. Carlson, 64, is a former General Counsel for the Florida Department of Citrus and still counsel of record for the Florida Citrus Processors Association and District 1 of the Florida Department of Transportation. She is a partner with the firm of […]

Tag: Kristen Carlson

Internal poll gives Kristen Carlson lead among CD 15 Dems

Tampa Tiger Bay Club to host bipartisan CD 15 candidate forum

Democratic hopeful Ray Pena hits CD 15 with old-school handshaking, retail politics

CD 15 primary support puts Democratic groups at odds

Ross Spano leading CD 15 primary, but one-third undecided

Hitting the ground collecting in CD 15

Two progressive organizations, but different candidates?

Ross Spano lines up three CD 15 kickoff events

Democrat Gregg Pilkington drops out of CD 15 race, blames ‘rigged primary’

Another Democrat lines up for CD 15 race