Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschJune 16, 2016

Five months from Election Day, Republican Sens. Jeff Brandes, Jack Latvala, Tom Lee and Bill Galvano are still running unopposed. The only two bay area Senate seats in contention so far are the Senate District 18 contest between Tampa Republican Rep. Dana Young and Democrat Bob Buesing and the three-way Democratic primary going down in SD 19. Young had built up quite the lead in her jump to the […]

Phil AmmannJune 2, 2016

A group of Tampa Bay-area Republican incumbents invite supporters to a joint golf-themed fundraiser later this month at TopGolf, an interactive sports and entertainment venue in east Tampa. Scheduled for Thursday, June 23 at 1 p.m., the event will support the re-election efforts of Reps. Larry Ahern of House District 66; Kathleen Peters of HD 69, […]

Mitch PerryApril 28, 2016

More than a month after after it was signed by Gov. Rick Scott, abortion rights activists in Florida remain infuriated about the Legislature’s passage of HB 1411, which denies public resources to women’s health clinics that provide abortion services. To express their anger about the bill, a group of activists gathered in front of Tampa House Republican Dana […]

Drew WilsonApril 27, 2016

State Sen. Jeff Brandes is hosting a kickoff reception Wednesday evening for his re-election effort. More than three dozen current and former local officials are on the host committee for the event, set for the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Host committee members include Republican Reps. Larry Ahern, Chris Latvala, Kathleen Peters, Chris Sprowls and Dana Young, as well as former Rep. Frank […]

Drew WilsonApril 11, 2016

House District 67 Republican Rep. Chris Latvala will begin his re-election run with a May 2 event at the Island Way Grill in Clearwater, his campaign said Monday. Among those listed on the invite are incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran, Republican Reps. Chris Sprowls, Kathleen Peters, Larry Ahern, and Jamie Grant, as well as Sen. […]

Mitch PerryMarch 31, 2016

Florida-Gov-Rick-Scott-signs-tough-new-abortion-law-1024x1024.jpg

(Updated from Thursday morning). Gov. Rick Scott signed the omnibus anti-abortion bill HB 1411 Friday, enacting a new law that denies public resources to women’s health clinics that provide abortion services. The measure doesn’t eliminate state funding of abortion, a tactic that’s been illegal for decades. It does, however, now block money for preventive medical care at the same facilities […]

Mitch PerryMarch 30, 2016

With the 2016 Florida Legislative Session now in their rear view mirrors, the entire Pinellas County delegation – sans HD 65 Republican Chris Sprowls – discussed various aspects of what just went on in Tallahassee on Wednesday before a robust Suncoast Tiger Bay Club audience at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. The delegation skews heavily Republican, […]

Mitch PerryMarch 12, 2016

Nikki Haley says she’s seen what Donald Trump rallies have become of late, and surmised that accepting him as the GOP presidential nominee goes against what the party of Lincoln is all about. “I’m watching a presidential candidate who at his rally is saying, ‘punch him. He should be taken out on a stretcher. Do […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 29, 2016

As my friend Chris Turner might remember, my New Year’s resolution from a few years ago was, simply, “More friends, less enemies.” Unlike so many of the resolutions I’ve made to lose weight or stop eating so much salt (or both) this one sort of stuck. At least I think it did. I know I’ve worked at […]

Ryan RayFebruary 22, 2016

Florida lawmakers continued to dabble in foreign policy on Monday, when a Senate panel unanimously passed a bill calling for an authorization of force against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups in Iraq and the Levant. The Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security approved SB 1710 by Sen. Greg Evers, which calls on Congress for […]

Tag: Larry Ahern
Image via AP.

Where sh*t stands in Tampa Bay legislative races

GOP House incumbents to hold golf fundraiser in Tampa June 23

Activists criticize Dana Young for her support on controversial abortion bill

Who’s who of Pinellas politics join Jeff Brandes for campaign kickoff in St. Pete

Chris Latvala starts HD 67 re-election with May 2 Clearwater event

Planned Parenthood calls Florida’s latest anti-abortion bill extremely dangerous

Pinellas lawmakers talk 2016 Session, advice for Rick Scott, and who they think will be president

Nikki Haley tells Pinellas Republicans that they’re better than what Donald Trump is offering

Turning around one of my critics

Senate panel OKs call for “use of military force” against ISIL