Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 5, 2017

Florida House Speaker Richard Corcoran may abhor the influence of lobbyists in Tallahassee. But Jacksonville and its independent agencies have them anyway, as do other regional entities in Northeast Florida. The calculus is not complicated for Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, who parlayed $150,000 last year into a sustained and successful lobbying effort helmed by the Fiorentino Group and […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 4, 2017

Expansion of Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance appears to yet again be a consideration for Jacksonville’s City Council. And opponents have taken notice. Those opposed to HRO expansion have been emailing Mayor Lenny Curry, with sentiments such as these. “I am against any HRO resolution that attempts to bestow special rights to any person or group that […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 3, 2017

Will the third time be the charm for expansion of Jacksonville’s Human Rights Ordinance to include the LGBT community? Wednesday may tell the tale. Councilman Aaron Bowman, one of the co-sponsors of the 2016 HRO expansion bill, has scheduled a public notice meeting for 11:30 Wednesday morning at Jacksonville’s city hall. Expected to be in attendance: […]

A.G. GancarskiJanuary 2, 2017

Now that 2017 is all but upon us — after a tumultuous 2016 electorally — what’s next for Northeast Florida politics? One assurance: unlike in 2016, with a massive electoral turnover in the region’s Washington and Tallahassee delegations, as well as in both the state attorney and public defender offices, 2017 won’t see that. With […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 30, 2016

The biggest moment in Jacksonville politics in 2016 was the August passage of a referendum unlocking future local sales tax proceeds to address pension debt, provided collective bargaining closes at least one of the city’s current pension plans. Considered to be an audacious, high-risk play when the initiative was formally launched early in 2016, former […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 29, 2016

Jacksonville politics is like a Southern family reunion: there are characters of all types. The 2017 list points out ten of those members of the #Jaxpol family who are uniquely positioned to be in the headlines for one reason or another. We are hoping that 2016 was an outlier year for scandals, and are not projecting […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 28, 2016

Subpoenas with a side of sauce. That’s one way to sum up the year. In Jacksonville politics, 2016 started with subpoenas being delivered to Rep. Corrine Brown and her clique at a barbecue place on the Northside. And it ended with a raid on Councilwoman Katrina Brown’s familial barbecue sauce plant on the Westside. Katrina […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 23, 2016

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While Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has not filed for re-election yet, he already has drawn a challenger for the 2019 mayoral race. Democrat Doreszell “DC” Cohen actually filed in November. An alumna of the University of Phoenix and Raines High School, Cohen has yet to raise any money for her bid against the mayor and his high-powered […]

Staff ReportsDecember 22, 2016

They can’t all be winners, but it’s fair to say several top Florida politicians had one heck of a 2016. In the winter edition of INFLUENCE Magazine, we recognize some of the runners-up for 2016 politician of the year. Sure, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry may have grabbed the top spot, but these Floridians also had […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 21, 2016

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The job of a big city mayor includes receiving a lot of accolades, but there is the flip side as well. That flip side: being the person who deals with the grief of a city, and the specific mourning of individuals who seek redress. One such individual — a mother who outlived her son — […]

Tag: Lenny Curry

The Fiorentino Group helms Northeast Florida lobbying efforts again in 2017

Jacksonville HRO expansion foes gear up for 2017 fight

Jacksonville HRO expansion bill topic of Wednesday meeting

A.G. Gancarski’s 10 predictions for Jacksonville politics in 2017

Future sales tax referendum bills could be restricted to general election ballot

10 people to watch in 2017 in Jacksonville politics

Subpoenas with a side of sauce: The 10 biggest #JaxPol stories of 2016

Lenny Curry draws challenger in 2019 mayoral race

Philip Levine among INFLUENCE Magazine’s 2016 Politicians of the Year

Grieving mother: ‘Jacksonville’s Westside finally destroyed me’