Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Anne LindbergOctober 19, 2016

When candidates run for local nonpartisan offices — mayor, council member, or commissioner — they’re supposed to keep party politics out of the conversation. And, for the most part, that’s the way it is. But in some races this year, partisan money is helping finance local candidates. Take the City of Largo, for example, where […]

Peter SchorschOctober 14, 2016

Let’s put aside for a moment the argument about whether newspaper endorsements matter much in modern campaigns. Even if not a single likely voter was swayed by the opinions of editorial boards, the endorsements still matter because they matter to the candidates themselves. That’s why you see even the most Republican of candidates — with their […]

Anne LindbergOctober 7, 2016

Most Pinellas candidates running in the six races for a place in the Florida House of Representatives sharply disagreed with their opponents when the topic of guns on college campuses came up during a Wednesday forum on the Seminole campus of St. Petersburg College. The House District 68 race was the only exception. In that […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 29, 2016

First of all, congratulations to the uber-hip readers at Creative Loafing who, in their Best of the Bay voting for Best Reporter in 2016, selected a columnist who retired two years ago. Congratulations also to our U.S. Congress who, by voting for a budget bill last to avoid a government shutdown, now gets to skip town for […]

Anne LindbergSeptember 26, 2016

Jennifer Webb vows in her first video ad of the campaign season to fight the special interests she says are dominating Tallahassee. “For too long, big special interests have gotten their way in Tallahassee and we’re paying the price,” Webb says in the 30-second spot. Examples flash on the screen: “Duke Energy customers will pay […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorFebruary 3, 2016

If a campaign’s probability of winning can be measured by the fundraising advantage it holds over its opponent, state Rep. Larry Ahern is well on his way to another term in the Florida Legislature. At the close of 2015, the Pinellas Republican had raised nearly $75,000 compared to his opponent’s paltry $305. Ahern is seeking re-election in […]

Drew WilsonSeptember 8, 2015

While the August special session stymied fundraising efforts last month, new fundraising reports for a trio of Pinellas County state house races show incumbent Republicans are well prepared for 2016. St. Petersburg Republican Rep. Larry Ahern brought in $10,100 in August for his District 66 reelection effort, his second best month since launching the campaign. About half of Ahern’s […]

Tag: Lorena Grizzle

Party, PAC money seeps into nonpartisan municipal races

11 things I think I think about the Tampa Bay Times’ endorsements in state House races

Carrying guns on college campuses? Pinellas House candidates split on the issue

Mitch Perry Report for 9.29.16 — Congress is free to go home. Again.

In first video ad, Jennifer Webb slams special interests

Larry Ahern faces broke challenger in re-election bid

Pinellas Republicans rake in August campaign cash