Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryDecember 7, 2016

“Image is everything” that great philosopher, Andre Agassi, once said in a series of television ads for Canon in the early 1990’s. Though a bit of an exaggeration, there’s no question that the image of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee has taken a significant body blow following its reorganization meeting on Monday night. To recap: Party Chair Ione Townsend concluded that the party’s by-laws […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2016

By just 65 votes, Luis Viera defeated Jim Davison in the Tampa City Council District 7 special run-off election, taking 50.64 percent to Davison’s 49.36 percent, a difference of only a single percentage point. Viera received 2,588 votes to Davison’s 2,523, just 65 votes out of 5,120 cast. The special election was held to succeed Lisa Montelione, who […]

Mitch PerryDecember 5, 2016

Among the nuggets of information procured by watching the Sunday morning public affairs shows was that David Petraeus was one of the 93 million Americans who didn’t vote for president last month. “I don’t vote,” the retired four-star Army general told George Stephanopolous in ABC’s This Week when asked who he backed for president. “So that’s an easy answer. […]

Mitch PerryDecember 2, 2016

Rick Kriseman’s appointment of former WTFS weatherman Bill Logan to serve in the newly created position of communications director for the public works department is getting (predictably) negative reviews in the Pinellas County GOP world, who think it is more “big government” from the Democratic-leaning administration. It naturally fuels speculation about who will the Pinellas County Republican prop up […]

Mitch PerryDecember 1, 2016

Florida lawmakers have been filing bills this week for the 2017 Legislative Session, and one of the most provocative ones so far is an immigration-related issue from Sarasota Republican Sen. Greg Steube. As initially reported by the Tampa Bay Times Claire McNeill, Steube would repeal the Jack Latvala-sponsored bill that waives out-of-state fees for undocumented Florida high school students. “It is certainly […]

Mitch PerryNovember 23, 2016

Florida’s new legislative class of 2017 is presumably back home for the holidays today after spending the first part of this week in Tallahassee. House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron welcomed their troops by discussing their respective goals for the 2017 session. In the case of Corcoran, his proposals for lobbying reform have been well publicized […]

Mitch PerryNovember 22, 2016

A plurality of voters in Tampa’s City Council District 7 continue to show support for emergency room physician Jim Davison, a new survey shows. Davison leads attorney Luis Viera by 42-35 percent, according to a new poll released Tuesday by St. Pete Polls. Twenty-three percent of voters say they are unsure. Davison, the only registered Republican in the original […]

Mitch PerryNovember 22, 2016

There’s no doubt Rudy Giuliani will get some meaty position in the upcoming Donald Trump administration, because the dude was loyal as hell to the president-elect throughout the past year. Chris Christie, on the other hand, may be looking at bupkes. The New Jersey governor was one of the first mainstream Republicans to endorse Trump, […]

Mitch PerryNovember 18, 2016

What the hell do you have to lose? That was, of course, Donald Trump‘s rather crude appeal to black voters in our last national nightmare of a campaign that mercifully concluded 10 days ago. But that line could be one offered to Florida Democrats, in the wake of the movement to get John Morgan to run […]

Mitch PerryNovember 16, 2016

Now that the shock is starting to wear off over Donald Trump’s stunning upset in the presidential election a week ago, the biggest story in national politics is what he intends to do with his enormous power and who will help him do it. That means the selection of cabinet officers, with the most high-profile […]

Tag: Luis Viera
Sen Rick Scott in Sarasota. Photo by Jacob Ogles.

Mitch Perry Report for 12.7.16 – The Hillsborough County DEC melts down

By only 65 votes, Luis Viera defeats Jim Davison in Tampa District 7 run-off

Mitch Perry Report for 12.5.16 – David Petraeus, another disaffected voter?

Mitch Perry Report for 12.2.16 – The Rock in 2024?

Mitch Perry Report for 12.1.16 — What does Rick Scott and rest of Legislature do with bill repealing in-state tuition rates for the undocumented?

Mitch Perry Report for 11.23.16 – Real reform in Tallahassee

Jim Davison leading Luis Viera, 42-35%, in Tampa City Council special election

Mitch Perry Report for 11.22.16 — The sad story of Chris Christie

Mitch Perry Report for 11.18.16 — John Morgan for the people?

Mitch Perry Report for 11.16.16 — Who will be our next Secretary of State?