Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMay 12, 2016

April wasn’t a huge fundraising month for District 5 Sen. Rob Bradley or his PAC, Working for Florida’s Families. New money totaling $2,150 pushed the Fleming Island Republican’s campaign account up to $468,756, with roughly $360,000 on hand as of the April filing. Bradley’s PAC did better on the fundraising side: $20,000 of new April money brought […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMay 3, 2016

The report cards are out, and three dozen state lawmakers got top marks from one of Florida’s leading advocates for economic freedom. On Tuesday, Americans for Prosperity-Florida (AFP-FL) released its annual Economic Freedom Scorecard. To tabulate the grades, the organization recorded more than 4,300 individual votes on 59 legislative proposals. “A big part of our […]

Phil AmmannApril 11, 2016

With a tip of the hat to LobbyTools, here are the latest movements – both on and off – of the legislative merry-go-round. Off: Amanda Cogan has stepped down as district secretary for Shalimar Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz. On: Lisa Goodson is Gaetz’s new district secretary. Off and on: Kevin Reilly has left the job of deputy staff director […]

A.G. GancarskiDecember 15, 2015

A key difference between the Senate campaigns of Rep. Ron DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera: the endorsements they roll out. DeSantis has been heavy on big national names, whereas Lopez-Cantera’s list has been heavy on local and state Republicans, as seen with Tuesday morning’s rollout of endorsements from people who arguably know him best: Republicans […]

Associated PressDecember 13, 2015

Less than a mile from the state Capitol, a former steakhouse shows little evidence that it was once part of a movement to change Florida’s schools. It was on this location nearly two decades ago that the leader of a prominent Tallahassee church put together one of the state’s first charter schools. The space where […]

Jim RosicaNovember 30, 2015

The last committee week before the 2016 Legislative Session means — what else — a post-Thanksgiving cornucopia of fundraisers. The Republican Party of Florida sent an email last week listing all the events, coinciding with the December committee week, the last one before session begins Jan. 12. In chronological order, here are the events, subject to change and […]

Mitch PerryNovember 23, 2015

Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, languishing a distant third in the Democratic race for president, will make a rare appearance in Florida next month, at a fundraiser in Miami Beach co-hosted by former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and Rena and Richard Florida. That’s urban development guru and author of “The Rise of the Creative Class,” […]

Phil AmmannNovember 18, 2015

Fatima Perez, most recently chief of staff for Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine, will become the new state government affairs regional manager for Koch Companies Public Sector LLC. With more than 15 years’ experience in state government, Perez has been a senior adviser to former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz and a senior legislative aide in […]

Drew WilsonOctober 26, 2015

Miami attorney and Democrat Ivette Gonzalez officially announced her campaign in House District 103 on Monday after filing for the seat last week. “Like most Floridians, I’m fed up with the dysfunction that has taken hold of Tallahassee. It’s apparent that solving the problems facing our communities has taken a backseat to petty partisanship,” Gonzalez […]

Drew WilsonOctober 23, 2015

A Democrat has filed to challenge incumbent Hialeah Republican Manny Diaz for the Florida House District 103 seat. Coral Gables attorney Ivette Gonzalez filed for the seat Monday and is the only candidate running against Diaz as he shoots for a third term in the House. Gonzalez is a criminal defense attorney and has run her own […]

Tag: manny diaz
Image via the Associated Press.

Running unopposed, Rob Bradley spends big money in April

Three dozen lawmakers get A+ on AFP-FL’s 2016 Economic Freedom Scorecard

Latest on the legislative staffing merry-go-round

Carlos Lopez-Cantera rolls out big South Florida/Miami-Dade endorsements

State gave charter schools millions before they closed

Email insights: More House GOP fundraising

Martin O’Malley to make rare Florida fundraising stop next month in Miami Beach

Personnel note: Fatima Perez joins Koch Industries to lead regional state gov’t affairs

Ivette Gonzalez vows to put aside “ego-driven politics” in HD 103 run

Ivette Gonzalez files to challenge Manny Diaz in HD 103