Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersNovember 15, 2018

Orange County Mayor-elect Jerry Demings is expecting to start making announcements about his transition no earlier than next week, and, so far, he has been keeping his staffing choices close to his vest while his administration’s core values and agenda still are being openly debated. Demings won the Mayor’s job in the Aug. 28 election and […]

Scott PowersNovember 12, 2018

Railing against what they call a Republican effort to discredit recounts through legal intimidation and allegations of fraud, Democrats state Sen. Linda Stewart, Reps. Carlos Guillermo Smith and state Rep.-elect Anna Eskamani insisted Monday the process just needs to proceed now in calm and confidence. “Calm down,” Stewart said Monday on the front steps of the […]

Scott PowersNovember 8, 2018

Few election losses anywhere in 2016 drew more Republican vows for revenge than when Stephanie Murphy came out of nowhere, dubbed the “Girl Rescued at Sea” for her life story as an infant in a family who fled Vietnam on a rickety boat, and stunned 12-term Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica in Florida’s 7th Congressional […]

Scott PowersNovember 7, 2018

Florida might not have seen a blue wave, but Orange County certainly did. A pink one, too. The waves also rolled through neighboring Seminole County, where they didn’t wash away much Republican establishment, but likely scared plenty. The results of Tuesday’s election means that for the first time in more than 20 years Democrats will […]

Scott PowersNovember 6, 2018

In election contests that were far from mysteries, voters returned Orlando Democratic state Reps. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Amy Mercado, and Orlando Republican state Rep. Rene Plasencia to office in eastern Orange County Tuesday. Mercado and Smith are leaders of the progressive wing of House Democrats and fended off token challenges from late-qualified Republicans George […]

Scott PowersNovember 6, 2018

Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto won himself a second term as the only Puerto Rican member of Congress from Florida, representing Florida’s most Puerto-Rican district. Soto, of Celebration defeated Republican businessman Wayne Liebnitzky Tuesday in a rematch of the election that sent Soto to Congress in 2018.This time Soto won 58 percent to 42 percent, […]

Scott PowersNovember 6, 2018

Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, who quickly went from “who’s she?” to “how did she do that?” when she ran for and won a stunning upset in Florida’s 7th Congressional District in 2016, is no longer anyone’s surprise, as she won easy re-election victory Tuesday. Murphy, of Winter Park, defeated Republican state Rep. Mike Miller […]

Drew WilsonNovember 6, 2018

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Those who want to watch the ballots trickle in minute-to-minute on Election Day can do so with a little knowhow, but that real-time data is lacking numbers from more than a dozen counties, including some of the most reliably Democratic ones in the state. The thirteen counties lagging: DeSoto, Hamilton, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lake, Miami-Dade, Nassau, […]

Scott PowersNovember 5, 2018

National political committees that played a major role in helping U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy win her seat in Congress two years ago are coming to her aid again, with nearly $1.2 million in outside money spent in Florida’s 7th Congressional District through last week — almost all of it on her side. The Democratic House […]

Ryan NicolNovember 1, 2018

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum is pushing back against allegations he’s soft on crime, releasing a new ad where several sheriffs tout their support for Tallahassee’s “leadership mayor.” Gillum’s Republican opponent, Ron DeSantis, has hit Gillum over his city’s crime rates. Gillum has in turn pushed back. His new ad, titled “Oath,” details endorsements from […]

Tag: Orange County

Jerry Demings keeping Orange County mayoral transition plans close to vest

Linda Stewart: Calm down and let the elections officers do their work

‘Girl rescued at sea’ now riding high toward Democratic-controlled Congress

As Trump turns Florida more red, Orange County sparkles blue

Amy Mercado, Rene Plasencia, Carlos Smith re-elected

Darren Soto coasts to easy re-election in CD 9

Stephanie Murphy solidifies claim to CD 7

Whodunit? Election Day numbers a mystery in blue strongholds

National groups spend $1.1 million backing Stephanie Murphy in CD 7 race

Sheriffs ‘trust Andrew Gillum,’ new ad says