Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersApril 18, 2016

State Sen. Darren Soto raised another $162,000 for his Democratic Congressional District 9 campaign during the first quarter of 2016. Soto’s take plus about $80,000 in expenses during the quarter, left him with $292,000 in the bank at the end of March, according to the Federal Election Commission. That puts the Orlando Democrat behind rival Susannah Randolph, also […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterApril 15, 2016

The unemployment rate to continues to be on the decline, with Florida seeing a slight decrease in the number of jobless people in March. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in March, down from 5 percent in February. According to the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity, the national unemployment rate was 5 […]

Scott PowersApril 13, 2016

Orlando-Police-Chief-John-Mina-and-Orlando-Mayor-Buddy-Dyer-1024x1024.jpg

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said Wednesday that his proposal to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana would give police officers a third choice between arresting or just warning people. The proposed ordinance, which will go before the Orlando City Council on Monday, creates a new municipal civil citation — a $50 penalty — for people caught […]

Scott PowersApril 12, 2016

Dr. Dena Minning has raised more than $160,000 in the first quarter of her Congressional campaign in the Orlando-based Congressional District 9, her campaign announced Tuesday. Minning, a biomedical researcher who is engaged to marry the district’s incumbent, Democratic U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando, ends the quarter with more than $275,000 in the bank, […]

Scott PowersApril 11, 2016

Democrat Susannah Randolph may have picked up her biggest local endorsement yet Monday with the news that former Orange County Chairwoman Linda Chapin is backing her for the Orlando-based Congressional District 9. Chapin is a long-time figure in Orlando Democratic politics, an activist first elected to the Orange County Board of Commissioners in the 1980s. […]

Associated PressApril 10, 2016

The city of Orlando is getting into the open-data game. Mayor Buddy Dyer and Police Chief John Mina are planning to unveil a new website that offers city-specific data for developers and the general public. The data that will be available on the website include business permits, business tax receipts, police calls for service, trash […]

Scott PowersApril 8, 2016

Democratic candidate Val Demings has received the endorsement of the U.S. House of Representatives minority whip in her campaign for the Orlando-based Congressional District 10, her campaign announced Friday. Demings has received the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland. “Val Demings is the kind of leader we need to advocate on behalf […]

Scott PowersApril 1, 2016

With Orange County’s bed tax flush from record tourism, Orlando’s tourism community wants to see more of that money spent on tourism marketing, the convention center and area sports and arts venues, including the next phase of construction for the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. The Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association and Orlando’s three major […]

Associated PressMarch 24, 2016

Have golf cart, will travel. At least to The Villages. The retirement community in central Florida famous for its souped-up golf carts once again was the nation’s fastest-growing metro area, according to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau. It was the third year in a row that the community of 119,000 residents had […]

Scott PowersMarch 15, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott has approved the University of Central Florida’s plan for a downtown Orlando campus. The campus line item — $20 million — escaped Scott’s veto pen Tuesday, meaning the money is set and as soon as the university raises another $4 million in private donations it will be able to begin developing the […]

Tag: Orlando
A new span in Brevard County will help enhance space program activity. Image via Gov. Ron DeSantis's office.

Darren Soto takes in $162K in Congressional District 9 race

Florida’s unemployment rate was 4.9% in March

Buddy Dyer proposes decriminalizing pot in Orlando

Dena Minning raises $160K in first quarter in her CD 9 run

Linda Chapin endorses Susannah Randolph in CD 9 race

Orlando debuts open data website for developers and public

Val Demings endorsed by U.S. House minority whip in CD 10 race

Hotel association, Orlando theme parks pitch for more Orange County tourism tax money

The Villages is nation’s fastest growing, again

UCF’s downtown Orlando campus escapes Rick Scott veto, gets final OK