Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschJanuary 7, 2018

Tampa Bay is more than a body of water — so much more. To start, an admission: I really missed writing about Tampa Bay, particularly its politics. With all that is going on in the region surrounding my beloved St. Petersburg, it was tough to resist being drawn back into the fray. And in the […]

Ana CeballosDecember 28, 2017

A pair of criminal justice reform proposals are laying out an ambitious plan that could reduce crime and incarceration rates in Florida by implementing pre-arrest diversion programs statewide. Sen. Jeff Brandes, a Republican from St. Petersburg, filed a bill on Thursday that would direct all judicial circuits in the state to create and implement both […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2017

If you can’t beat ’em at the polls, perhaps you can take them down in the courtroom? That’s the philosophy of Pinellas County Tea Party activist Tom Rask, who is suing the Pinellas County Commission following last month’s vote to reauthorize the Penny for Pinellas sales tax. In a lawsuit filed Nov. 22, Rask claims […]

Phil AmmannNovember 1, 2017

In early voting for Pinellas County and the St. Petersburg municipal elections, more than 104,000 people have now cast a ballot. As of Wednesday morning, Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark posted new early vote and vote-by-mail numbers; of by-mail voting out of 265,039 mail ballots sent, about 39 percent – 103,936 – returned. Adding […]

Phil AmmannOctober 21, 2017

In early voting for Pinellas County and the St. Petersburg municipal elections, more than 75,200 people have already voted. On Friday, Pinellas Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark posted updated vote-by-mail numbers; so far, her office sent 264,468 mail ballots, with a little over 28 percent – 75,288 – returned. By party, 28,174 Democrats, 32,451 Republicans […]

Staff ReportsOctober 18, 2017

In an apparent change of heart, Seminole Vice Mayor Chris Burke has endorsed Nick DiCeglie for the Florida House District 66 seat, the campaign announced Wednesday. In July, before DiCeglie jumped into the race, Burke had endorsed fellow Republican Berny Jacques, a former prosecutor. “I have known Nick for many years as an excellent family man, successful small business […]

Scott PowersSeptember 14, 2017

Heat may be rising among the millions of Floridians still without power, as 2.3 million homes and businesses head toward finishing a fourth full day without. The latest data from the Florida Office of Emergency Management show 22 percent of the state still was sweating out power outages at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, on what has […]

Scott PowersSeptember 14, 2017

Power outages continue to plague just over one quarter of all the homes and businesses in Florida, though the number fell to almost 2.7 million customers Thursday morning. A 6 a.m. update from the Florida Office of Emergency Management showed that those counties hit first and hardest by Hurricane Irma – Monroe, Collier and Lee […]

Scott PowersSeptember 13, 2017

Wednesday hundreds of thousands of Florida power customers got their lights turned back on but almost exactly one third of Florida is still waiting. The latest numbers from the Florida Office of Emergency management show 3.5 million customers still were without power at 3 p.m. Wednesday, representing 33.4 percent of all Florida homes and businesses. […]

Scott PowersSeptember 13, 2017

Electrical power restoration continued to be slow in hard-hit Lee and Collier counties yet most of Florida continued to struggle without electricity as 52 of 67 counties continue to have at least one in five homes and businesses still dark Wednesday morning. The latest electric outage numbers available from the state Office of Emergency Management, […]

Tag: Pinellas County
Image via OIC-SFL.

Not Just A Body Of Water — 1.7.18

Florida could soon implement pre-arrest diversion programs statewide

Conservative activist files suit to rescind Penny for Pinellas vote

Over 104K votes now cast ahead of Pinellas County, St. Pete elections

More than 75K votes cast in Pinellas County, St. Pete elections

About face: Chris Burke endorses Nick DiCeglie for HD 66

Power update: 2.3 million homes and businesses still without

Power outages down to 2.7 million homes, businesses

Nearly half-million customers get power; one-third of Florida waits

Power update: Southwest Florida still without