Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Ryan NicolMay 9, 2018

Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez is endorsing state Rep. Manny Diaz for the Senate District 36 seat. Diaz, a Republican, has his eyes on the Florida Senate after serving in the House since 2012. That experience drew the attention of Hernandez and drove him to an endorsement. “Manny Diaz is a proven leader and will be an outstanding senator,” said […]

Peter SchorschApril 12, 2018

For the first time this decade, a race to one day lead the Florida Senate is not confined to an intra-party scrum among Republican lawmakers. And while Naples Republican Kathleen Passidomo is now the slight front-runner to hold the gavel beginning in 2022, she and her GOP colleagues must first navigate two election cycles in […]

Drew WilsonMarch 28, 2018

Miami Republican Rep. Manny Diaz Jr. announced Wednesday that he brought in an even $50,000 in the first fundraiser for his Senate District 36 campaign. “This number reflects the growing momentum in our campaign,” Diaz said. “I’m so grateful for the strong community support we have and for all the local leaders from across the […]

Peter SchorschMarch 28, 2018

It’s been nearly 25 years since a Democrat presided over the Florida Senate, but if the plans of party leaders and operatives come together, the president’s gavel could be theirs as soon as November. The Florida Democratic Party and the Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the recently-established campaign arm of the Senate Democrats, are aggressively working to […]

Peter SchorschMarch 16, 2018

Hialeah Republican Rep. Manny Diaz Jr. is holding a fundraiser for to kick off his Senate campaign on Thursday. The Hialeah Park event will run from 6 PM to 9 PM on March 22, and the host committee features a number of South Florida Republican elected officials. Listed on the invite are Sen. Rene Garcia, […]

Ana CeballosMarch 9, 2018

The last-ditch effort to revive a Senate human trafficking bill crashed Friday night after the House decided to strip language that would have created a trust fund for victims. When it was up to the Senate to consider the changes to the bill, Republicans argued it should be killed because the House “did not do […]

Drew WilsonFebruary 20, 2018

The Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly avoided killing a campus “free speech” bill, opting to instead temporarily postpone it after the roll had been called despite objections the move was not procedurally sound. SB 1234, sponsored by Ocala Republican Sen. Dennis Baxley, would erase dedicated “free speech zones” on college campuses, instead opening entire campuses to […]

Ana CeballosFebruary 12, 2018

Legislation that would allow human trafficking victims to sue hotels and other businesses that turned a blind eye to the abuse moved forward in the Senate on Monday. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Lauren Book, intends to give victims more litigation power to recoup economic damages as well as cost for their medical and mental […]

Jim RosicaFebruary 12, 2018

Sen. Travis Hutson says he believes “there’s a way for us to get there” when asked about gambling legislation finally passing the Legislature this year. The Appropriations Subcommittee on Finance and Tax on Monday unanimously approved his 90-page rewrite of the Senate’s gaming bill (SB 840) for 2018. It now includes a House provision: A renewed 20-year […]

Danny McAuliffeFebruary 6, 2018

State lawmakers are uniting against insurance companies that want to use genetic information as a factor for accepting patients and drafting policies. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on Tuesday advanced a bill (SB 1106) that prohibits the use of genetic information for any insurance purpose, including to establish rate differentials. State law already prohibits […]

Tag: Rene Garcia

Hialeah mayor endorses Manny Diaz in SD 36 contest

Electoral map scrambles race for Senate presidency

Manny Diaz raises $50K in first Senate fundraiser

Florida Democrats look to expand number of state Senate seats in play

Manny Diaz holding Senate campaign fundraiser March 22

Senate kills human trafficking bill a day after it was revived

Senate panel postpones ‘campus free speech’ bill

Human trafficking bill allowing victims to sue hotels moves ahead

Double or nothing? Senate gambling bill clears latest panel

Life insurers say ban on genetic testing could harm industry