Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschOctober 25, 2017

You knew it would come to this. At some point in the titanic contest between Rick Kriseman and Rick Baker, the race would pivot from a wonky debate about budgets, sewers, and staffing to a bare-knuckled fight for not just who will occupy the mayor’s office, but the future of St. Petersburg. On Wednesday, Baker’s […]

Mitch PerryOctober 25, 2017

A day after Rick Baker‘s political committee aired a new ad criticizing Rick Kriseman‘s character and judgment for hiring Kevin King as his chief of staff, the mayor weighed in, calling it “sad” that his opponent is choosing to focus on his top aide. “It’s always sad when you see ads that are personal,” Kriseman […]

Mitch PerryOctober 24, 2017

In the history of St. Petersburg, C. Bette Wimbish was a true trailblazer. As the first black person to hold elected office in the Tampa Bay region, Wimbish was also the first black female lawyer in Pinellas County AND the first black resident to serve on the St. Petersburg City Council. This weekend, both the city and the […]

Mitch PerryOctober 24, 2017

Screen-Shot-2017-10-24-at-9.51.08-AM.png

Rick Baker is going there. With less than two weeks before Election Day in St. Petersburg’s mayoral race, the former mayor — behind in the public polls for the first time in the campaign — is airing a decidedly negative TV ad questioning the judgment of incumbent Rick Kriseman over his chief aide’s criminal past. “Sunshine” […]

Mitch PerryOctober 24, 2017

Screen-Shot-2017-10-24-at-8.43.25-AM.png

Former Raymond James Board Chair and CEO Tom James, Equality Florida’s Nadine Smith and two Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer players are featured in a two-minute, forty-second video intended to woo Amazon to the Tampa Bay-area for its second headquarters. Dozens of cities across the country had a Thursday deadline to submit their bid to land the […]

Peter SchorschOctober 24, 2017

St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman is getting another boost from a top national Democrat according to a campaign fundraiser invite sent out Monday. Former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, a former mayor himself, will headline a Kriseman fundraiser set for 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Station House, 260 1st Ave. […]

Mitch PerryOctober 20, 2017

If elected to St. Petersburg City Council, Justin Bean says bringing a grocery store to Midtown is a top priority. “It’s something that we need to focus on now,” the District 6 candidate told reporters in front of City Hall late Thursday afternoon. He had spent the entire day crisscrossing the city at five locations […]

Peter SchorschOctober 20, 2017

For the first time since St. Pete Polls started tracking the ‘battle of the Ricks,’ current Mayor Rick Kriseman is leading former Mayor Rick Baker in one of its public polls, albeit by less than one percentage point. According to a survey conducted Thursday, Kriseman is at 46.8 percent; Baker is at 46.0 percent, with […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2017

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman‘s camp is using the “L-word” to describe Rick Baker‘s campaign — lying. The former two-term mayor is accused of pulling an ad from Tampa Bay area radio stations after it falsely claimed that Kriseman blew off a NAACP event earlier this month. “Rick Baker knowingly lied to voters,” Kriseman campaign manager Jacob Smith […]

Mitch PerryOctober 19, 2017

Orlando, St. Petersburg, Wilton Manors, and West Palm Beach each achieved a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Municipal Equality Index, the only nationwide rating system of LGBTQ inclusion in municipal law, policy and services. All told, 68 cities across the country achieved the top score from the organization. “‘This year’s MEI paints a vivid […]

Tag: Rick Kriseman

How Rick Baker’s Kevin King ad explains everything you need to know about St. Pete mayoral race

Rick Kriseman calls Kevin King ad ‘sad’

City to honor C. Bette Wimbish, St. Pete’s first black City Council member

Rick Baker goes nuclear against Rick Kriseman, plays Kevin King card

Tampa Bay’s Amazon pitch features LGBT leader Nadine Smith, Rowdies players

Julian Castro headlining Friday funder for Rick Kriseman

Justin Bean surveys St. Petersburg in his quest to win a City Council seat

Rick Kriseman leading Rick Baker for first time in public polling

St. Pete mayoral candidates feud over radio ad

Four Florida cities receive perfect score from LGBTQ national organization

Florida politics had 11 questions before federal qualifying week. Here are the answers.