Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiJuly 10, 2015

Ten days out from the Duval County Republican Party meeting where a new committeeman and new secretary will be elected, in the wake of the resignations of Lenny Curry and Bill Spann from those posts, and it seems like at least one of these elections will be a mere formality. Alexander Pantinakis, 21, appears to be clearing […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 26, 2015

We’ve devoted quite a few posts to how Lenny Curry won the Jacksonville mayor’s race. In the Alvin Brown side of the race, however, there is no shortage of candidates who are taking fire as people find ways to lay blame for that loss. We’ve covered some of the less-than-politic statements made by Florida Democratic […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 22, 2015

Like anyone who makes enough predictions, I get some wrong. I was way off in my calculus on At Large Group 5 Jacksonville City Council candidate Sam Newby. I didn’t think he’d make the runoff. He he got through the first election, beating the better funded and more heavily endorsed Republican Michelle Tappouni by a few points […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 22, 2015

Jacksonville City Councilman Robin Lumb has been chairman of the Republican Party of Duval County since December. When he came in, he stood down for re-election in At Large Group 5, choosing instead to focus on getting Republican candidates elected in March and May. Lumb brought a unique skill set to that endeavor: vast experience […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 22, 2015

The crowd of 200 men, most of them African-Americans, were assembled at “A Call for 1,000 Men” at Open Arms Christian Fellowship Church expecting to hear Duval School Superintendent Nikolai Vitti speak. He wasn’t in attendance,though. Instead, they heard from outgoing Mayor Alvin Brown. Now liberated from the constraints imposed by the campaign, he delivered one of […]

A.G. GancarskiMay 1, 2015

“You can count on me to show up, to read legislation before I vote, to represent every part of Duval County.” Those words, from At Large Group 1 Council Candidate Anna Brosche, were a purposeful jab at her opponent, Kim Daniels, who no-showed the Beaches Watch forum. It was unsurprising, given that Daniels has been at loggerheads […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 14, 2015

Rainy days and Mondays always got Karen Carpenter down. That didn’t apply to the Republican Party of Duval County, though, which drew a couple hundred hearty souls for a ran-soaked rally Monday at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront. In the house at the Hyatt were heavy hitters who needed no introduction, such as Sheriff John Rutherford […]

A.G. GancarskiApril 9, 2015

For a couple of days now, those following the Jacksonville mayoral race have wondered what the #UniteJax event teased by Duval County Republicans for Monday, April 13 was all about. Turns out it’s all about a rally featuring Republican candidates and current Cabinet members on Monday 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Hyatt in downtown Jacksonville, […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 27, 2015

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With 16 Jacksonville City Council seats up for grabs on Tuesday (three candidates ran unopposed), there were obviously winners and losers to be found across the board. This post will evaluate the five At Large races, looking at who might have outperformed expectations and who didn’t achieve what seemed possible before the election. A separate […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 7, 2015

There’s a City Council candidate forum every day in Jacksonville lately, and Saturday’s forum d’jour, held by black empowerment group the Kemetic Empire at Edward Waters College, featured questions and candor that likely will not be heard at many other candidate forums in this election season. Moderated by the iconoclastic local journalist Shelton Hull, the event featured questions […]

Tag: Sam Newby
Silvia Castellanos has worked for more than a decade in government and government relations. Image via FIU.

Alexander Pantinakis shores up support for Duval GOP committeeman run

Some 2011 Alvin Brown ops saw 2015 loss coming

How Sam Newby shocked the world

Robin Lumb, architect of Duval GOP majority, talks strategy

Alvin Brown: “If this is an emergency, where’s the 911 response?”

Jax at large council candidates address Beaches Watch forum

Duval GOP #UniteJax downtown rally rouses faithful

Email Insights: Duval GOP wants to #UniteJax with its candidates

Jax At Large council races: winners and losers

Jax Council candidate forum covers Northside issues