Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Danny McAuliffeAugust 31, 2018

Gov. Rick Scott announced on Friday an additional $3 million in grant funding for communities impacted by red tide. Over the past few months, Scott and the Department of Environmental Protection have rolled out algae-targeting grants in $3 million batches. The grand total to date: $9 million. That sum includes the $3 million announced in […]

Jacob OglesAugust 26, 2018

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As red tide threatens the Gulf Coast economy, it’s also bringing political foes together. Look to a town hall event held in Sarasota by state Reps. Joe Gruters, a Republican, and Margaret Good, a Democrat. “Environmental crises don’t know it’s election season,” said Good, “and you don’t stop being an elected representative just because you […]

Jacob OglesJuly 29, 2018

Accusations of ballot box stuffing will delay any release of results for a straw poll conducted by the Republican Party of Sarasota on Saturday. “The results of the straw poll conducted during the rally are still being worked on,” reads an official press release from organizers. “The Republican Party of Sarasota Executive Committee will be […]

Scott PowersJuly 24, 2018

Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan has launched an attack ad against his Democratic election opponent David Shapiro with blistering references to the Sarasota lawyer’s investments in gun companies, opioid drug companies, and companies tied to the Deepwater Horizon off-shore oil disaster. The new 30-second TV commercial, “Two-Faced,” outlines Shapiro’s investments while calling him two-faced and […]

Steve SchaleJune 11, 2018

In the never-ending quest to simplify Florida, one of the ongoing debates about winning the state is whether Florida is a state won by winning persuadable voters, or whether it is all about turning out one’s base. I remember when I started with Barack Obama, I got a ton of advice — most of it […]

Scott PowersMarch 19, 2018

Republican congressional candidate Mike Miller announced an endorsement from fellow state Rep. Joe Gruters today — as a link to the Oval Office. Gruters is President Donald Trump‘s Florida campaign chairman, a point stressed in a news release issued by Miller’s campaign Monday morning in his quest to be elected in Florida’s 7th Congressional District. Miller, a two-term […]

Steve SchaleFebruary 14, 2018

2010 was like a living a broken record. No matter what candidates said or did, or whether they ran embracing themselves with the president, or running as their own style of Democrat, it just didn’t matter. Voters were looking to send a message, and people who had Democrat on their name tag were the only […]

Peter SchorschFebruary 13, 2018

All eyes are on Tuesday’s special election in Sarasota County’s House District 72 where Republican James Buchanan, Democrat Margaret Good and Libertarian Alison Foxall are running to replace former Rep. Alex Miller. The latest poll indicates that an upset is in the making — if Good beating Buchanan can be viewed as an upset. However, the race […]

Danny McAuliffeDecember 6, 2017

Two Sarasota Republicans are attempting to pass legislation that would prevent political committees and electioneering communications organizations from donating to each other, touting it as a proposal that would end dark money in state politics. While state Rep. Joe Gruters’ HB 43 and Sen. Greg Steube’s SB 122 do not address dark money in issue advocacy spending, […]

Scott PowersOctober 18, 2017

Sarasota attorney David Shapiro has filed to run for Congress against Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in Florida’s 16th Congressional District. Shapiro, a Democrat, is a longtime Tampa Bay-area resident who has practiced law in Sarasota for 32 years He previously ran for the Florida House of Representatives in 2006, losing a tight election, […]

Tag: Sarasota
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 4/18/25-Candles and remembrances are left near the Unconquered statue a few hours after the Florida State University Gathering of Unity Vigil held Friday to honor victims of the recent mass shooting. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Governor: Another $3M available to battle red tide

Joe Gruters, Margaret Good host bipartisan town hall on red tide

Ron DeSantis supporters accused of ballot-stuffing at Sarasota straw poll

Vern Buchanan ad blasts David Shapiro’s investments in guns, pharma, oil

Steve Schale: Florida, persuasion or turnout, or both?

Mike Miller announces Joe Gruters’ endorsement, citing Donald Trump connection

Steve Schale: The message of Sarasota

Final poll of HD 72 special election shows an upset in the making — or not

Republican lawmakers tackle ‘dark money’

Sarasota attorney David Shapiro files to run against Vern Buchanan in CD 16