Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryDecember 1, 2016

With Tallahassee a four-hour drive away, the annual meeting of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation to be held in two weeks in Tampa could very possibly be the only time local residents can address their state representative(s). That meeting will take place on Friday, December 16 at the Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Old Water […]

Peter SchorschNovember 6, 2016

On Friday, candidates released their final campaign finance reports before Election Day, and reports out of Senate District 18 show Tampa Republican Rep. Dana Young pressing her fundraising advantage in the race with $1.2 million in spending. Young spent more than $500,000 of campaign’s war chest in between Oct. 22 and Nov. 3, most of […]

Peter SchorschOctober 25, 2016

With two weeks to go until Election Day, the Tampa Bay area’s Senate seats are pretty much decided. Welcome back Sens. Jack Latvala and Tom Lee and say hello to Darryl Rouson, who should cruise past John “Mr. Manners” Houman to win the SD 19 seat. Tampa Republican Rep. Dana Young still has a race […]

Mitch PerryOctober 3, 2016

With the registration deadline to vote in the November election approaching next week, the Democratic Party and their allies held a couple of events in Tampa this weekend to attempt to get as many voters as possible on the rolls. While U.S. Senate hopeful Patrick Murphy fired up volunteers as they prepared to register voters Sunday in Ybor […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 2, 2016

With machine and manual recounts now finished in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, Darryl Rouson is the winner in the Democratic primary for Senate District 19. He defeated Ed Narain by a mere 66 votes (that’s what the Rouson campaign told us. The Florida Division of Elections website shows the difference to be 77 votes. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Rouson received 73 […]

Mitch PerryAugust 31, 2016

Good morning, everyone. Florida’s primary election is history. So, where to begin? Patrick Murphy will face Marco Rubio in November. Murphy crushed Alan Grayson, 59 to 18 percent, with Pam Keith a close third at 15 percent. Rubio gets credit for honesty, saying that he can’t say for sure that he’ll fulfill all six years of his term if elected, […]

Mitch PerryAugust 30, 2016

Sean Shaw will be returning to Tallahassee next year, representing Hillsborough County’s House District 61, which encompasses Ybor City, Tampa Heights, Seminole Heights, and East Tampa. In an incredibly tight race, the Tampa attorney defeated East Tampa activist and businesswoman Dianne Hart, getting 42.71 percent of the vote to Hart’s 41.92 percent. Shaw received 6,696 votes to Hart’s […]

Mitch PerryAugust 30, 2016

Primary Election Day is here, finally, for those of us who care. Because that isn’t close to the majority of registered voters in Florida. Going into today, the turnout by percentage via early and absentee voting here in Hillsborough County where I’m located was lower than it turned out to be in 2012, which Congresswoman Kathy Castor […]

Staff ReportsAugust 25, 2016

There are just a few weeks until the election, and organizations across the state are rolling out endorsements for state and federal candidates. Several organizations — the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Retail Federation, and the Service Employees International Union Florida — issued endorsements. — Rebecca Negron has received the backing of James Dobson, the […]

Mitch PerryAugust 9, 2016

Last week (perhaps coincidentally as his poll numbers began dropping precipitously), Donald Trump suggested the general presidential election this fall could be “rigged.” In Ohio last week, Trump said he has heard “more and more” that the November election will be rigged — suggesting to his supporters the outcome of the election is out of the hands of voters. That […]

Tag: Sean Shaw
DeSantis calls the National Guard to protect Florida ports. Image via @GovRonDeSantis/X.

Hillsborough legislative delegation to meet December 16

Final round-up of the money chase in Tampa Bay’s legislative races

Here’s where sh*t stands in Tampa Bay’s legislative races

Tampa Democrats try to woo black voters to get behind Hillary Clinton

It’s (virtually) official: Darryl Rouson has won the SD 19 Dem primary over Ed Narain

Mitch Perry Report for 8.31.16 — Moving on to November

Sean Shaw narrowly defeats Dianne Hart in House District 61 race

Mitch Perry Report for 8.30.16 — Election Day questions

Endorsement Watch: Florida Medical Association, Florida Retail Federation, SEIU Florida and others issue endorsements

Mitch Perry Report for 8.9.16 — On a ‘rigged’ election