Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiNovember 15, 2016

The inaugural committee for Donald Trump has a Florida feel, with the president-elect tapping two prominent Floridians to serve as its finance vice chairs. Trump tapped former Ambassador Mel Sembler and Brian Ballard to serve as vice chairs of his inaugural committee. The two men join more than a dozen other high profile Trump supporters […]

Phil AmmannNovember 4, 2016

Donald Trump is set to receive more than $25 million of new advertising, thanks to a pair of outside groups looking to boost the GOP candidate in the final days of a grueling presidential campaign. This unexpected boost, first reported by CNN, could help the GOP nominee come in line with Hillary Clinton’s television ad […]

Associated PressOctober 23, 2016

Business owners are replacing idealists in the pot-legalization movement as the nascent marijuana industry creates a broad base of new donors, many of them entrepreneurs willing to spend to change drug policy. Unlike in the past, these supporters are not limited to a few wealthy people seeking change for personal reasons. They constitute a bigger […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterOctober 7, 2016

The committee backing the 2016 medical marijuana initiative received one of its largest donations to date, boosting its coffers at a critical time in the campaign. State records show People United for Medical Marijuana, the fundraising committee behind the ballot initiative, raised more than $1.07 million between Sept. 24 and Sept. 30. The committee received […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterSeptember 16, 2016

Drug Free Florida saw a big fundraising period, raising more than $1 million in one week. State records show the organization raised more than $1.02 million between Sept. 3 and Sept. 9, the most recent fundraising period. That sum includes a $1 million contribution from Sheldon Adelson, a casino magnate and opponent of the medical […]

Peter SchorschSeptember 13, 2016

Labor Day has come and gone, and with it, any sense of the summer doldrums. Election Day is nigh. The most tumultuous election season in a generation is now heading into the homestretch. So once again, let’s ask some questions, the answers to which may hold the fate of the state, and even the nation. How bad will the […]

Joe HendersonJuly 21, 2016

The safe play for Ted Cruz would have been to simply give Donald Trump a less-than-tepid endorsement as the Republican standard bearer for president. Party bosses and worker bees alike would have praised him for uniting Republicans in their holy war against Hillary Clinton. Even more, Cruz would have been ideally positioned to be the […]

Joe HendersonJuly 18, 2016

When Donald Trump formally announced his intention to run for president, comedians everywhere fell to their knees in praise for the heaven-sent gift of a nonstop laugh track. That was one year, one month and two days ago when no one seriously entertained the notion of Trump heading to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterJune 10, 2016

Drug-Free Florida raised more than $500,000 in May, outpacing the committee backing the effort to legalize medical marijuana 5-to-1. State records show Drug-Free Florida raised $500,85 in the one-month fundraising period. Mel Sembler, a prominent St. Petersburg fundraiser, gave the committee $500,000 in May. The substantial donation came just weeks after Sembler announced he once […]

Scott PowersApril 22, 2016

The group that opposed and defeated the 2014 proposed medical marijuana constitutional amendment is preparing to raise money to try the same for this year’s initiative. The Drug-Free Florida Committee, a political action committee associated with St. Petersburg Republican financier and business executive Mel Sembler, will begin raising money shortly with hopes to do battle again […]

Tag: Sheldon Adelson

Donald Trump presidential inaugural committee has a Florida feel

Sheldon Adelson to boost Donald Trump with $25M of ads in campaign final days

Business owners replace idealists in legal-pot movement

Medical marijuana backers raise more than $1M in one week

Sheldon Adelson gives $1M to Drug Free Florida

7 big questions facing Florida politics heading into the fall

Joe Henderson: No surprise Ted Cruz chose not to play it safe

Joe Henderson: With Donald Trump, perhaps the beginning of a movement

Mel Sembler donates $500K to Vote No on 2 campaign in May

Anti-medical marijuana campaign prepares to raise money