Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 6, 2018

The All for Transportation campaign raised more than $1 million during the second half of September, according to campaign finance documents filed with Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. All three of the region’s major league sports teams — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Rays — contributed to the […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 2, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rowdies will continue playing soccer in the United Soccer League for at least five more seasons, the team announced Tuesday. Owner Bill Edwards is selling the team to the Tampa Bay Rays and made the five year guarantee a stipulation of that sale. Edwards did not disclose his selling price or additional […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorOctober 1, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rays are reportedly purchasing the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer franchise and may also buy Al Lang Stadium. “Mr. [Bill] Edwards deserves much appreciation for remaking the Tampa Bay Rowdies and investing in Al Lang Stadium and our community,” St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman said in a statement. “Similarly, the Tampa Bay Rays’ […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorSeptember 27, 2018

Angela Birdsong, the Democrat challenging Republican Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, launched an ad Thursday criticizing Hagan for not putting taxpayers first. The ad takes Hagan to task for prioritizing a new Major League Baseball stadium over things like affordable housing and fixing the county’s transportation network. “I’ve spent months meeting with voters and listening […]

Jim RosicaSeptember 14, 2018

The Florida Bar now is seeking to disbar a former judge who accepted baseball tickets from a law firm representing a woman whose personal injury case he was presiding over. Circuit Judge John F. Lakin, elected in 2012, quit the bench in March 2016. He served on the 12th Judicial Circuit, which serves DeSoto, Manatee […]

Joe HendersonSeptember 13, 2018

It is nearly mid-September and the Tampa Bay Rays are playing meaningful baseball games. They still have an outside shot of making the playoffs. Being the wise baseball sage that I am, I certainly saw this success coming after the club ran off all its high-priced talent in an offseason purge that at the time […]

Joe HendersonJuly 12, 2018

Perhaps no politician in Hillsborough County has been more identified with the effort to build a stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays than Ken Hagan. The veteran County Commissioner was key in trying to convince the Rays that Ybor City was the right place to put a stadium. What he does behind the scenes could […]

Peter SchorschJuly 11, 2018

Do the Tampa Bay Rays know what league they’re playing in? I’m not talking about on-the-field, where they play in the MLB against the Yankees and the Red Sox. I’m talking about off-the-field, where the team is hoping to convince a cash-strapped community to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build it a new […]

Joe HendersonJuly 10, 2018

I’ll admit something right up front. I had to suppress a gasp Tuesday afternoon when the Tampa Bay Rays unveiled the sticker price for the baseball stadium they propose in Ybor City and hope to play in by 2023. $892 million! That’s about $200 million more than I expected, but I guess it’s roughly in […]

Joe HendersonJuly 9, 2018

The Tampa Bay Rays know how to put on a show, and I’m positive there will be no shortage of “oohs” and “aahs” Tuesday when they roll out the design and, importantly, a cost projection for what they hope is a new stadium in Ybor City. Owner Stuart Sternberg has dropped enticing hints about the stadium […]

Tag: Tampa Bay Rays
Tom Homan has a stern warning for states that are uncooperative with deportation orders.

Hillsborough transportation initiative rakes in $1 million as pro sports teams go all-in

Tampa Bay Rowdies to play at Al Lang for at least 5 years after Rays buy the team

Tampa Bay Rays to purchase Rowdies, Al Lang Stadium

Angela Birdsong says Ken Hagan puts baseball over people

Rays tickets could lead to disbarment of former Bradenton judge

Joe Henderson: Tampa Bay Rays are winning, fun. Will it matter?

Joe Henderson: Ken Hagan’s likely pitch for Rays stadium? It’s an investment

Rays’ stadium dream reveal a reminder that team’s politics are still minor-league

Joe Henderson: Cost of Rays new stadium: $892 million! Yikes

Joe Henderson: Rays ready to unveil stadium design, but at what cost?