Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschApril 9, 2018

It’s your move, House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz. She’s term-limited in the House this year, and is – for now – set to run for a seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. But there’s word she will drop her bid for county commission and run for state Senate District 18. That would mean, assuming she clears […]

Peter SchorschApril 4, 2018

It raised more than a few eyebrows when former state Rep. Ray Pilon endorsed fellow Republican Jeff Brandes in Senate District 24. That’s because his daughter-in-law Carrie Pilon, a Democrat, entered the race this week. Now, however, we know what’s going on. Chad Pilon (Ray’s son) explained on Facebook: “Actually, not much of an option for […]

Peter SchorschMarch 29, 2018

The response to the first two editions of “Not Just A Body of Water” has been so phenomenal, we worked hard to get one more edition out before the Easter holiday. No Spring Break here. If there’s one theme that’s dominating the local political scene, it’s chessboarding. Candidates are either getting ready to jump into […]

Peter SchorschMarch 26, 2018

While many students (and their parents) throughout Tampa Bay are enjoying a Spring Break, there’s no break in the news for local political aficionados. In fact, the next few weeks will see a flurry of activity as incumbent lawmakers make the rounds at legislative wrap-up events (like the one hosted by the Greater Tampa Chamber […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 22, 2018

— Tampa Bay ranks third statewide in job creation — Tampa Bay added 28,000 new private-sector jobs in the last year, the third-highest number of jobs among all Florida metro areas. In a statement this week from Gov. Rick Scott, Tampa Bay’s unemployment rate had dropped to 3.4 percent, down 1.1 percentage points from the same […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 14, 2018

— Optimistic Floridians show love for Bob Buckhorn — Floridians, feeling good for the future, are also showing love for Buckhorn, naming him second most popular Democrat in the state, according to a new survey from the Florida Chamber Political Institute. In the first statewide poll of the New Year, conducted Jan. 2-5, Voter Opinions asked 600 […]

Peter SchorschJanuary 7, 2018

Tampa Bay is more than a body of water — so much more. To start, an admission: I really missed writing about Tampa Bay, particularly its politics. With all that is going on in the region surrounding my beloved St. Petersburg, it was tough to resist being drawn back into the fray. And in the […]

Joe HendersonNovember 9, 2017

As a member of the Hillsborough County Commission, Jan Platt was best known for a single word: NO! Labels like that tend to stick, but this grand lady was much, much more than that. She fought to protect our waterways and environmentally sensitive land, and she loved to be out on the Bay with a […]

Joe HendersonAugust 28, 2017

Like all of you, I have been mesmerized watching reports about the catastrophe in Texas from Hurricane Harvey. Just couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and couldn’t help thinking what it would be like if a storm like Harvey washed ashore from the mouth of Tampa Bay. Florida got a taste of it last year […]

Phil AmmannMay 26, 2017

Florida TaxWatch, the nonpartisan government watchdog organization, served up its annual list of “Budget Turkeys,” naming almost $178 million in line-item projects part of the $82.4 billion budget passed May 8 by the Florida House and Senate. For the Tampa Bay region, Florida TaxWatch targeted more than $33 million in local projects as individual line […]

Tag: Tampa Bay

Not Just A Body Of Water — A newsletter about Tampa Bay politics — 4.9.18

Not Just A Body Of Water — A briefing on Tampa Bay politics — 4.4.18

Not Just A Body Of Water — A briefing about Tampa Bay politics — 3.29.18

Not Just A Body Of Water — A briefing on Tampa Bay politics — 3.26.18

Not Just A Body Of Water — A weekly newsletter about Tampa Bay politics — 1.21.18

Not Just A Body Of Water — 1.14.18

Not Just A Body Of Water — 1.7.18

Joe Henderson: Jan Platt leaves legacy of service, integrity

Joe Henderson: Florida take heed from Houston horror

Tampa Bay region marked for $33M in Florida TaxWatch ‘turkeys’