Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Bill RuftySeptember 4, 2016

Polk County will likely never return to the Democratic bastion that was home to four U.S. senators, three governors, and four presidents of the Florida Senate. But from Tuesday’s primaries and the fielding of candidates for the Nov. 8 general elections, Polk Democrats are slowly learning to make the now-GOP bastion a two-party county again. There […]

Scott PowersAugust 30, 2016

State Sen. Darren Soto took perhaps the biggest step Tuesday in his quest to become the first Hispanic from Central Florida and the first Puerto Rican from the state to be elected to Congress by rolling toward victory the Democratic primary in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. St. Cloud businessman Wane Liebnitzky, who easily won the Republican […]

Associated PressAugust 30, 2016

Even though he’s not running for re-election, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson has very personal connections to the campaign in his Florida district. His new wife is facing off against his former district director for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Congressional District at the end of the month, and they also face a state senator […]

Scott PowersAugust 27, 2016

Democratic congressional candidate Dena Grayson lent her campaign another $35,000 in the past week as she prepares for the final weekend of the tough primary in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. Grayson, a Windermere biomedical researcher, increased her personal investment into her campaign to $150,000 just this summer. The result has been that she heads into the […]

Scott PowersAugust 26, 2016

A Houston billionaire tied to hedge fund and energy interests has turned to supporting state Sen. Darren Soto and opposing Dena Grayson and Susannah Randolph in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. The “Common Sense Leadership For America” political action committee, founded and funded by John Arnold and his wife, Laura Arnold, spent $14,000 this month on phone messaging […]

Scott PowersAugust 26, 2016

California Democratic U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez will be campaigning with state Rep. Darren Soto in a caravana event in Kissimmee Sunday for his bid to win Tuesday’s primary in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. Sanchez, who represents part of Los Angeles, currently serves as chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and is running for vice-chair of […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterAugust 24, 2016

Dena Grayson leads her opponents in Florida’s 9th Congressional District, but with less than a week until the primary the race remains tight. A new St. Pete Polls survey found Grayson has a 6 percentage point lead over her nearest competitor in the district. The survey, conducted for FloridaPolitics.com, found Grayson is at 33 percent, […]

Scott PowersAugust 24, 2016

State Sen. Darren Soto has made no secret of his desire to become Florida’s first member of Congress of Puerto Rican descent, but on Tuesday he drove that home at an Orlando debate calling his opportunity “historic.” Soto is one of four Democrats and two Republicans running in Florida’s 9th Congressional District, redrawn last year to […]

Scott PowersAugust 18, 2016

The Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida announced it will be hosting a late debate in the Orlando-based Florida’s Congressional District 9 race. The Aug. 23 debate — one week out from the primary — will feature two of the four Democrats running, progressive activist Susannah Randolph and state Sen. Darren Soto, both of Orlando; and the two […]

Scott PowersAugust 15, 2016

This is the year that Central Florida gays step boldly into the political spotlight, joining an increasingly large outpouring of gay candidates statewide. Four openly gay Orlando-area Democratic candidates are running for election in federal and state races this year; Valleri Crabtree in Florida’s 9th Congressional District centered in south Orlando and Kissimmee; Bob Poe in […]

Tag: Valleri Crabtree
Image via AP.

Bill Rufty: Polk becoming a two-Party county?

Wayne Liebnitzky, Darren Soto to face off in CD 9

Alan Grayson looms large in race to succeed him in U.S. House

Dena Grayson adds $35K loan for CD 9 campaign

Houston billionaire backing Darren Soto in CD 9 race

Linda Sanchez and Darren Soto to caravana Kissimmee in CD 9

Dena Grayson leads Susannah Randolph 33% to 27% in CD 9

Darren Soto sees his CD 9 campaign as ‘historic’ to represent Puerto Ricans

Tiger Bay Club to host CD 9 debate

The year of the openly gay candidate in Central Florida and other parts of Florida