Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschJuly 20, 2016

While Florida’s delegates to the Republican National Convention noshed on a Tuesday morning breakfast fit for a Hubert Mizell column — chicken & waffles, honestly cheesy grits, and cinnamon sticky buns — Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam extolled on the virtues of living under GOP rule in the Sunshine State. “The economy was in the tank, and we had more […]

Mitch PerryJuly 7, 2016

The Rebecca Smith campaign announced Thursday the House District 60 Republican has yet another feather in her cap of support, getting the endorsement of the Greater Tampa Association of REALTORS (GTAR). “With more than three decades of experience in the Tampa Bay area construction industry, GTAR is pleased to endorse Rebecca Smith for the Florida House District […]

Drew WilsonJune 28, 2016

House District 21 candidate Chuck Clemons announced Tuesday he has picked up endorsements from the past three speakers of the Florida House. Former Republican House Speakers Larry Cretul, Dean Cannon and Will Weatherford backed Clemons’ campaign in the Gainesville-based seat currently held by Republican Rep. Keith Perry, who is running for Senate in the newly […]

Jim RosicaJune 2, 2016

Kristen McDonald, who’s been communications director for the Florida House Republicans, is heading to Hill+Knowlton Strategies‘ Tallahassee office. The move was announced Wednesday. She joins another House staffer now there: H+K vice president Ryan Duffy, who was chief spokesman for former House Speaker Will Weatherford in 2012-14. McDonald was communications director for the Office of the Majority […]

Mitch PerryJune 1, 2016

My colleague Jim Rosica has a piece up this morning entitled, “Did Adam Putnam just launch the first ad of the 2018 gubernatorial campaign?” Check it out and decide for yourself whether indeed that’s the case. What’s truly not in dispute is that the 41-year-old Agriculture commissioner has been THE guy referred to by seemingly everyone […]

Peter SchorschMay 26, 2016

In a Republican primary in a state House race in Tampa Bay, a handful of endorsements matter more than others. Were incoming House Speaker Richard Corcoran to offer an endorsement or one of the region’s Republican U.S. Representatives or state Senators, that would really count for something. The same can be said of an endorsement from former House […]

Peter SchorschApril 1, 2016

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush will be in Tampa this month at a fundraising luncheon hosted by former Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford. Bush, son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will appear Tuesday, April 12, at the Oxford Exchange in Tampa. Co-hosting the event, which begins at noon, is A-list lobbyist Slater Bayliss […]

Mitch PerryMarch 16, 2016

We’ll save you our post-mortems about Marco Rubio‘s failed candidacy for the presidency, since you can find them all over the web this morning. We wrote last week how startled we were about the lack of support in his own state, and that was before Alex Leary‘s devastating portrayal in Sunday’s Tampa Bay Times. A notable […]

Mitch PerryMarch 15, 2016

Joe Gruters‘ association with the Donald Trump campaign is controversial, because, well, Donald Trump is controversial. Gruters became campaign chairman for Trump in Florida last fall. His other public duties include being vice chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, chairman of the Sarasota County Republican Executive Committee, and a member of Florida State University’s board […]

Mitch PerryMarch 15, 2016

When both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio opted last year to compete in the 2016 Republican presidential race, Florida Republicans had to decide which Miami-area candidate to support. In most cases, they supported Bush. But after the former Florida governor’s campaign flamed out in South Carolina last month, expectations were that many of those same […]

Tag: Will Weatherford
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 4/18/25-Candles and remembrances are left near the Unconquered statue a few hours after the Florida State University Gathering of Unity Vigil held Friday to honor victims of the recent mass shooting. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

Richard Corcoran for Governor in 2018?

Greater Tampa Association of Realtors backing Rebecca Smith in HD 60 race

Chuck Clemons picks up endorsements from past Florida House Speakers

Personnel note: Kristen McDonald headed to H+K

Mitch Perry Report for 6.1.16 — Let the 2018 GOP gubernatorial chatter begin

Big get: Will Weatherford backs Rebecca Smith in HD 60

George P. Bush to visit Tampa April 12 for fundraising luncheon

Mitch Perry Report for 3.16.16 – How does Bernie Sanders move on from here?

Joe Gruters confident GOP will come together to back Donald Trump

Will Weatherford denounces GOP leadership for not stopping Donald Trump