Ever since I acquired the rights to the perfect domain for my efforts ā FloridaPolitics.com ā I knew that one day, this website would have to be put out to pasture.
Well, after more than 51,000 posts, this is the final one.
Going forward, I am devoting my full energies to the Florida Politics brand, whether it be the website, email programs like “Sunburn” and “Last Call,” or our gorgeous, award-winning INFLUENCE Magazine. Keep Reading
Two days after the St. Petersburg City Council passed an ordinance limiting campaign contributions, which is expected to be legally challenged, Council ChairĀ Darden Rice was still exulting. A former president of the League of Women Voters in St. Pete, Rice was an early champion of the just passed measure that … Keep Reading
Four of the top five teams in the country kicked off their games at noon Eastern on Saturday, which suggests that all were expected to roll.Ā No. 2 Clemson, No. 4 Penn State and No. 5 Georgia all did just that. Then there was No. 3 Oklahoma. The Sooners and Iowa … Keep Reading
After hours of debate, the St. Petersburg City Council approved a campaign-finance reform measure Thursday, which could have national implications. The final vote was 6-2, with Council members Ed Montanari and Jim Kennedy dissenting. Once the final vote became clear, the crowd in city chambers erupted with cheers. … Keep Reading
If there was any doubt about the interest level in the ‘battle of the two Ricks,’ check the latest campaign finance reports for Rick Kriseman and Rick Baker, both of whom raised substantial money during the last two weeks of September.Ā … Keep Reading
Hispanic voters in Florida, New Mexico and California have waved Mexican flags and bashed Donald Trump piƱatas ā clashing with police, at times ā to protest the Republican presidential contender’s hard-line approach to immigration. Yet far from the protests, an increasingly vocal Hispanic minority is speaking out in favor of the brash billionaire. They are backing Trump even in the face of resentment and suspicion from friends and family, who are among the overwhelming majority of non-white voters opposed to…
Americans For Prosperity Florida is praising the Sarasota County CommissionĀ for rejecting a financialĀ incentive to help lure an out of townĀ private company to relocate their business in the county. āWeāre thrilled to see Sarasota County reject the calls from special interests to take taxpayer dollars and give it away to a private company,ā said state director, Chris Hudson. āThese local businesses have every right to be upset that their tax dollars are being used to bring their competitors in from other…
Tampa Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor is endorsing St. Petersburg-based attorney Ben Diamond in the campaign for the open House District 68 seat. āBen is a strong leader on issues that matter to us in Tampa Bay,” Castor said in a statement released by the Diamond campaign on Thursday. “Ben’s work on the Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative in 2014 shows he will be a good partner to work with in preserving our unique and beautiful Florida environment which in…
Prosecutors have dismissedĀ theĀ criminalĀ case against theĀ man known asĀ “Capitol Pitbull Dude.” Leon County court dockets show charges ofĀ trespassing and resisting an officer, both misdemeanors, were dropped last week against 35-year-oldĀ Antonio Ringo Davis.Ā Davis first became known as āCapitol Pitbull Dudeā and āCapitol Bulldog Guyā after he and his dog were escorted out of a Senate committee hearing this past session. AĀ written explanationĀ for the “nolle prosequi” from the State Attorney’s Office in Tallahassee showed that prosecutors “believe he may have mental health issues.”…
In a Republican primary in a state House race in Tampa Bay, a handful of endorsements matter more than others. Were incoming House SpeakerĀ Richard CorcoranĀ to offer an endorsement or oneĀ of the region’s Repbulican U.S. Representatives or state Senators, that would really count for something. The same can be said of an endorsement from former House SpeakerĀ Will Weatherford. Earning his support is what’s known as a “big get.” And that’s whatĀ Rebecca SmithĀ has todayĀ — a big get. Smith’s campaign announced Thursday morning…
I was catching a flight a few years ago at Chicagoās OāHare International Airport during summer travel season. The American Airlines non-stop to Tampa was going to be overstuffed with crying babies, stressed parents, restless 6-year-olds and travelers trying to fill an overhead bin with more stuff than would fit into a Winnebago. I must have looked extra forlorn because the exhausted ticket agent surveyed the gate area and told me apologetically, āWe have taken a premium service and turned…
he Republican Party really be serious about rejiggering the primary calendar, as has reported in places like the New York Times and the Boston Globe earlier this week? We’ve heard a lot in the past few weeks how presidential politics have changed – perhaps forever – by the campaigns of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Whether that’s actually true remains to be seen, obviously. According to the Times’ Jeremy Peters, GOP party activists are also talking up the idea of…