2016 Republican presidential nomination

Rick Scott: GOP needs to unify around Donald Trump

Published on May 10, 2016 in 2017/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is telling #NeverTrump’ers: Get with the program. “My goal with regard to the presidential race is to get the Republican Party unified,” he said. The Naples Republican, who officially endorsed Trump, spoke to reporters after a Florida Cabinet meeting. “It’s a clear choice,” the governor said. “We’ve got a businessperson, Donald Trump, who knows how to build jobs. On the other side, we have a career politician that’s never created a job in her life,” referring…

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Marco Rubio speaks to New Hampshire House of Representatives on Wednesday

Published on January 18, 2016 in 2017/Top Headlines by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster

Marco Rubio may be on familiar territory during a trip to New Hampshire this week. Rubio is set to head to the Granite State on Wednesday, according to his campaign. The Florida senator is scheduled to address the New Hampshire House of Representatives on Wednesday morning. The address could remind campaign watchers of Rubio’s early days in politics. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2000 and was House Speaker from 2006 to 2008. The speech is…

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Jeb Bush super PAC targets Chris Christie, John Kasich in New Hampshire

Published on December 29, 2015 in 2017/Statewide by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster

A super PAC supporting Jeb Bush will begin airing advertisements in New Hampshire this week as the former Florida governor tries to make gains in advance of the state’s Feb. 9 primary. On Tuesday, Right to Rise USA released a 30-second spot that contrasts Bush’s record with the records of Govs. Chris Christie and John Kasich. The advertisement — dubbed “Three Governors” — focuses on Bush’s record in several areas, including hurricane response, job creation and health care. Bush has…

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New polling from Associated Industries shows Donald Trump strong but “race still young”

Published on December 22, 2015 in 2017/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

New polling shows Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump sweeping primaries in Florida and early-vote state New Hampshire, and tying with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in South Carolina. The pollster, though, warns the “race is still young” and “there is still much room for movement for virtually all of the candidates.” More to the point, other focus-group surveys suggest Trump “may have hit his ceiling.” The polling of “likely” Republican voters was done this month by Associated Industries of Florida, one of the state’s premier business lobbies, for its…

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In Paris, evil has visited again, Chris Christie tells #SunshineSummit

Published on November 14, 2015 in 2017/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

The Paris attacks had New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie stress that the first responsibility of the presidency is “protecting the safety, security and freedom of the American people,” he said Saturday. Christie, one of the Republican contenders for president, spoke at the Sunshine Summit in Orlando, burnishing his ‘law and order’ reputation as a federal prosecutor. After leading in the polls through late 2013, he’s been struggling to gain traction in the race, averaging 2.3 percent. The audience obliged, rising in volume to…

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Bobby Jindal talks radical Islam, immigration at #SunshineSummit

Published on November 14, 2015 in 2017/Statewide by Jim Rosica

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal took a scattershot approach in his Sunshine Summit speech Saturday, bouncing between political correctness, immigration and national security. He first chided fellow candidate Donald Trump, however, for equating Ben Carson‘s childhood “pathological temper” to a child molester in comments to CNN. Saying it was an “insane comment,” Jindal told the crowd, “I’m for all an exchange of ideas, (but) folks, there is a line we should not cross.” He also called out college students at the University of Missouri for recent protests,…

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Carly Fiorina, Ted Cruz added to RPOF’s Sunshine Summit

Published on October 9, 2015 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jim Rosica

The Republican Party of Florida is racking up still more presidential contenders as guests at its Sunshine Summit next month, scoring U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. The party made the announcement in a Friday morning news release. The addition of Cruz and Fiorina “is further proof that this is the most significant event in Florida politics this fall,” RPOF Chairman Blaise Ingoglia said. “We look forward to them firing up the grassroots as we build…

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