2016 state Senate races Archives

Dwight Bullard says he plans to stay in Senate District 40 race

Published on June 17, 2016 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster

Dwight Bullard is staying in District 40. Bullard, a Cutler Bay Democrat, said Friday he plans to stay in District 40, despite speculation that he may be mount a run in Senate District 38. In a statement Friday, Bullard said he is committed to the South Dade community, and couldn’t think of a “more rewarding areas to have the privilege of continuing to serve. “I’ve gone to elementary school in this District, graduated high school in this District, and I continue to…

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Anitere Flores leads Senate pack in latest fundraising

Published on June 8, 2016 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Peter Schorsch

Miami Republican Sen. Anitere Flores announced Wednesday that she raised more than $250,000 last month between her campaign and political committee. “I am humbled and overwhelmed by the continued support our campaign has received, not only door-to-door in the community, but also by financial support within the region and our district,” Flores said. “Every dollar raised equates to direct voter contact and increasing our ability to get out our message and meeting our goals for our campaign. We are fighting…

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Update on the money race in in Tampa Bay legislative races

Published on May 17, 2016 in Peter/Top Headlines by Peter Schorsch

Six months out from Election Day, the Senate seats races in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties are in much the same condition they were in March. Republican Sens. Jeff Brandes, Jack Latvala, Tom Lee and Bill Galvano are still running unopposed in their newly redrawn districts, and in SD19 first-term Rep. Ed Narain continues to build on his fundraising lead over fellow Democratic Rep. Darryl Rouson and former Rep. Betty Reed. The only major change on the Senate side since March was the May 2…

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Dana Young cited as “Republican force” in Roll Call

Published on May 9, 2016 in Statewide/The Bay and the 'Burg by Ryan Ray

In Tallahassee, Tampa Rep. Dana Young has long been considered a pol whose career may transcend the House. Combine her political bloodline (grandfather was Senate President, uncle served in the House) and prowess on the campaign trail (soundly defeated all comers in a swing seat since 2010) and it’s not hard to see Young has more juice than the average mid-bencher. That line of thinking recently got national attention when CQ Roll Call’s Elvina Nawaguna profiled the House Majority Leader and Senate District 18…

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Democrat Rod Smith raises more than $171K in April

Published on May 9, 2016 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster

Rod Smith raised more than $170,000 in April, his campaign announced on Monday. The campaign announced Smith raised $171,625 in the one-month fundraising period. Of that sum, $87,375 went into his personal campaign account. The remaining $84,250 was given to Independent Leadership for Florida, the political committee supporting Smith’s election. The April numbers boost the amount Smith has raised to $456,210. “Because of Rod’s hard work over the last month, he has again put together a strong month of fundraising,”…

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Where sh*t stands in Tampa Bay area 2016 House races

Published on April 14, 2016 in Peter/Top Headlines by Peter Schorsch

Three of the five Senate races in Hillsborough or Pinellas County feature an incumbent running without opposition. In a fourth race – the one for Senate District 18 – Tampa Republican Rep. Dana Young has no challenger yet, although a Democrat is expected to file next week. As of April, SD 19 is the only Bay area seat with more than one candidate. The majority-minority seat covers parts of west Hillsborough and the southern tip of Pinellas, and is somewhat analogous to the seat currently held…

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Dozens of candidates have raised $100,000 or more for their House races

Published on April 12, 2016 in Statewide/Top Headlines by Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster

The end of the 2016 legislative session last month can only mean one thing — election season is coming. Campaign finance reports were due to the state on Monday. The March fundraising reports show that more than two dozen candidates for the Florida House have more than $100,000 in cash on hand, and several candidates raised upwards of $200,000 since getting in the race. The fundraising totals were compiled by On 3 Public Relations. House District 52 — Republican Brian Hodgers…

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