Looking to return to Tallahassee next year in a Senate seat, former Rep. Ed Hooper, a Clearwater Republican, raised $51,400 in August, according to a newly filed finance report.
Former House Speaker Will Weatherford is backing Ed Hooper for the state senate seat being vacated by Clearwater Republican Jack Latvala, who terms out in 2018.
Republican state Sens. Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg and Dana Young of Tampa on Friday endorsed former state Rep. Ed Hooper in his quest to replace Clearwater Sen. Jack Latvala, who is term-limited in 2018. Brandes called Hooper “a true advocate for his community … thoughtful, collaborative, and trusted.” “These are some of the best qualities in a Senator and I’m happy to endorse him in his campaign for the State Senate,” he said. “He will help make Florida a more…
Democrat Bernie Fensterwald, a Dunedin retiree who lost a challenge to Chris Sprowls in the House District 65 race in North Pinellas County last November by more than 30 percentage points, has filed once again to run for the Legislature. This time Fensterwald is gunning for the state Senate District 16 seat in north Pinellas being vacated by a term-limited Jack Latvala. The only other candidate to file so far for the open seat is former GOP state representative and Clearwater City Commissioner Ed…
When candidates run for local nonpartisan offices — mayor, council member, or commissioner — they’re supposed to keep party politics out of the conversation. And, for the most part, that’s the way it is. But in some races this year, partisan money is helping finance local candidates. Take the City of Largo, for example, where incumbent Curtis Holmes is facing Neil McMullen in the race for Seat 3 on the city commission. McMullen is a descendant of one of Pinellas…
To help citizens go to the polls as informed voters, St. Petersburg College is presenting a debate for local candidates seeking public office in the Nov. 8 general election. The debate, sponsored by SPC’s Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions and co-sponsored by the Tampa Bay Times, will be from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Digitorium on the Seminole campus, 9200 113th St. N. Admission is free, but advance registration is required at solutions.spcollege.edu. Voting is the most…
Isn’t it fun to have new friends to play with? That’s how I felt when I learned that Republican communications operative Brian Burgess was launching The Capitolist website where he (and other notables like Sarah Rumpf) blogs and aggregates. I’ve always been of the opinion that Florida politics needed more bloggers and tweeters and writers. At the national level, when the blogosphere was a new, exciting place, the best of the national bloggers, like Andrew Sullivan, would complement and link to each other’s work one day,…
