Witness in gerrymandering trial says race was a major factor in creation of Tampa Bay’s Senate District 16

SD 16 includes a portion of South St. Petersburg before stretching across Tampa Bay to join a substantial part of Hillsborough County.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix June 11, 2025July 23, 2025

News & Views

Federal judge won’t temporarily halt most of Florida’s new ballot initiative restrictions

Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker’s ruling allows Florida to proceed with enforcing most of HB 1205, one of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ top priorities for this year’s legislative session.

by Jackie Llanos and Florida Phoenix June 5, 2025June 13, 2025

News & Views

Senate candidate Tamika Lyles says she’s being discriminated against and the Florida Democratic Party is ‘promoting’ another candidate

Lyles’ campaign on Tuesday issued a lengthy statement expressing its anger.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix June 5, 2025August 3, 2025

News & Views

Former Republican David Jolly has officially entered the race for Florida governor—as a Democrat

The 52-year-old Pinellas County resident is the first major Democratic candidate to enter the race.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix June 5, 2025July 17, 2025

News & Views

Democratic candidate for Florida Attorney General rails against power companies, stolen wages and more

José Javier Rodríguez says, ‘I made my career taking on the corrupt and powerful.’

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix June 3, 2025July 21, 2025

News & Views

Backers of Florida’s new recreational marijuana initiative say the measure is unlikely to get to voters without help from the courts

Smart & Safe Florida, a PAC sponsoring the proposal, filed an emergency motion for a preliminary injunction on Friday.

by Dara Kam and News Service of Florida June 3, 2025July 5, 2025

News & Views

Feds give Florida’s Republican party green light to join ballot initiative lawsuit

Critics of a new law say it violates their rights to free speech and due process.

by Christine Sexton and Florida Phoenix June 2, 2025July 22, 2025

News & Views

David Jolly and Josh Weil test drive campaign messages at Pinellas town hall

Both Democrats said they’ll likely announce candidacies for governor and U.S. Senate next month.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix May 21, 2025June 18, 2025

News & Views

Byron Donalds brings campaign for governor to Largo, but provides few details on policy

He was at MAGA coffee shop Conservative Grounds.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix May 14, 2025June 14, 2025

News & Views

Marijuana legalization group joins the fight against Florida’s crackdown on ballot initiatives

Smart & Safe Florida called new restrictions signed into law by Gov. DeSantis ‘legislative gaslighting.’

by Christine Sexton and Florida Phoenix May 13, 2025July 31, 2025

A row of white voting booths with 'VOTE' and American flag graphics inside a busy polling place or election office, with people and camera crew visible in the background.

News & Views

Florida bill requiring voters to show proof of citizenship fails, drawing relief on both sides of the issue

The bill angered voting rights and voting integrity advocates alike.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix May 9, 2025June 3, 2025

News & Views

Trulieve gives almost $20M to Florida’s latest recreational pot effort

Trulieve made about $145 million in contributions to back a recreational marijuana amendment on the 2024 ballot.

by News Service of Florida April 14, 2025May 12, 2025

News & Views

More than 150,000 people have signed Florida’s new recreational pot petition

by News Service of Florida April 9, 2025July 12, 2025

News & Views

St. Pete consultant responds to critics of massive fundraising in Florida’s special elections

Jackson McMillan’s candidates in deep red districts lost by double digits, despite the campaigns hauling in more than $20 million.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix April 8, 2025June 29, 2025

Elections, News & Views

‘They had to call Daddy’: Florida Democrats find positives in Tuesday’s special election losses

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix April 3, 2025

News & Views

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera announces run for Florida State House

Viera is running to represent District 67 in 2026, where House Democratic leader Fentrice Driskell is terming out.

by Selene San Felice April 2, 2025June 10, 2025

News & Views

Democrats Gay Valimont and Josh Weil swept in Florida’s two congressional special elections

Sen. Randy Fine and former Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis are headed to Washington D.C.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix April 1, 2025June 15, 2025

News & Views

Bill making it harder for Florida citizens to put amendments on the ballot heads to house floor

Critics said HB125 would effectively kill the citizen-led amendment process.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix March 27, 2025April 3, 2025

News & Views

Former Pinellas Congressman David Jolly is considering running for governor as a Democrat

He’s a former Republican, and current MSNBC analyst.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix March 26, 2025April 24, 2025

News & Views

Democrats are raising a lot of money for special elections that Republicans are favored to win

Democrats’ favorability rankings are in the tank, according to recent surveys.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix March 25, 2025April 1, 2025