Mitch Perry
Florida Politics
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Past articles by Mitch:
Jimmy Patronis adds $304K to CFO campaign warchest
Between his campaign account and political committee, Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis raised more than $304,000 in February for his campaign to continue as Florida Chief Financial Officer. The Panama City Republican raised $232,393 through his campaign account last month, and an additional $… → Read More
Former St. Pete City Council candidate going to court on resisting arrest charge
Akile Anai learned Monday she would be going to court March 27 on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. Better known as Eritha “Akile” Cainion, Anai had recently run under the Uhuru banner for St. Petersburg City Council District 6 last summer. On December 20, … → Read More
National pro-choice group backs Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Lauren Baer for Congress
NARAL Pro-Choice America announced Wednesday they are endorsing Florida Democrats Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Lauren Baer for Congress. Mucarsel-Powell is considered the leading Democrat facing Republican Carlos Curbelo in ultra-competitive South Florida’s 26th Congressional District. Baer is ru… → Read More
Lawsuit seeks to remove Jamie Grant from 2018 ballot
Rep. Jamie Grant’s Republican challenger in the House District 64 primary has filed a lawsuit demanding Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner remove Grant as a candidate, saying he has violated the state’s term limits. &qout;I believe that Rep. Grant, who was first elected to the Florida House in Nov… → Read More
NextGen America to spend $3.5M mobilizing young Floridians for midterms
NextGen America intends to spend as much as $3.5 million to register, engage and turn out young voters across the state of Florida. With an emphasis on the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races, the environmental advocacy nonprofit and political action committee created by San Francisco philanthropis… → Read More
Hillsborough Commission rejects assault weapons ban
Commissioner Les Miller’s proposal to have Hillsborough County ban assault weapons died Wednesday after failing to pick up a second vote from the County Commission. The five-member board did come out to support a measure extending the waiting period to buy a firearm in the county from three days t… → Read More
Educator Sharon Carter enters House District 61 race
As an instructor at Tampa’s Armwood High School since 2015, Sharon Carter believes she is indeed qualified to assess the idea of arming schoolteachers. And Carter, the newest candidate for House District 61, thinks it’s a lousy idea. &qout;No. Not at all,&qout; Carter said succinctly, adding that she also t… → Read More
Things get heated between Tampa police chief, activists on racial disparity
Two community activists got into a verbal altercation Tuesday with Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan, which ended with the chief escorting the pair out of the TPD’s downtown headquarters. Sadie Dean and Angel D’Angelo are with the social justice group Restorative Justice Coalition. They claim to have b… → Read More
St. Pete College awarded $1.6M state grant for technical workforce program
St. Petersburg College was one of 11 recipients of nearly $22 million in Florida Job Growth Grant Funds awarded Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott. SPC received more than $1.5 million for a new mechatronics training program, partnering with several regional businesses to meet demands for workers having au… → Read More
Ed Turanchik raises more than $100K during first month on Tampa mayor campaign trail
Ed Turanchik is making an early statement in his quest to succeed Bob Buckhorn as Tampa mayor in 2019. The attorney/developer/transit activist announced Tuesday he already raised more than $100,000 since declaring his candidacy February 2. “I’m so humbled by the strong show of support from our c… → Read More
St. Pete Councilwoman Brandi Gabbard visits D.C. to talk climate resilience
St. Petersburg City Council member Brandi Gabbard is visiting Washington D.C. this week as part of a discussion on exploring the climate risks facing the U.S. real estate sector. Titled &qout;Building Climate Resilience in the Real Estate Sector,&qout; the forum Tuesday afternoon is sponsored by the Environm… → Read More
Orlando Gudes files to run in Tampa City Council District 5 seat
UPDATED - Retired Tampa Police officer Orlando Gudes is the latest candidate to file for the District 5 City Council seat to be vacated by Frank Reddick in 2019. It is Gudes’ second run for Council. In 2016, he sought the north Tampa District 7 seat, ultimately finishing fourth out of a six-person … → Read More
USF names new head of diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity
Haywood L. Brown has been named the University of South Florida’s new vice president for diversity, inclusion and equal opportunity and Title IX administrator. “Dr. Brown is a highly accomplished and well-respected leader in academic medicine and issues of diversity who will make the University o… → Read More
Pinellas commissioners wants a ban on assault weapons
With local governments in Florida prohibited from regulating firearms, the Pinellas County Commission is making it clear where it stands on several specific gun-control issues that have emerged since the massacre at Parkland nearly three weeks ago. The board discussed a series of proposals at its Fe… → Read More
Illinois U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos to keynote Pinellas Democrats event March 24
Illinois Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos will appear in Clearwater later this month to keynote she annual Pinellas County Democrats’ Prelude to Victory Dinner. Bustos was one of just 12 Democrats to win her seat in the same district that President Donald Trump won in 2016, though nobody did it bette… → Read More
Charlie Crist hopes Donald Trump will push for gun control regulations
While Democrats like Charlie Crist hope Washington can finally address &qout;common sense&qout; gun regulations in the wake of the Parkland massacre, he admits the odds aren’t great that will happen. That’s why he’s hoping President Donald Trump can intervene and push for some of the proposals he mentioned l… → Read More
Jay Fant thinks special Session may be needed to tackle gun issues
On Friday, Florida Senate leaders put off a vote on a package of school safety measures. That delay led Rep. Jay Fant to suggest that if the Legislature can’t get everything right on such an important issue by the end of next week, a special Session &qout;would not be inappropriate.&qout; &qout;I do think that so… → Read More
Hillsborough students say they’ve only just begun to focus on gun control
Only 16 days ago, a mass shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School took the lives of 14 high school students and three adults. Nevertheless, some believe the gun control debate is &qout;over.&qout; That’s what Cafe Con Tampa head Bill Carlson was told when announcing the weekly lecture series would f… → Read More
Luis Viera files for re-election on Tampa City Council; Jim Davison could challenge
In 2016, Luis Viera defeated Jim Davison by just 65 votes to win Tampa City Council District 7. Could there be a rematch in 2019? &qout;I haven’t decided,&qout; Davison said Friday morning, the day after Viera officially filed for re-election. In fall 2016, the two men engaged in an intense battle for the Nor… → Read More
John Dingfelder first to file for City Council District 3 race
John Dingfelder, who served on the Tampa City Council from 2003-2010, wants back in; he filed Friday as a candidate for the citywide District 3 race. The seat is currently held by Council Chair Yolie Capin, who is term-limited in 2019. The news is no surprise, as Dingfelder told Florida Politics las… → Read More