Fresh Squeezed Politics

Emily’s List again backs Ehrlich

2013-05-16T10:48:24-05:00

Emily’s List, a national fundraising group that backs pro-choice women candidates for political office, is again backing Democrat Jessica Ehrlich in her campaign against U.S. Rep. Bill Young.

Ehrlich, a St. Petersburg lawyer who has worked as a congressional staffer, lost in 2012 to the 22-term Republican from Indian Shores;…

Jaroch: Tampa 912 “one of the first ones targeted”

2013-05-15T10:10:27-05:00

Karen Jaroch, an organizer for the Tampa 912 Project, says she believes the Tampa 912 Project was one of the first tea party-style organizations that faced extra IRS scrutiny after its application for tax-exempt status.

“I believe we were actually one of the first groups targeted,” she said.

Jaroch said…

GOP Hispanic outreach official switches parties

2013-05-14T15:31:33-05:00

Republicans got another indication of the depth of their problems with Hispanic voters this week when Pablo Pantoja of Orlando, formerly Florida Hispanic outreach director for the national Republican Party, announced he’s switching parties and becoming a Democrat.

Pantoja announced the switch on The Florida Nation, a Democratic-leaning news web…

Castor, Crist, local Dems raise $$ for Graham’s daughter

2013-05-13T18:00:06-05:00

Former Gov. Charlie Crist, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor and former Gov. Bob Graham will hold a fundraiser at the home of Stacy Frank in Tampa for Graham’s daughter Gwen Graham, who’s running for the Panhandle U.S. House seat held by Republican Rep. Steve Southerland.

The host committee is a who’s-who…

Joyner designated Senate Democratic leader

2013-05-03T17:02:48-05:00

State Sen. Arthenia Joyner of Tampa has been designated incoming leader of the Democrats in the state Senate, the first black woman to hold that position.

Joyner, a Tampa lawyer elected to the Senate in 2006, will conclude her second term as a state senator in the next two years.…

Castor to Obama: Reform “outdated” Cuba embargo, travel ban

2013-04-23T16:57:38-05:00

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa, fresh back from a trip to Cuba, has told President Barack Obama in a letter that the U.S. travel ban and trade embargo against Cuba are outdated, unproductive and harmful and should be reformed.

In the four-page letter, Castor never quite says “lift the…

U.S. House Dems send Weatherford letter re Medicaid

2013-04-19T18:39:12-05:00

The eight Democratic members of Florida’s U.S. House delegation have sent a letter to state House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, urging him to accept federal Medicaid expansion.

The letter repeats the arguments made by Democrats against plans by Republicans in the Legislature, who say they believe the federal government…

La Gaceta ad, 300 signers, back Castor trip to Cuba

2013-04-18T18:41:07-05:00

Some 300 people, including some prominent political figures, have signed an advertisement to run in La Gaceta Friday backing U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor’s trip to Cuba.

Patrick Manteiga, publisher of the tri-lingual Ybor City newspaper and descendant of a Cuban-American family, said he donated the space and cost of the…

Ehrlich announces she’ll try again v. Young

2013-04-18T18:20:17-05:00

Jessica Ehrlich, unsuccessful Democratic candidate against Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Young of Indian Shores in 2012, has announced she’ll run again in 2014.

“It’s absolutely infuriating to watch what is going on in the U.S. House,” Ehrilich said in a news release. “Instead of looking for solutions to address wasteful…

Sarasota GOP’s next Statesman of the Year: Sean Hannity

2013-04-16T14:58:23-05:00

The Sarasota County Republican Party, which last year named Donald Trump its Statesman of the Year when he came to Sarasota to speak to the local GOP group, has announced its next pick for the honor will be Fox News TV and radio talk show host Sean Hannity.

After hosting…