Democrats seize on cherry-picked claim that ‘Medicare-for-all’…

"We know that Medicaid expansion and Medicare-for-all actually save this state and this nation $2 trillion if it were fully implemented." - Andrew Gillum, Democratic candidate for Florida governor, in a primary debate, Aug. 2, 2018 As our colleague David Weigel reported, Democrats have latched onto the catchy idea of "Medicare-for-all" as a way of expressing their support for universal health care.

Florida lobster fishermen fear trade war amid Irma recovery Source: AP

Just as they prepare for a crucial harvest in the wake of Hurricane Irma, lobster fisherman in the Florida Keys fear a trade war with China could undermine storm recovery in the island chain. Lobsters are among the seafood and other U.S. goods hit by Chinese tariffs in early July, after the Trump administration put tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of Chinese goods.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is running for U.S. Senate against Democratic …

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is running for U.S. Senate against Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. Scott's midyear campaign report shows at least $880,000 in contributions from oil, gas and energy executives and employees to his campaign and from the industry to a pro-Scott super PAC.

The Daily 202: Puerto Ricans who fled to Florida after…

Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico last September and prompted a mass exodus of more than 100,000 residents to the mainland United States. The Category 4 storm destroyed much of the island's infrastructure, which was already decaying and crumbling amidst a financial crisis and a bankrupt territorial government.

After millions in ad spending, poll shows Rick Scott-Bill Nelson Senate race hasn’t budged

Despite millions of dollars in television ad spending, Florida's U.S. Senate race between Bill Nelson and Rick Scott hasn't budged. The new results, from a poll conducted Friday and Saturday, are exactly the same as the percentages from an FAU poll released May 8 .

Tampa’s Pam Bondi Goes to Bat for Adam Putnam

With less than six weeks to go until the primary, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi went to bat for state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Bondi appeared at an event in Winter Park with Putnam on Thursday and talked about her experience working with him in the state Cabinet.

Donald Trump Jr. praises Ron DeSantis in Orlando for backing his dad

Donald Trump Jr. campaigned for U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis in Orlando on Wednesday, reminding a group of supporters that DeSantis was one of his father's earliest backers. "Ron DeSantis here, from day one, he got it," said Trump Jr., head of the trust that controls the Trump Organization, speaking to a crowd of about 300 at B.B. King's on International Drive.

Florida attorney general race pits establishment candidates against newcomers

In the race to replace Attorney General Pam Bondi , both the Republican and Democratic primaries feature an establishment-backed candidate facing a challenge from a rival seeking to ride a groundswell of support to victory. On the GOP side, Tampa-area judge Ashley Moody has received Bondi's endorsement, along with the backing of other top Florida Republican leaders, including most of the GOP sheriffs in the state.

Sen. Marco Rubio Endorses Matt Caldwell

Representative Matt Caldwell today received the endorsement of Senator Marco Rubio in his bid for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Senator Marco Rubio said, "As the most conservative candidate in the race for Commissioner of Agriculture, Matt Caldwell has been an unwavering supporter of the Second Amendment, consistently voted to cut taxes and reduce the size of government, and is a staunch supporter of the right-to-life.

International scam bilks Florida mayor’s political committee for $120,000

One of Mayor Lenny Curry's political committees squandered about $120,000 last year by falling victim to an elaborate phone scam that police detectives traced back to Nigeria, according to reports from a Sarasota County Sheriff's Office investigation that included help from the U.S. Secret Service. In May 2017, Eric Robinson - a Sarasota County School Board member and an accountant well known for representing Florida Republican political committees, including Curry's - wired $119,797 from one of Curry's main political committees, Build Something that Lasts, to four different addresses ranging from Wyoming and Ohio to Missouri.

Florida Democrats Ban Private-Prison Donations, but Emails Show Internal Pushback

At a gala fundraiser for the Florida Democratic Party in Hollywood on Sunday, party leaders including Chair Terrie Rizzo stood onstage and repeatedly condemned the Trump Administration for imprisoning immigrant children at detention facilities across the country. But when a group of activists proposed a ban on all political donations from the private-prison companies who profit off Trump's policies, a small but influential minority of old-guard party officials fought back and nearly succeeded in killing the measure.