Republican U.S. Rep. John Mica could be facing a challenge from the right come 2012. Last week, self described constitutional Republican Bill Kogut of Ormond Beach filed to run against Mica who has been in Congress since first being elected in 1992 ... Speaking of Mica, the congressman led a congressional delegation on missions to Afghanistan and Italy which ended last week. Mica and the delegation met with Afghanistan President Harmin Karzai as well as soldiers and service members from Florida With U.S. Rep. Connie Mack deciding to stay out of the crowded Republican primary field to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, he could be confronted with a familiar face in 2012. James Roach, a consultant and veteran of the Vietnam War, ran against Mack in 2010 and took 29 percent. Roach has filed to run again in 2012 ...
The Florida Specialty License Plate Association expressed their opposition on Monday to a proposal under consideration in the Legislature to allow corporations to sponsor license plates. The association argued that the proposed law would lead to a decrease of more than 49 percent of the current license plates that help charitable causes The FSU Student Government Association honored a number of lawmakers who have helped their school over the years at the Capitol on Thursday. Honorees included Sen. Evelyn Lynn, R-Daytona Beach, Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, and Rep. Bill Proctor, R-St. Augustine. Proctor, who did undergraduate and graduate studies at FSU -- including earning a Ph.D. -- chairs the Education Committee in the House The Florida Family Policy Council, an organization fighting for social conservative ideals, has targeted four bills for defeat in the rest of the 2011 Legislature. The group is opposing efforts to 1) allow Floridians to play online poker games, 2) a measure that would allow pari-mutuels to split poker rooms from greyhound tracks, 3) permit medical marijuana, and 4) to get Florida to pass the ERA
With whispers continuing to grow that scandals willprevent freshman Republican U.S. Rep. David Rivera from winning a second term, a number of prominent Republicans from the Miami-Dade area continue to look at running for the congressional seats. Names that repeatedly receive attention include Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, former Rep. J.C. Planas and Carlos Curbelo from the Miami-Dade County School Board Former U.S. Rep. Ron Klein will not seek a rematch with Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West in 2012. Klein has decided not to run, leaving the Democratic field with a number of candidates including former West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, businessman Patrick Murphy, Realtor Ryan Rossi and Gulf War veteran Patrick Daniel. Rep. Joe Abruzzo, D-Wellington, and Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon have also been mentioned as possible candidates While all eyes are on the mayoral race in Jacksonville, the race to replace Mike Hogan as Duval County Tax Collector is proving incredibly close. City Councilman Michael Corrigan edged fellow Republican former Rep. Dick Kravitz in the first round of voting by around 2,000 votes. Kravitz abandoned plans to run for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Stephen Wise, R-Jacksonville, to join the race
While former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp had been a leading candidate to run for Congress if Mack joined the Senate race, he is still keeping tabs on national issues, calling for Congress to abandon plans for an alternative engine for the F-35 fighter which, he insisted, was a waste of taxpayer dollars. With Florida getting two more congressional seats after redistricting, Kottkamp could still have his eyes on an open congressional seat, since one is expected to be carved out in Southwest Florida Former Winter Park City Commissioner Karen Diebel, who lost out in the 2010 Republican congressional primary to now-U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, continues to have her eyes on Congress. Diebel intends to run for one of the new congressional seats, provided it is, as expected, carved from the central part of the state Whispers are building in Tallahassee that Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, is looking to run for statewide office and could be a gubernatorial candidateto take on Gov. Rick Scott come 2012.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
