Richard Swarttz, longtime chief financial offer for the Republican Party of Florida, was "let go" Monday morning, victim of the party's cost-cutting measures.

The Florida Retail Federation (FRF) started 2016 with new leadership as Randy Miller, who had been executive vice president, takes over as president and CEO after the retirement of longtime leader Rick McAllister. Besides his new post at FR, Miller will also lead the Georgia Retail Association (GRA) where he also served as executive vice president. 

On Monday, Miller promoted two FRF staffers as Melissa Joiner Ramba and Samantha Hunter Padgett were named vice presidents. 

It's a sure bet that lawmakers won't sign off on a $3 billion agreement with the Seminole Tribe that Gov. Rick Scott handed over last month.

Brad Herold is stepping down as executive director of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) to manage U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis’, R-Fla., bid to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Aside from chatter about the partisan skew of a Senate redistricting plan selected Wednesday by Leon County Circuit Judge George Reynolds, the biggest question about the new lines is how they might alter the future of incumbent senators who hope to run again in 2016.

In true 2015 style, social media dominated the news scene in Florida and national politics. Websites like Twitter, Facebook, and apps like Periscope vastly altered the way politicos received news in 2015.

Shortly after the 2016 legislative session goes through its opening rituals, the House and Senate will take up a statewide water-policy proposal more than two years in the making.

The proposal (SB 552 and HB 7005), which sped through legislative committees, has attracted some last-minute opposition from environmental groups that contend it wouldn't go far enough to ensure clean waterways.

But the package, a priority of Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, is expected to quickly win approval from the House and Senate.

The new year promises to be a busy one in Florida politics even as the presidential race dominates the headlines. 

U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., is going to bat for a congressman in South Florida and Democrats are looking to make an issue of it. 

Former New York Gov. George Pataki ended his dark horse bid for the Republican presidential nomination on Tuesday night.