Former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the frontrunner in the race to be the Democratic nominee for state CFO, is holding as many fundraisers as possible before the end of the reporting quarter on March 31. With two fundraising events already this week, Ausley will be in Miami on the March 22 and Jacksonville on March 25 to raise more dough for her campaign Meanwhile, state Sen. Dave Aronberg keeps building his team in the north part of the state for a bid to become Florida attorney general. This week Aronberg announced the backing of the clerks of court in Columbia, Gilchrist, Putnam, Taylor and Union Counties
Mack 2016? Mack 2020? U.S. Rep. Connie Mack will be hosting a G.O.P. fundraiser in New Hampshire next month. While New Hampshire may hold the nations first primary, there are no signs that Mack is planning a presidential bid in 2012... U.S Rep. Kendrick Meek is not the only politician looking to get on the ballot by petition. While Meek is still getting signatures for his bid for the U.S. Senate, Democratic Senate Leader Al Lawson, D-Tallahassee, has made the ballot by petition for his bid to try and topple U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd
The federal stimulus package had $4 billion in it for renovating and buying foreclosed properties. The first one was sold this week in Orlando. Mayor Buddy Dyer is a supporter of the program. "It has allowed us not to have abandoned property in the neighborhood that would be an eyesore and a nuisance, Dyer said It's been a bad week for Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton. According to a mayoral spokesman, the mayor and his team were surprised by the St. Joe Company announcement that it would be leaving Jacksonville. Then, Peyton watched the city council shoot down his plans to extend the citys garbage contract with Waste Management
John Walsh of Americas Most Wanted endorsed Gov. Charlie Crist this week in the U.S. Senate campaign. The Crist team made the most of the endorsement to reinforce Crists conservative credentials on crime Looks like Attorney General Bill McCollum has an ally in his plan to sue the federal government over the Obama health care plan. McCollum sent a letter to his fellow attorneys general inviting other states to join Florida. South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster, who like McCollum is gunning for his states Republican gubernatorial nomination, has signed on. Other Florida Republicans are on the fence about the constitutionality of the health care proposal, including U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart. Diaz-Balart said he was undecided if the measure was constitutional
It hasn't gotten any attention, but North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns has a real pro directing his campaign for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination. Earlier this month, Burns brought in Mario Piscatella to handle campaign duties. The former executive director of the Florida Young Democrats, Pisactella is the founder of MPA Political Consulting, based in St. Johns, FL. Piscatella serves as a trainer for Democracy For America, has managed a number of political campaigns and served on Chris Dodds presidential campaign staff. Burns has a long way to go to catch Kendrick Meek, but this is a step in the right direction.
Kevin Derby can be reached at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or (904) 521-3722.
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