The outcome of local elections will affect us at least as much as anything that happens nationally. With that in mind it’s worth taking stock of our local political landscape post-apocalypse, because it’s a whole lot better than Gomorrah and, ironically, almost entirely Republican.
Campaign Finance
$1.25 Million Book Deal Drives Up DeSantis’s Net Worth
Gov. Ron DeSantis likes to refer to his blue collar roots, growing up on the west coast of Florida, especially now that he has been campaigning for president. But a $1.25 million book deal helped drive up his net worth into the millionaires’ club in 2022.
Leann Pennington, Theresa Pontieri, Will Furry and Cathy Heighter Win, Half-Cent Tax Passes, Amendments Fail
For Flagler County and Palm Coast, it is an election of new faces: four races, four newcomers to elected office: Leann Pennington won a seat on the County Commission, Theresa Pontieri and Cathy Heighter won seats to the Palm Coast City Council, and Will Furry won a Flagler County School Board seat.
Flagler County’s Sordid Primary Ends Today With Last Day of In-Person Voting
Today is Election Day, or the final day of voting in what, thanks to a handful of candidates, has been one of the more sordid primaries in Flagler County history. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Unlike during early voting, you are required to vote at your assigned precinct.
Conklin, Massaro and Woolbright Win School Board, Sullivan Survives, and Finally, It’ll Be Judge Alicia Washington To You
Jill Woolbright and Cheryl Massaro won seats on the Flagler County School Board, and Colleen Conklin, at 20 years the longest serving elected official in the county, won her sixth term. Dave Sullivan won reelection to the County Commission. But the Palm Coast City Council is still very much in flux.
Last Day to Vote in Primary Began With 21,000 Ballots Already In and Historic Mail-In Count
Though powered by the largest vote-by-mail volume in the county’s history, Flagler County’s 2020 primary election turnout would need a relatively strong in-person voting tally today to exceed 2018’s turnout of 30 percent. The 2016 primary turnout of 27 percent is a closer target.
Flagler Commissioner Joe Mullins Pays $750 Fine in Settlement of Campaign Finance Violations Claim
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins paid the Florida Elections Commission a $750 fine on April 17 to settle allegations that he had accepted illegal campaign contributions during his 2018 run against then-Commissioner Nate McLaughlin.
Citizens United, the Court Ruling That Sold Our Democracy
With Citizens United, the Supreme Court essentially married the terrible idea that “money is speech” to the terrible idea that “corporations are people.” There’s a way out.
What Would It Cost to Buy the 2020 Election?
At $100 a vote, a victory in November 2020 would run Michael Bloomberg $6.3 billion. He is currently sitting on a personal fortune worth $52 billion. He could easily afford it.
DeSantis Says Soviet-Born Businessman Arrested on Campaign-Finance Charges Was “Just Like Any Other Donor”
DeSantis was among Florida Republican candidates who received contributions during the 2018 election cycle from Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who were arrested on campaign-finance charges involving the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action.
Rick Staly, Unusually Popular for a Flagler Sheriff, Announces Re-Election Run as Challengers Have Yet To Appear
Sheriff Rick Staly, riding continued popularity, announced his run for a second term by pointing to more work and new initiatives ahead. In 2016 he broke campaign finance records. He says he’s ready to do what’s necessary to win, but it is unlikely that he will face the challengers he did in 2016, when nine candidates ran.
Hansen, Mullins Win County Commission, Howell and Branquinho Win Palm Coast, McDonald Re-Elected to School Board
The races for Flagler County Commission and Palm Coast council were not close in a mid-term election that saw turnout rise to an astounding 64 percent.
Buying Their Election: Mullins and Hansen Shatter Spending Records for Flagler County Commission Seats
The nearly $200,000 Joe Mullins and Greg Hansen have spent so far puts them on pace to match or outspend all 26 other county commission candidates in the past three years combined.
Campaign Cash Fuels TV Ads for Adam Putnam and Philip Levine in Governor’s Race
As the leading fundraisers in their party primaries for governor, Adam Putnam and Philip Levine have an advantage over their rivals when it comes to reaching voters.
Adding To Troubled Run, Flagler Commission Candidate Joe Mullins Blurs Business And Electioneering
Joe Mullins, a candidate for the County Commission seat held by Nate McLaughlin, is blurring the line between campaigning and private business in a series of local involvements, a FlaglerLive investigation found.
Flagler Voter Registrations Surge to 90%, Aiding GOP as Democrats Fall to Historic Low
Flagler County’s voter registration rolls have surged by 21 percent since 2009, resulting in a 90 percent registration rate, with Republicans riding a 4,500-voter advantage over Democrats.
Florida Ban on Judges’ Campaign Cash Teeters as Supreme Court Takes On The Case
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ultimate decision in the Florida case could have far-reaching ramifications, as 30 of the 39 states that elect judges have some kind of restriction on judicial candidates making personal pitches for campaign money.
Special Election for House: Renner Hauls In $76,500. His Three Opponents Combined: $355
Renner’s $76,500 dwarfed amounts not exceeding $180 raised by three other candidates in the District 24 race — Republicans Sheamus McNeeley and Ron Sanchez and Democrat Adam Morley. Republican Danielle Anderson filed a waiver, as she had not posted a report on the state Division of Elections website by week’s end.
Commission Incumbents Meeker and McLaughlin Win, McDonald Beats Fischer for School Board, Shipley and Nobile Win Palm Coast; Scott Wins, Pot Busts
With 21,000 votes in–early vote tallies and absentee ballots–County Commission incumbents Frank Meeker and Nate McLaughlin have taken commanding leads against challengers Howard Holley and Denise Calderwood, with Meeker polling 58 percent and McLaughlin close to 60 percent.
U.S. Supreme Court Takes Up Florida Lawyer’s Appeal of Ban on Judicial Candidates’ Campaign Solicitations
Lanell Williams-Yulee was disciplined by the Florida Bar for violating a rule barring judicial candidates from soliciting money when running for judgeships. The U.S. Supreme Court may reverse that rule, affecting 30 states where similar bans are in place.
The People’s Guide to Defeating the Koch Brothers
People are more powerful than all of Sheldon Adelson’s and the Koch Brothers’ money combined, argues Stephen Goldstein, so if enough voters see through the barrage of lies and deceptions that engulf them in elections, people-power can neutralize the money peddlers.
Corruption Theorem: Money as Speech and the Supreme Court’s Death Blow to Democracy
We’ve come a long way from the days of Lawton Chiles, who won his election for governor despite limiting contributions to $10 a pop. There is no longer any bidding limit on the vast auction block American politics has become since, writes Martin Dyckman.
The Dark Money Man: How Sean Noble Moved the Kochs’ Cash into Politics and Made Millions
Sean Noble was a former congressional aide just starting as a political consultant when he was recruited to help run the Kochtopus — Charles and David Koch’s multi-layered political network.
An Ethics Bill Negotiated in Secret Heads to Gov. Scott, Preserving Lobbying Perks
The ethics bill approved by the Florida House dropped a two-year prohibition on legislators taking quasi-lobbying jobs with firms trying to influence the Legislature; it would increase the amount that each contributor can give to candidates during an election, and unlimited donations could go to political committees.
Florida Voter Group Argues for a Free Speech Right to Secrecy and Unregulated PACs
The state says it is justified in requiring disclosures of information about political action committee contributions and expenditures. Plaintiffs, arguing their case before a federal appeals court Tuesday, say they should be free to express themselves on political issues without registering as a committee and filling out campaign documents.
Florida House Votes to Boost Campaign Donation Ceiling in State and Local Elections
The proposal cleared the chamber on a 75-39 vote, as four Democrats broke with their party to support the GOP-backed measure. The bill would boost contribution limits, allowing each donor to give $5,000 per election to a statewide candidate and $3,000 per election to local and legislative candidates.
Bogus Democracy: How Dark Money Helped Republicans Hold the House and Hurt Voters
A million more Americans voted for Democrats seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives than Republicans. That advantage did not result in control of the chamber. Redistricting and secret money were key to the disparity.
Holland-Hutson Money Race Still Lopsided; Manfre Doubles Take, Closing Fleming Gap
The last two weeks of September saw Travis Hutson add almost as much money to his treasure chest–$13,000–as Milissa Holland raised in the entire election cycle ($15,502). Sheriff Candidate Jim Manfre has raised $19,000 to incumbent Don Fleming’s $24,000.
In Flagler’s Elections, Some Coffers Are Depleted, Some Rich in Out-Of-County Donors
The biggest contrast s in the Frank Meeker-Abby Romaine race for the Flagler County Commission, with almost 80 percent of Meeker’s money coming from out of the county, and 100 percent of Romaine’s coming from within it.