Shauna Kanter is a candidate for Palm Coast City Council, District 2, running against Sims Jones, Alan Lowe and Theresa Carli Pontieri. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.
Elections 2024
Appointed in 3-1 Vote, Pete Young Is a Bunnell City Commissioner Again, 14 Years Later
The Bunnell City Commission Monday evening voted 3-1 to appoint Pete Young, who had served one term on the commission between 2006 and 2008, to the seat vacated by the resignation in July of Robert Barnes. It is the sixth time in four years that a seat has turned over on the commission, the third by appointment.
Ballot Effort to Legalize Recreational Marijuana in Florida Launches
Trulieve, the state’s largest medical-marijuana operator, and country-music legends The Bellamy Brothers are backing a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational use of marijuana by people 21 or older.
In Wake of Robert Barnes’s Resignation, Bunnell Commission Grapples With What To Do Next
For the second time in 13 months, the Bunnell City Commission is grappling with a resignation and how–or whether–to fill the vacated seat before the next election, scheduled for March. The charter leaves certain parameters undefined.
FPL’s Covert Campaign Against the Free Press
FPL got a consultant to hire a private investigator who spied on a Florida Times Union reporter, his girlfriend, and their dog. FPL CEO Eric Silagy swears he didn’t do it. And, if somebody did it, he didn’t know about it.
An Open Letter to Flagler County Voters Against Extremism, Buffoonery and Their Disturbing Candidates
The abuse of position and process (particularly by school board members) is egregious. The wasted hours in all three elected boards’ meetings (school board, county commission, Palm Coast council) on ridiculous, petty–or worse: imagined–problems has been sickening to endure, Jake Scully argues in a plea for well-researched votes in the coming elections.
Greg Hansen, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Greg Hansen is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 2 primary on Aug. 23. He faces Janet McDonald and Denise Calderwood. All registered voters in the county, regardless of party affiliation, get to cast a vote in this race, which will decide the next commissioner.
Local Elections Officials Are As Non-Partisan As They Come
Have these officials, as some charge now, used their authority to interfere with America’s democratic process? Do local election officials abuse their power? Research shows they do not, and they have not, whether they are Democratic or Republican. Legislators are a different matter.
Janet McDonald, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Janet McDonald is one of three the Republican candidates for Flagler County Commission, District 2, facing incumbent Greg Hansen and Denise Calderwood in the Aug. 23 primary.
Sally Hunt, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Sally Hunt is challenging incumbent Jill Woolbright in the District 1 race for Flagler County School Board. They are among seven candidates running for three seats on the school board.
Jill Woolbright, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Jill Woolbright is the incumbent candidate in the District 1 race for Flagler County School Board, running against Sally Hunt. Seven candidates are running for three school board seats.
Due to Redistricting, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book Faces Challenger in Re-Election Bid
Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, a Plantation Democrat elected in 2016, is trying to hold onto her seat after the makeup of Senate District 35 changed earlier this year through the once-a-decade reapportionment process. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Book has made her advocacy for preventing child abuse a top priority.
The Independent State Legislature Doctrine Could Reverse 200 Years of Electoral Progress
In a case to be heard in the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court could decide that state legislatures have control over congressional elections, including the ability to draw voting districts for partisan political advantage, unconstrained by state law or state constitutions.
Lance Alred, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Lance Alred is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, one of three in the District 2 race. He faces Will Furry and Courtney VandeBunte. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Joe Mullins, Flagler County Commission Candidate: The Live Interview
Joe Mullins is a Republican candidate for Flagler County Commission, District 4 primary on Aug. 23. He faces Leann Pennington. Mullins has declined participation in the Live Interview.
Renner Embraces Anti-‘Woke’ Rhetoric and DeSantis Sees Red at GOP’s Sunshine Summit
Renner, who highlighted continued work to expand school choice, also said more attention is needed to address corporate pushes toward what are known as environmental, social and governance principles, which often include favoring investment in green energy over fossil fuels.
Christy Chong, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Christy Chong is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election, opposing incumbent Trevor Tucker. all Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Trevor Tucker, Flagler County School Board Candidate: The Live Interview
Trevor Tucker is one of seven candidates in three races for Flagler County School Board in the Aug. 23 primary election. He is opposed by Christy Chong. All Flagler voters, regardless of party affiliation and address, may cast a ballot in these races.
Flagler Supervisor of Elections Is Looking For a Few Good Poll Workers
The Flagler County Supervisor of Elections Office needs you to work this year. Election poll workers are men and women who work at the polling places during Early Voting and on Election Day. They are a critical part of the election process.
Joe Mullins Falsely Claims 2 Associations of Retired Cops Support Him, Drawing Sharp Disavowals
Reeling from publicity about his disrespect of Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Joe Mullins falsely claimed on Facebook this week that he had the “support” of local organizations of retired police officers, drawing disavowals from the presidents of both organizations and being forced to reword the post, which he still got wrong.
As Joe Mullins Draws National Embarrassment Over Troopergate, Pennington Trounces Him in Straw Poll
It’s been the worst week of Joe Mullins’s nearly-four year tenure on the Flagler County Commission, less than six weeks from the Aug. 23 primary, with a Republican Party straw poll showing him far behind challenger Leann Pennington and major national media reporting on his abuse of authority with Florida Highway Patrol troopers.
DeSantis Calls on ‘Moms for Liberty’ at National Summit to Fight ‘Leftist’ Agenda
Claiming that Florida schools are undergoing “leftist indoctrination,” a “leftist agenda,” and “sexualization of children,” Gov. Ron DeSantis called on hundreds of members of “Moms For Liberty,” gathered in Tampa Friday, to fight.
Militant White Identity, Guns and GOP Campaign Ads
The use of guns in political ads has evolved as a coded appeal for white voters. While ads might have been a bit more ambiguous in the past, candidates are increasingly making these appeals appear more militant in their culture war against ideas and politicians they oppose.
State Government Veteran Pete Antonacci Will Lead Florida’s Elections Police
The Legislature voted this year to create the office at DeSantis’ urging in a Republican-led push to ensure “voting integrity” despite the overall agreement that the 2020 election ran smoothly in Florida.
‘If You Get Out of This Car You’re Going to Jail,’ Troopers Warned Joe Mullins in Confrontational Stop
Flagler County Commissioner Joe Mullins was threatened with arrest by troopers as he argued with them and told them, twice, he was an elected official, after being pulled over for going 91.7 mph on I-4 in June, and after initially ignoring the troopers even as one of them clocked him.
Trump, Enraged, Had to Be Physically Kept from Joining Jan. 6 Mob, House Panel Told
Donald Trump had to be held back from joining his enraged, rioting supporters — even after the president was told they were armed — in their assault on the U.S. Capitol, according to astonishing testimony to the Jan. 6 committee Tuesday from a former top White House aide.
Republicans, DeSantis Among Them, Appear Willing to Lynch Democracy
The House hearings on the violent near-coup at the Capitol is the most exciting television since “Game of Thrones,” though with less sex and fewer beheadings. Since eight years of decent progress on social justice under Obama, it’s becoming clear something has gone very wrong with Republican brain-wiring.
Ex-Governor Candidate Andrew Gillum Arrested on Wire Fraud, Lying and Conspiracy Charges
A 21-count indictment, delivered by a grand jury this year and unsealed Wednesday, accused Gillum and a longtime adviser, Sharon Lettman-Hicks, of illegally soliciting and obtaining money from various entities “through false and fraudulent promises and representations that the funds would be used for a legitimate purpose.”
Endorsements Aren’t As Influential as You Think
So far, 94 percent of Trump’s favored candidates have won their Republican primaries. But most of the candidates Trump has chosen to endorse were already on track to win their respective races.
DeSantis Tells Boys State Participants Not to Indulge in ‘Phony Controversies’
Gov. Ron DeSantis let delegates to Florida’s Boys State convention in on what he sees as the secret of his success in office: He determined from the first to fully understand the extent and limits of his powers to enact his agenda, he said, and to take no notice of public opinion polls.
School District’s Half-Penny Sales Surtax Renewal, for Tech and Safety, Will Be on the November Ballot
The Flagler County Commission Monday evening approved on a 4-0 vote placing a referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot to renew for the third time the school district’s half-penny sales surtax. The vote was not a surprise, though it reflects a shift from Commissioner Joe Mullins, who earlier this month was signaling opposition to the tax.
Ron DeSantis Weaponizes School Board Races with Ideological Survey
Among the questions for survey respondents: Whether they support “workforce education,” the Governor’s “increases in teacher compensation,” or the concept of students being “locked out of school or subject to forced masking.”
Florida Teacher Union Declares Backing of Charlie Crist in Governor’s Race
Local educator unions across the state also showed support for Crist, a former Republican governor, Attorney General and, notably, the state’s former Education Commissioner in Florida.
Measure Up to What Vets Fought For: A Call to Flagler’s Community and State Leaders
It is time county commissioners, governors and legislators exhibited some plain common sense, balancing serious gun-safety regulations with responsible gun ownership. The politicians who let the carnage continue are the cowards for not taking action.
Appealing to Trump May Work in Primaries, But Not as Much in the General Election
Republican candidates’ hitching their wagon to Trump and Trumpism raises a question about the tried-and-tested plan of candidates’ appealing to the party base in the primary before pivoting closer to the center in the general election: Will that post-primary transformation be possible for Republicans in 2022?
Appeals Court Sides with DeSantis on Elimination of Black-Access North Florida Congressional District
A court order issued Friday means that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ congressional redistricting plan, which dismantles a North Florida district likely to elect a Black candidate, will be used for this year’s primary and general elections, at least for now.
Nikki Fried Says Charlie Crist ‘Is Refusing to Debate’ in Primary
With less than four months away from the 2022 gubernatorial primary, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is pushing for a televised debate among Democratic candidates, claiming U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist “is refusing to debate” her and she has accepted several invitations from broadcast media outlets across Florida.
Federal Lawsuits Argues Florida’s New Limits on Ballot Initiatives Are Unconstitutional
Groups seeking to place proposed constitutional amendments on the 2024 ballot are urging a federal judge to reject the state’s arguments defending a law that prevents paying petition gatherers based on the number of signatures they collect.
600-Day Retirement Clock Ticking for Judges Terence Perkins, Raul Zambrano and James Clayton
Circuit Judge Terence Perkins has been the senior judge in Flagler County since 2018, taking over a courthouse in slight turmoil and returning it to a no-drama zone of docket workhorses. He will retire at the end of 2023, along with Judge Raul Zambrano, who had been a felony judge in Flagler previously, and James Clayton, currently the circuit’s chief judge.
3 Trump-Appointed Judges Reverse Obama-Appointee’s Ruling Against Florida’s Restrictive Voting Law
Calling it flawed, a three-judge appellate panel made up entirely of Trump appointees on Friday put a hold on an Obama-appointed federal judge’s ruling that said a 2021 Florida elections law was unconstitutionally intended to discriminate against Black voters.
Flagler County Judge Totten Elected Without Opposition, as Are Seven Circuit Judges
Formerly appointed Flagler County Court Judge Andrea Totten was elected without opposition to a six-year term, as were Circuit Judges Dennis Craig, Matt Foxman, Kenny Janesk, Howard O. McGillin Jr., A. Kathleen McNeilly, Dawn D. Nichols and Stasia Warren.
Voting Precincts Will Drop from 23 to 21 as In-Person Polling Declines, Flagler Beach Will Get Early Voting Site
Flagler County’s voting precincts will be reduced from 23 to 21 as far fewer people are turning out to vote in person on Election day itself, in contrast with sharp spikes in early voting and voting by mail. Early voting sites will increase from three to four, with Flagler Beach getting its own early voting site from here on, according to a plan by Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart.
Revamped Lawsuit Targets DeSantis’s ‘Intentionally Racially Discriminatory’ Redistricting Plan
In documents filed in federal court in Tallahassee, voting-rights groups and five individual plaintiffs alleged that the plan Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed through the Legislature should be blocked because it will reduce — or eliminate — the chances of Black candidates being elected in North Florida and the Orlando area.
DeSantis Signs Voting Restrictions Into Law, But State Suspends Enforcement, Complying with Court Order
In a notice to Chief Judge Mark Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Secretary of State Laurel Lee said officials also would place a hold on provisions restricting use of ballot drop boxes to county election supervisors’ main or permanent branch offices used for early voting.
DeSantis Signs Disney-Punishing Bill, Would Shift Nearly $1 Billion in Debt to Taxpayers
If the special taxing district is dissolved, Disney’s nearly $1 billion debt obligations, revenues and responsibilities would be transferred to Osceola and Orange counties’ taxpayers and those of the small cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake.
House Republicans Jam Through Redistricting Bill as Democrats’ Black Caucus Protest
After abandoning the chamber for a little more than an hour, Speaker Chris Sprowls and his fellow Republicans returned and called the vote on the DeSantis map, which eliminates Black “access” seats in North and Central Florida, cutting Black Democratic representation in half.
DeSantis Opens Special Session with Retaliatory Salvo Against Disney Over ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Stance
Ratcheting up a fight with Walt Disney Co., Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded a special legislative session to consider eliminating a decades-old governing district set up for Disney World and nearby properties.
How Ron DeSantis Is Campaigning on Taxpayers’ Dime
Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled to the Florida Panhandle on Friday to dispense $23 million in infrastructure grants but spent the bulk of his time complaining about the Biden administration and culture war sore spots. During his 35-minute event in Port St. Joe, for example, the governor spent about seven minutes discussing the grants and handing out checks; the rest was politics.
3 Incumbent Judges–Andrea Totten, Kenny Janesk and Stacia Warren–Speak (Almost) Freely at Candidate Forum
A Flagler County Republican Club forum Wednesday evening at the Palm Coast Hilton was a chance for the three incumbents–Flagler County Judge Andrea Totten, Circuit Judges Kenny Janesk, who sits in Volusia and Putnam, and Stacia Warren, who sits in Volusia–to speak about themselves without the strictures of their robes and in unusually personal terms, but within the bounds of Canon 7, the unique ethical rules that frame judicial races.
Federal Judge Strikes Down Florida’s New Limits on Voting Access, Calling It ‘Cynical Effort to Suppress Turnout’
A federal judge has stricken key voting restrictions that the Florida Legislature passed last year as unconstitutional, concluding that they make voting more difficult for everybody but “intentionally target” minorities and “unduly” burden disabled voters.