Democrats and Independents would normally be allowed to vote in primaries featuring only Republican candidates. By fielding write-ins who have no chance or intention of winning, the Ronald Reagan group is locking out those Democrats and Independents by creating the artifice of a contested general election.
Elections 2024
Circuit Judge May Rule by Week’s End on Pollinger’s Eligibility as GOP Sheriff’s Candidate
Flagler County Sheriff Candidate John Pollinger was a registered Democrat in New Jersey, but registered as a Republican when he moved to Flagler County several years ago. An ally of Ray Stevens, another sheriff’s candidate, is challenging Pollinger’s qualification to be on the primary ballot as a Republican.
The Fear of Mormons
“Making Mormons look bad helps others feel good,” J. Spencer Fluhman, a Mormon scholar, argues, but it neither explains nor justifies the unresolved prejudices and self-serving veils that cling to Mormon dogma.
As Justice Department Warns Florida Of Illegal Voter Purge, Election Supervisors Urge Pause
Florida appears willing to defy federal warnings that the ongoing voter purge may be illegal, although the state is leaving it up to local elections supervisors to make the call. Election officials said earlier this year as many as 180,000 names may be erroneously included on state voter rolls.
Mark Dwyer, Again Running for Judge in Flagler, Finds Himself on the Defensive. Again.
Attorney Mark Dwyer two years ago was admonished by the Florida Bar for a minor trust account issue. He’s now being reprimanded for a more serious issue, but Dwyer wants it explained at length. He takes the stand in his defense.
How Obama’s Support of Gay Marriage Could Lose Him Florida Come November
With debate and votes taking place around the state and polls showing a growing acceptance, the issue of same-sex marriage and domestic partner rights will likely be among a host of second tier issues that could determine which presidential candidate takes Florida.
Meeker Resigning Palm Coast Council to Run for Holland’s County Seat as Jockeying Begins
A regular partisan election in line with the coming primary and general will be held for Milissa Holland’s now-open seat on the Flagler County Commission, with two candidates already vying for it. The Palm Coast City Council may appoint a replacement for Meeker come November, depending on a legal reading of the city charter.
Upset That Trey Corbett Had Cut Him Off at the Gym, 65-Year-Old Defaces His Campaign Sign
Steven Paskewich was apparently upset that Trey Corbett, a candidate for Flagler County Supervisor of Elections, allegedly cut him off at the weight machine at Thriv, the Palm Coast fitness center–a machine Corbett says he doesn’t use. So Paskewich defaced three Corbett signs with mild obscenities–and was arrested.
Romney Takes 6-Point Florida Lead Over Obama; Rubio’s Impact as VP Is Minor
In a big reversal from two months ago, when the Republican primary contest was damaging Mitt Romney’s brand, Barack Obama’s fortunes have dimmed considerably in Florida, while a Marco Rubio addition to Romney’s ticket appears to yield less than a bang.
Sheriff Candidate Ray Stevens’s Ex-Aide Files Suit Against Rival Pollinger Over GOP Status
Anne-Marie Shaffer was GOP Sheriff’s candidate Ray Stevens’s campaign manager until two weeks ago, when she opted to legally challenge John Pollinger’s status as a Republican on the Aug. 14 primary election for Flagler County Sheriff.
Milissa Holland Formally Launches Campaign for House as Hutson Welcomes the Challenge
Democrat Milissa Holland plans on making her experience at the Flagler County Commission and as liaison in legislative services a centerpiece of her campaign against Republican Travis Hutson, who is accumulating an enormous treasure chest.
Milissa Holland Will Run For Florida House, Energizing Flagler’s Chances For a State Voice
Ending months of speculation and rumors, Milissa Holland, a county commissioner for the past six years, will run for the newly drawn 24th District House seat, giving Flagler County its strongest chance of direct representation in Tallahassee in half a century.
Going Nose to Nose, Palm Coast and The County Remain Split on Half-Cent Sales Tax
Palm Coast wants to keep the split of the half-cent sales tax revenue what it is today. Flagler County wants to change the formula, which would decrease Palm Coast’s share by $500,000. The disagreement is jeopardizing a unified approach on a sales tax referendum both sides say is critical to their revenue needs.
Obama’s Come to Jesus Moment on Gay Marriage: More Buchanan Than Lincoln
One might be tempted to see in Barack Obama’s belated embrace of gay marriage a retraction of the infuriatingly compromising president we’ve come endure and a return to the audacious president we thought we were electing four years ago. But that would be projecting a fantasy on a cave wall.
Florida Elections Official Places State’s Potentially Ineligible Voter Tally at 180,000
Officials reported earlier this week that they had forwarded the first batch of those names, about 2,600 to local supervisors of elections for further review and for each voter to be notified that they were on a list of people suspected of being illegally registered.
The Flip-Side of Voter Suppression: Not Everyone Needs to Vote
It is a staple in the newspaper business – especially left-wing newspapers – to exhort people to vote at every election. Conservatives, however, are more interested in quality than quantity, argues Lloyd Brown.
Early Voting and Cost Pressures Cut Flagler Voting Locations By Almost Half From 2008
Supervisor of Elections Kimberle Weeks submitted a plan to the Flagler County Commission Monday that reduces voting locations to 22, from 38 in 2008, as more people are voting early. A few concerns about elderly voters and turnout were raised.
Non, Sarkozy: In France, François Hollande Brings Socialism Back to Power After 24 Years
Socialist François Hollande is the new French president, defeating Nicolas Sarkozy with 52 percent of the vote, and making the mercurial Sarkozy France’s first one-term president since Valéry Giscard d’Estaing in 1981
GOP National Convention in Tampa: There Will Be Guns
All sorts of weapons that can cause harm are banned in Downtown Tampa for the GOP National Convention in August, except for guns, by order of Gov. Rick Scott and in compliance with a new Florida law forbidding cities from enacting stricter gun regulations than the state.
John Pollinger’s GOP Ballot Status In Question Over Dual Registration
John Pollinger, a Democrat in New Jersey until his move to Palm Coast, blames a small cabal of local Republicans for attempting to derail his candidacy for Flagler County Sheriff, but Florida law appears to support the claim that his previous registration disqualified his bid as a Republican.
In a Victory for State GOP, U.S. Justice Department and Florida Judge Approves Redistricting
The approval from the federal government adds to the Florida Supreme Court’s approval of a Senate map on Friday, while a Leon County judge declined to set aside the state’s new congressional maps, saying opponents of the plans had not proven that the Legislature violated new anti-gerrymandering standards in the once-a-decade redistricting process.
Flagler Supervisor of Elections Office Tops State Performance Rankings That Anger Others
Other supervisors of elections are angry over the nature of the survey, calling it inaccurate, but Weeks is almost certain to use the results as vindication of her tenure after nearly four years of conflict with the Flagler County Commission over her budget and confrontational style.
Loans and Self-Contributions Swell Big Money Pots in Flagler Sheriff’s and County Judge Races
John Pollinger in the Flagler sheriff’s race and Melissa Moore Stens in the county judge race are leading in money raised so far, but largely on the strength of their own contributions. Almost $117,000 was raised by all candidates in 11 Flagler County races as of March 31.
Republican vs. Republican: Judge Craig Denies GOP Insurgents’ Induction in Flagler’s REC
It’s an unusual case, revealing of internal matters and disputes usually kept secret from the general public–and especially revealing of a deep strain coursing through Republican organizations across the country, not just in Flagler: tea party insurgents and other similar offshoots, who are overwhelmingly Republican, are upending the way traditional Republican organizations define themselves.
Flagler School District, in a Surprise, Votes to Place ½-Cent Sales Tax Redo on Aug. 14 Ballot
The Flagler County School Board didn’t want its initiative lost in the clutter of the November ballot, or see it compete against the county’s and cities’ similar initiative, but primary turnout will be heavily Republican–an unhappy prospect for any tax initiative.
Acknowledging Membership to Hammock Resort, Sheriff Says It Has “No Dollar Value”
Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming said Hammock Beach Resort gave him a membership card years ago, but that he pays for all services and is not in breach of state ethics rules, though the membership is the subject of an ethics complaint.
It’s Not Just Politicians: Media Companies Lobby Against Transparency in Elections
Many of the country’s biggest media companies, which own dozens of newspapers and TV news operations, are flexing their muscle in Washington in a fight against a government initiative to increase transparency of political spending.
Tea Party’s Tom Lawrence, Back to His Roots, Endorses ½-Cent Sales Tax Before 135 Partiers
Tom Lawrence, the ardent anti-tax tea party chairman, was the champion of the sales tax Palm Coast lobbied for 10 years ago. He urged the Flagler tea party membership to support the tax again at the polls this year, boosting county government’s arguments for the tax, which Palm Coast so far has not embraced enthusiastically.
Ron DeSantis’s Out-Of-State Donors Net Him Money Lead in Local Congressional Race
Of the $508,400 raised by three GOP candidates for the congressional district that includes Flagler County, just 0.4 percent of that came from Flagler, an indication of how marginal Flagler may be in this congressional race.
Term Limits for County Commissioners? Florida Supreme Court Will Decide
The cases, brought by voters in Broward and Sarasota counties, presented the court with the question of how much power charter counties have to impose qualifications and disqualifications on candidates for county commission.
In Flagler County, a Reflection of Democrats’ Lost Promise as GOP Regains Registration Lead
Democrats’ voter-registration advantage vanished in Flagler County after a three-and-a-half-years, reflecting surging Republican activity and diminished Democratic excitement, but also the consequences of onerous voter-registration laws that disproportionately affect Democrats.
GOP Candidates and Media to Kids: Drop Dead
While presidential candidates almost always include their offspring in their campaign publicity, candidates and media discussed children’s issues less than two percent of the time over 20 debates – just 17 debate questions of more than 1,000.
Bev Slough, St. Johns School Board Chair, Joins GOP Congressional Race in District 6
Bev Slough, St. Johns School Board Chair and former president of the Florida School Boards Association, is the 7th GOP candidate for a congressional district that includes all of Flagler County.
Too Much of a God Thing
A new survey finds signs of public uneasiness with the mixing of religion and politics. The number of people who say there has been too much religious talk by political leaders stands at an all-time high since the Pew Research Center began asking the question more than a decade ago.
GOP’s Congressional Candidates Vie to Out-Right Each Other In Their Flagler Coming Out
The six Republican candidates for Flagler County’s newly drawn congressional district, in a joint appearance in Palm Coast Monday, could not distinguish themselves on issues, but did so in experience and style as they were hosted by the local chapter of the Ronald Reagan Republican Assemblies.
Attention Flagler Political Candidates: These 5 Politicians Have Something to Teach You
The Flagler County Chamber of Commerce is hosting an informational political candidate panel discussion on April 18 with seasoned politicians who will share their insights and answer campaign-related questions.
Obama Surges Ahead of Romney and Santorum in Florida and Ohio in Latest Polls
In head-to-head contests, Obama is beating Romney and Santorum in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, three swing states that the GOP cannot lose if it hopes to win back the White House in November.
Allen Whetsell, Craig Funeral’s GM, Latest Of 4 GOP Candidates Vying to Oust Weeks
Democrats are not fielding a candidate to challenge fellow-Democrat and Supervisor of Elections incumbent Kimberle Weeks as Allen Whetsell becomes the fourth candidate in the Republican primary for that seat.
Citing Fleming-Larizza Conflicts of Interest, Gov. Scott Orders Fischer Case Out of Flagler
Scott issued the order after State Attorney R.J. Larizza voluntarily withdrew from prosecuting the case, “to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest or impropriety” with Sheriff Don Fleming, now a witness in the Jamesine Fischer case–and vulnerable politically.
Flagler Democrat Heather Beaven Declares For Congress in Newly Drawn 6th District
Heather Beaven is the first Democrat in a race featuring four Republicans so far. Beaven lost to John Mica in 2010, polling 31 percent across the district and 34 percent in Flagler County. Mica is seeking reelection elsewhere as the district was redrawn.
The GOP’s War on Women: Electoral Bombs From Komen to Rush to Virginia’s Vaginal Probes
The Republican war on women, conservative columnist Kathleen Parker writes, is “a perfect storm of stupefying proportions” that may have ruinous consequences for the GOP at election time. But it was a collapse foretold.
Joe the Plumber, Congressman?
While Dennis Kucinich lost his primary in Ohio’s 9th Congressional district, Samuel Wurzelbacher, also known as Joe (the alleged and tax-evading) plumber, barely won his Republican primary, though he has no chance of beating Marcy Kaptur.
Sheriff Fleming, Under Oath, Contradicts His Own Records in Hit-and-Run Case
Sheriff Fleming followed his under-oath interview with the Florida Highway Patrol with a written statement the next day that changed his story for a fourth time regarding his phone calls to and from John Fischer, the school board member and husband of the woman charged in a hit-and-run fatality on Nov. 10.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Contraceptive
Six in ten Americans, including Catholics, said they support a requirement by the Obama administration that health plans supply free contraceptives as a preventive benefit for women. Women registered as independents favor the rule by a 2-1 margin.
Palm Coast Councilman Frank Meeker Petitions for Civility Manifesto in 2012 Elections
Whether a candidate is worthy of political office should be decided by free and clear elections, not tainted by character assassination and media hype, Frank Meeker argues, laying out a 10-point “Statement on Election Fairness” for 2012.
Flagler County Democrats, at Low Ebb, Face Eviction From Their Palm Coast Office
Flagler County Democrats have been rending the Hargrove Grade location since 2007, for $334 a month, but between disorganization and lack of interest, have been unable to raise the money to pay the rent for months.
Flagler County’s Republicans at War With Each Other as Lawsuit Slams Prizer and REC
The rift between tea party Republicans and old guard Republicans boiled over Thursday as insurgents denied membership in the Flagler County Republican Executive Committee filed suit against Committee Chairman Nancy Prizer and the Florida Republican Club.
He’s Back: Sensing a Weakened Don Fleming, Jim Manfre Is Running for Sheriff a 4th Time
Jim Manfre was Flagler County sheriff from 2001 to 2005, and lost to Sheriff Fleming in 2008 by a thin margin. The recent controversy over Fleming’s handling of a fatal road accident spurred Manfre to become the fourth candidate against the incumbent.
Peterson Draws Commission Challenge From Ericksen, the Man He Introduced to Politics
Four years ago Alan Peterson encouraged Charlie Ericksen to apply to finish the term of Peterson’s seat on the Palm Coast City Council, when Peterson decided to run for the Flagler County Commission. Now the two Republicans will face each other in the Aug. 14 primary for that commission seat.
Flagler Tea Party Frets As Numbers Dwindle And Excitement Appears Elusive
Flagler tea party meetings once reliably drew 200 to 300 people. Thursday’s drew 86, and provoked soul-searching from members wondering how to revive the excitement in an election year they considers crucial.