Author

Mitch Perry has covered politics and government in Florida for more than two decades. Most recently he is the former politics reporter for Bay News 9. He has also worked at Florida Politics, Creative Loafing and WMNF Radio in Tampa. He was also part of the original staff when the Florida Phoenix was created in 2018.
Moody vs. Shaw: Florida Attorney General showdown presents two distinct and different visions
By: Mitch Perry - October 29, 2018
While Democrats may not have been fans of Attorney General Pam Bondi, she’ll leave office early next year viewed as a rock star with the Florida GOP, having won both of her statewide races by wide margins. Republican nominee Ashley Moody – a former federal prosecutor and Hillsborough County circuit court judge – wants to […]
Broward County man arrested in connection with mail bombs; tweeted critically about Andrew Gillum
By: Mitch Perry - October 26, 2018
Four days after mail bombs sent to prominent Democrats and critics of President Trump began being intercepted, authorities in South Florida have taken into custody a suspect. Law enforcement officials have identified the man as 56-year-old Cesar Sayoc of Aventura. He was arrested in Plantation shortly after two threatening packages sent to New Jersey Democratic […]
Andrew Gillum launches tour of college campuses; ignores media questions
By: Mitch Perry - October 26, 2018
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum spoke on Florida State University’s campus in Tallahassee Friday morning, the first of five scheduled appearances on college campuses before the first weekend of early voting begins in the Sunshine State. The FSU event started 90 minutes later than originally scheduled, and Gillum rushed off to his campaign bus after […]
VP Pence visits Mike Pence visits Panhandle today; Trump to stump for DeSantis next week
By: Mitch Perry - October 25, 2018
Vice President Mike Pence will be in the Panhandle and Jacksonville today, conducting White House business and campaigning for Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis. The VP and his wife, Karen Pence, will arrive at Tyndall Air Force Base later this morning to observe the massive damage that the base took from monstrous Hurricane Michael two […]
Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s South Florida Congressional office evacuated after delivery of suspicious package; other prominent officials get suspicious packages too
By: Mitch Perry - October 24, 2018
(Updated) Suspicious packages that could be explosives have been sent to several prominent officials Wednesday, from billionaire George Soros – a big donor to progressive causes – to Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and South Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. In Wasserman Schultz’s case, the suspicious package was originally sent to former U.S. Attorney General […]
Stakes will be high in the final DeSantis-Gillum debate
By: Mitch Perry - October 24, 2018
Republican Ron DeSantis continues to trail Democrat Andrew Gillum in every public poll released in the race for governor, less than two weeks before Election Day (including an online survey released Wednesday that has Gillum up by 11 points). Gillum’s campaign has been rocked by new revelations in a state ethics complaint, putting the Democrat […]
Could turmoil over new ethics revelations cripple Gillum’s campaign?
By: Diane Rado and Mitch Perry - October 24, 2018
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum faces new revelations from an ethics complaint stemming from national and international trips with lobbyists and questions about who paid for pricey tickets for the blockbuster Broadway show Hamilton, records show. Those revelations come on top of recent Republican attack ads against Gillum that reference a “corruption probe.” The turmoil […]
Gainesville becomes the 5th city in Florida to commit to 100% clean energy future
By: Mitch Perry - October 23, 2018
The Gainesville City Commission has voted unanimously to become the latest Florida city to commit to 100 percent renewable electricity sources – though not until 2045. The resolution is nonbinding, meaning it’s not mandated – but it’s a goal and a start. The city, home of the University of Florida, currently uses an average of […]
Activist group delivers thousands of petitions calling on Gov. Rick Scott to enact protections for LGBTQ state workers
By: Mitch Perry - October 23, 2018
The civil rights organization Equality Florida dropped off nearly 3,000 signed petitions to Gov. Rick Scott’s office in the Capitol on Monday, calling on Scott to sign an executive order banning discrimination against LGBTQ state employees. “The governor has said that Florida doesn’t discriminate based on sexual orientation,” says Jon Harris Mauer, public policy director […]
The most contested U.S. House races in Florida: Will the Republicans keep their seats – or not?
By: Mitch Perry - October 23, 2018
Furious and fired up for nearly two years, national Democrats have vowed to take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and end Congress’ one-party hold on Washington, D.C. They’d need to flip 23 Republican House from red to blue across the country, and have circled a handful in Florida. But as the Nov. 6 […]
U.S. Senate race: Bill Nelson now leading Rick Scott by 6 points
By: Mitch Perry - October 22, 2018
Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott got hours of press coverage in the past two weeks while handling recovery efforts from Hurricane Michael — but it’s not improving his poll numbers in the U.S. Senate race against incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson. A new Quinnipiac poll released Monday shows Nelson leading Scott by 52 percent to 46 […]
FL minimum wage to go up in January, but some workers will still be below federal poverty line
By: Mitch Perry - October 22, 2018
The minimum wage in Florida will grow to $8.46, effective January 1, 2019. That’s an increase of 21 cents from the current rate of $8.25 an hour. The state’s minimum wage for tipped employees will also increase by 21 cents next year, growing from $5.23 to $5.44 per hour. Florida law requires a new minimum […]