ANNETTE TADDEO

Florida Democrats have selected former state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried to lead their party after a disastrous midterm performance in the onetime presidential battleground state.

Republican congressional candidates largely won the night Tuesday, with victories up and down the state, according to unofficial results posted on the Florida Division of Elections website.

Amid Republican gains in the U.S. House races in Florida, Democrat Maxwell Alejandro Frost has become the first member of Generation Z to win a seat in Congress.

Democrats in Florida are trying to make inroads with Latino voters by focusing on gun safety.

The most significant race in Florida's primary election Tuesday is between the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates seeking to go against Gov. Ron DeSantis, who's unopposed in the Republican primary.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist has defeated Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried in Florida's closely watched gubernatorial primary.

State Sen. Annette Taddeo has announced she’s leaving the Democratic primary for Florida governor to run for a U.S. House seat in South Florida.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ongoing fight with Walt Disney World appears to be paying off in the form of campaign donations.

A new Mason-Dixon poll is revealing how some Florida voters are leaning ahead of this year's gubernatorial election.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made clear in his State of the State speech that he likes teachers, first responders and freedom and he doesn’t like Dr. Anthony Fauci, critical race theory, abortion, illegal immigration and Burmese pythons.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made clear in his State of the State speech that he likes teachers, first responders and freedom and he doesn’t like Dr. Anthony Fauci, critical race theory, abortion, illegal immigration and Burmese pythons.

In Florida, for the first time in modern history, registered Republican voters outnumber Democrats.

State Sen. Annette Taddeo is entering the Democratic primary for governor in Florida.

In a nearly unanimous vote, the Florida Senate on Tuesday approved a gambling deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that would include allowing sports betting in the state. Senators voted 38-1 to pass the proposal (SB 2A) on the second day of a special legislative session.

In a state famous for election night fiascoes, Florida’s handling of the November presidential election is being hailed as a sign it finally got things right.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Culture-war politics over sex education could again erupt in Florida’s statehouse, as a Senate Committee advanced a measure Tuesday that would require public school boards to hold hearings on what should be included in sex education curricula. The move sets up a potential clash with a House bill that seeks to require school districts to first get parental permission before a student can be taught about human reproduction and its consequences. AdComprehensive sex education is not mandated across Florida, but state law does not bar school districts from offering such instruction in their classrooms. “We are in a time when our basic values are up for debate,” said state Sen. Dennis Baxley, a Republican. Sex education has long been an area of fierce debate.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida Republicans are once again trying to make it more difficult for citizens to amend the state constitution through petition drives, this time by limiting contributions to political committees proposing a ballot initiative. A bill setting the limit was approved by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on a party-line vote Tuesday. Medical marijuana was approved by voters in 2016 and a gradual increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour was approved last year. “National and out-of-state political groups are not committed to Florida, but to their own special interests,” said Republican Sen. Ray Rodrigues, the bill's sponsor. Separately, Republicans are also seeking a ballot measure that would ask voters to raise the threshold to pass a constitutional amendment from 60% of the votes cast to two-thirds.

New Zealand has opened its first large vaccination clinic as it scales up efforts to protect people from the coronavirus. (New Zealand Ministry of Health via AP)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand has opened its first large vaccination clinic as it scales up efforts to protect people from the coronavirus. Gordon cites Wyoming’s declining number of COVID-19 cases and its success in distributing vaccines as reasons to lift the restrictions. AdThe nation of 1.3 million has seen a rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases n the past few weeks. Italy’s total virus cases surpassed 3 million last week, with a new surge powered by the highly contagious variant that was first identified in Britain.

Democrats hope to make deeper strides in changing their fortunes in a state that has become friendlier place for Republicans. And that was despite $100 million spent by Michael Bloomberg to help Democrats in the state. When the spending tally is complete, the last election cycle in Florida is expected to rank as among the most expensive in state history. Ad“I don’t know anybody who’s happy with investing $100 million and not winning,” said Manny Diaz, the new chair of the Florida Democratic Party. Diaz, the state party chairman, is trying to reverse the slide in its voter registration advantage over Republicans.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – As the House and Senate take steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a South Florida Democrat filed a bill Thursday that could allow some lawmakers to participate remotely in legislative meetings during public-health emergencies. Sen. Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, filed the bill (SB 648) for consideration during the legislative session that starts March 2. Under the proposal, lawmakers seeking to use remote technology to participate in committee meetings or floor sessions would need approval from the Senate president or House speaker. Also, the majority of members of the House and Senate would have to be physically present to constitute quorums for floor sessions or committee meetings. The Florida Constitution includes a series of requirements about quorums and procedures, and lawmakers are currently required to be physically present to take part and vote in meetings.

As election postmortems go, the one that began in Florida Wednesday was especially wrenching for Democrats. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Perhaps only in Florida is a loss by fewer than 4 percentage points considered a public drubbing. Democrats zeroed in on two clear explanations: Biden didn't connect with the state's Latino voters, performing particularly poorly with Cuban voters in South Florida. Some Democrats also give Republicans credit for registering thousands of new voters and narrowing the voter registration advantage Democrats have long had. For Taddeo, the Democratic state senator, it means going back to basics.

Florida Democrats are condemning the Department’s actions and have unveiled their plan to fix the state’s unemployment system ahead of the 2021 legislative session. DEO won’t reveal how much money it incorrectly paid out, or how many people are being asked to pay back their unemployment benefits. “We’re trying to set the bar as to what we ought to do as a state with our unemployment system,” said State Senator Jose Javier Rodriguez. The bill also requires DEO to make a determination on a person’s eligibility within three weeks of applying for unemployment and creates an ombudsman position at DEO, that would be responsible for streamlining the unemployment system. Despite a plague of issues at the start of the pandemic, DEO has paid more than $17 billion in unemployment this year.

“We’ve always had that registration advantage, and I think it’s definitely concerning what the Republicans have done,” said state Sen. Annette Taddeo. As of August, Republicans have cut that lead almost in half and could further narrow the gap before Monday’s voter registration deadline. “They didn’t show up, and that is what explains our voter registration numbers,” Wiles said. But the coronavirus outbreak scuttled the party’s voter registration drive, sidelining the operation into the virtual realm. With just days to go before Monday’s voter registration deadline, both parties are making a final push to grow their voter rolls.

With Air Force One in the background, President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event with Florida Sheriffs in Tampa, Fla., Friday, July 31, 2020. In Florida, Trump also participated in a meeting to review the response to COVID-19 and the states preparedness for Hurricane Isaias, which was centered in the Bahamas on Friday and expected to move near South Florida on Saturday. Asked if the rising COVID-19 death toll could diminish his chances in the state, Trump told reporters that he had confidence in his adopted home state. Democratic supporters of Biden in Florida criticized Trump for coming to the state to fundraise during such a critical time for the state and nation. President Trumps leadership on coronavirus has put us in a strong position to protect vulnerable Americans and rebuild our economy, he said.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Democratic Party applied for and received $780,000 from the Payroll Protection Program, but the party should not have applied in the first place. Criticism for accepting the PPP money has come from both inside and outside the Democratic Party. In a statement, the Florida Democratic Party said, in part: The bank, the loan processor and agents of the Small Business Association approved the funding. I really wish that the Trump administration was as responsive when it came to actually funding PPP, said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, the lone statewide elected Democrat. At least one Tallahassee lobbying firm has also returned PPP money.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida students may soon be able to sleep in after a long night of Halloween trick-or-treating. A bill filed by Florida Sen. Annette Taddeo would make Nov. 1, the day after Halloween, an official school holiday, according to WPLG. Taddeo, who represents District 40 in Southwest Miami-Dade County, filed SB 1462 in the Florida legislature on Monday. Parents and students have long complained about having to wake up early after a night of fun on All-Hallows’ Eve. Taddeo’s bill will allow children to fully enjoy the holiday.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida inmates could work toward licensure in state-regulated professions while incarcerated, under a bill advanced Tuesday by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Sen. Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, said her bill (SB 194) would help inmates work toward licenses when they take prison courses that meet curriculum requirements for professions regulated by the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The proposal would not require state prisons to offer new courses, Taddeo said. Instead, it would require current courses offered by the Florida Department of Corrections to implement plans so inmates could apply credits toward licensure in professions such as cosmetology. Taddeo said the proposal could help reduce the chances of inmates returning to prison after release, adding that it would be a state investment.

Scott Olson/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Democratic senator Wednesday filed a bill that seeks to repeal a decades-old prohibition on cities and counties passing gun restrictions that are stricter than state firearms laws. Sen. Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, filed the bill (SB 134) for consideration during the 2020 legislative session, which starts in January. Florida since 1987 has barred cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws. The issue gained renewed attention last month when a Leon County circuit judge struck down a 2011 law that threatened tough penalties if city and county officials approve gun restrictions. Attorneys for the state have appealed the circuit judges ruling, which did not strike down the underlying 1987 law, known as a preemption law.