Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Peter SchorschAugust 29, 2017

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St. Petersburg’s “battle of the two Ricks” is not over yet. Voters have made their choice in the primary, advancing former two-term Mayor Rick Baker and first-term Mayor Rick Kriseman to the November election. Baker led for most of the evening Tuesday; but in the end, he slipped behind with 48.23 percent of the vote […]

Mitch PerryAugust 8, 2017

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With Rick Kriseman trailing Rick Baker in the latest poll of St. Petersburg’s mayoral race, the Florida Democratic Party is paying for a new ad linking the former mayor with President Donald Trump. Whether national politics will trickle down to the local level is something the Kriseman team is banking on, though it hasn’t been reflected yet in […]

Mitch PerryJune 19, 2017

Rick Baker knew for months that Rick Kriseman was going to attack him as an out-of-step Republican in a Democratically friendly city, even before entering the mayoral campaign last month. In his campaign kickoff announcement, the former St. Petersburg Mayor warned supporters they’d be getting a dose of such rhetoric from the Kriseman camp: “Because that’s the […]

Peter SchorschJune 8, 2017

After just three weeks on the campaign trail, former Mayor Rick Baker‘s campaign is reporting that it raised an eye-opening $553,174 in contributions to his campaign and Seamless Florida, an affiliated political committee. Baker is challenging incumbent Rick Kriseman, who is seeking a second term as the Sunshine City’s mayor. Baker’s haul is a record-breaking […]

Peter SchorschMay 28, 2017

Former Mayor Rick Baker continues building momentum in his quest to return for a third term as St. Petersburg Mayor. Coming off a successful campaign kickoff event last week, Baker, who served two terms from 2001-2010, is following with another high-profile reception Wednesday in Clearwater Beach. Co-chairs of the event – with the tagline “Proven Leadership” […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMay 17, 2017

The race for St. Petersburg mayor is heating up, with a new poll showing Rick Baker with a double-digit lead over Rick Kriseman. A new St. Pete Polls survey finds Baker with 46 percent of registered St. Petersburg voters saying they would pick him in a head-to-head matchup, while 33 percent are with Kriseman. Twenty percent of voters polled […]

Mitch PerryMay 15, 2017

Near the end of Rick Baker‘s 36-minute speech announcing a re-election challenge to Mayor Rick Kriseman, the former two-term mayor invoked his mantra of St. Petersburg being a “seamless city” — and that includes the LGBT community. “A lot has been said about me and the LGBT community by my opponent and by others,” he said on the […]

Peter SchorschMay 9, 2017

It’s been seven years since Rick Baker exited City Hall as its most powerful, successful mayor. Hardly a day has gone by that someone — perhaps this site more so than anywhere else — has wondered whether he’d have to, like Cincinnatus, come in from the fields to save the city he loves. Today, St. Petersburg […]

Mitch PerryMay 1, 2017

Rumors continue to circulate that former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker will soon announce his candidacy to challenge incumbent Rick Kriseman in November. If so, Baker may need to do it as soon as this week, as Kriseman continues to extend his financial advantage. The Kriseman campaign announced Monday that the campaign and an associated committee combined to […]

Peter SchorschApril 10, 2017

As coy as he has been with the local media and as busy as he is promoting the Rowdies referendum, Rick Baker is almost certain to run for St. Petersburg mayor this year. Last week, Baker was in Tallahassee for a series of not-exactly-clandestine meetings with top Republican donors like Brian Ballard and Nick Iarossi. […]

Tag: Kriseman/Baker

St. Pete mayoral race goes into OT: Runoff election needed

Democratic ad attempts to link Rick Baker to Donald Trump

Rick Baker, Rick Kriseman still question which has been more partisan as mayor

Rick Baker raises more than half-a-million dollars in May for mayoral bid

Pinellas GOP heavyweights raising money for Rick Baker on Wednesday in Clearwater Beach

Race on! Rick Baker takes double-digit lead over Rick Kriseman for St. Pete Mayor, poll shows

Rick Baker recognizes previous stances on LGBT community will be campaign issue; Will it make a difference?

Rick Kriseman needs to respond forcefully to Rick Baker’s Trumpian ‘St. Petersburg carnage’

Rick Kriseman campaign raises more than $100,000 in April for re-election

The case against Rick Baker running for St. Petersburg mayor