A financial disclosure form filed by Congressman-elect Ross Spano just before last week’s election raises questions about whether personal loans made to Spano were supporters’ attempts to exceed campaign contribution caps, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Republican Josie Tomkow, elected this week (the second time this year) to a Florida House seat representing a largely rural district north and east of Lakeland, says when she finally serves in Tallahassee, she will advocate for agriculture, promote foster care and adoption and support school choice.
Five candidates have already expressed an interest in running for city commissioner in the Jan. 15 special election to select a replacement for Michael Dunn, who resigned last month. Candidates can qualify to run the last week of November, but one has already prequalfied: Sara Roberts McCarley, former director of Polk Vision. Four others have picked up campaign packets from the city clerk: Jorge Fonseca, Shawn Patrick Jones and Pablo Sologaistoa, all of whom ran for city office last year, and David Hardy, a political newcomer.
The delegations representing Lakeland in the U.S. House and Tallahassee remain solidly Republican as a huge fund-raising advantage failed to propel Kristen Carlson to Congress and voters returned Sen. Kelly Stargel and Reps. Colleen Burton and Josie Tomkow to Tallahassee.
Likewise, the election of Martha Santiago keeps the entire Polk County Commission in the GOP camp.
In non-partisan School Board races, reformer Jennifer Sabin was unable to unseat 16-year incumbent Kay Fields, while reform-minded teacher Sarah Fortney decisively defeated Scott Jones, a Publix store manager.
Former prosecutor Melissa Gravitt becomes a judge, and Polk voters overwhelmingly extended the half-cent sales tax that funds school construction. Read on for election results:
U.S. House | Florida Senate | Florida House | Polk School Board | Polk County Commission | Circuit Judge | Other Local More
We created the LkldNow Voter Guide over the summer for the primaries and keep updating it with links that help you research the local candidates. Check the guide before you vote to become more familiar with the candidates and issues on the ballot.
SPANO: The Republican candidate for the District 15 Congressional seat hasn’t filed a required personal financial disclosure form that should detail how he was able to put $104,500 into his campaign, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
CARLSON: The Democratic candidate for the District 15 Congressional seat has raised more than $1.6 million to her opponent’s $660,508, an amount the opponent says was inflated by out-of-state liberal interest groups, the Times reports.
If you vote in person for the Jan. 15 City Commission election, chances are you’ll be going to a new location. In an effort to cut costs, city commissioners today reduced the number of polling places from 25 to 12 — and most of those will be on city property. More
On the eve of his retirement from Congress, Dennis Ross announces he will teach government and civics as Southeastern University launches its Center for Political Leadership.
