News Clips

Congressional Shooting Ignites Gun Debate

Congressional Shooting Ignites Gun Debate

“…Ziegler, though, said instead of relatively leaping into debates about gun control, officials should consider how to make it easier for law-abiding citizens to carry and defend themselves from criminals.”

Wishful thinking? Dems say they’re targeting Buchanan

Wishful thinking? Dems say they’re targeting Buchanan

By Zac Anderson, Political Editor Posted May 27, 2017 at 9:38 PM Southwest Florida Democrats eager to capitalize on President Donald Trump’s troubles were thrilled by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s announcement last week that it is targeting the...

Sarasota GOP Doubles Down On Sanctuary City Criticism

Sarasota GOP Doubles Down On Sanctuary City Criticism

By Alex Mahadevan, News Innovation Editor Posted May 1, 2017 As early voting kicked off in the runoff election for two City Commission seats Monday, the Republican Party of Sarasota County hosted a rally in support of the lone registered Republican in the race in...

Sanctuary City Protesters Filled Area Streets

Sanctuary City Protesters Filled Area Streets

By: Bobeth Yates Posted May 1, 2017 SARASOTA FL (WWSB) -- Protesters and counter protesters took to the streets of downtown Sarasota.  The groups were voicing their concerns about the possibility of Sarasota becoming a sanctuary city.   "No hate, no fare,...

Trump’s Flip-Flops Concern Some Supporters, But Not Others

Trump’s Flip-Flops Concern Some Supporters, But Not Others

By Nancy Benac What's wrong with being flexible? All presidents change their minds. He's only human.   President Donald Trump's voters can be a forgiving lot — up to a point.   "He thinks too fast and then makes decisions too fast," says Miriam Naranjo in...

Voters Forgive Trump’s Reversals — To A Point

Voters Forgive Trump’s Reversals — To A Point

By AP  What is wrong with being flexible? All presidents change their minds. He is only human.   President Donald Trump’s voters can be a forgiving lot — up to a point.     “He thinks too fast and then makes decisions too fast,” said Miriam Naranjo in...

Protesters Demand Rep. Buchanan Hold Town Hall

Protesters Demand Rep. Buchanan Hold Town Hall

By Kate Flexter Across the nation constituents have been going out to congressional town halls and demanding answers from their elected officials. It's no different here on the Suncoast, except not every congressman is holding a town hall.   One by one protesters...

Scott-Corcoran Battle Embroiled in Behind-the-Scenes RPOF Drama

Scott-Corcoran Battle Embroiled in Behind-the-Scenes RPOF Drama

By Allison Nielsen Don’t expect a kumbaya moment between Gov. Rick Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran anytime soon. On Tuesday, the two sharpened their blades and readied for battle, setting the stage for the expected rocky legislative session. But their drama...

Floridians Head To D.C. For Donald Trump Inauguration

Floridians Head To D.C. For Donald Trump Inauguration

By Staff Reports A hush has fallen on the state capital.   Sure, there’s plenty of work to do before the start of the 2017 Legislative Session. But some Florida politicos are using this week to flee Florida and head to Washington, D.C., for President-elect Donald...

Ziegler Running Hard

Ziegler Running Hard

By Zac Anderson Florida Democrats aren’t the only ones choosing a new leader in Orlando next week. Florida Republicans will gather at the same time Saturday morning in a nearby hotel to pick a new chairman, and Christian Ziegler plans to campaign hard for the job...

Christian Ziegler Revels in Underdog Label for RPOF Chair

Christian Ziegler Revels in Underdog Label for RPOF Chair

By Allison Nielsen Christian Ziegler says he shouldn’t be underestimated.   The 33-year-old Sarasota Republican committeeman is widely viewed as an underdog in the race to become the Republican Party of Florida’s next chairman, but Ziegler says that couldn’t be...

Donald Trump Is OFFICIALLY The President-Elect

Donald Trump Is OFFICIALLY The President-Elect

By Blake Neff Donald Trump officially became president-elect Donald Trump shortly after 3:30 pm Monday, as he secured a majority of the Electoral College vote and easily overcame a last-ditch effort by protesters to keep him out of the White House.   Despite...

Are Florida’s Political Parties Relevant Anymore?

Are Florida’s Political Parties Relevant Anymore?

By Adam Smith There's an old saying among university faculty members that politics in academia are so vicious because the stakes are so low.   The expression came to mind watching the impressively Machiavellian maneuvers of assorted Democratic and Republican...

Entwined In Politics, Christian Ziegler Seeks State Position

Entwined In Politics, Christian Ziegler Seeks State Position

To say that Christian Ziegler lives and breathes GOP politics may be an understatement. Take the birth of his oldest daughter. First there’s her name, Reagan, selected in part to honor the president still revered by so many within the GOP. Then there’s her fan mail,...

Sarasota Republican Challenges RPOF Chairman For Post

Sarasota Republican Challenges RPOF Chairman For Post

By Jeremy Wallace A Sarasota County Republican announced Thursday that he will challenge Blaise Ingoglia to become the next chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Christian Ziegler, a state committeeman from Sarasota since 2012, announced in an email to GOP...

Florida’s Presidential Electors, From Brian Ballard To Nan Rich

Florida’s Presidential Electors, From Brian Ballard To Nan Rich

By Steve Bousquet Okay, Florida, who's it going to be? Brian Ballard or Nan Rich? Bob Buckhorn or Joe Gruters? Attorney General Pam Bondi or Arthenia Joyner?   These are the stark choices Floridians face as they go to the polls on Election Day.   Legally...

Suncoast Residents Excited About Election Day On Tuesday

Suncoast Residents Excited About Election Day On Tuesday

By Rick Adams It's Election Day on the Suncoast and nationwide. Many key races will be decided including the heated presidential race.   "Whether you vote for Hillary or whether you vote for Trump, I just want you to vote," said Sondra Laroche, a Trump supporter....

Good Week For Trump In Florida

Good Week For Trump In Florida

By Zac Anderson “If we don’t win, we’re cooked.”   That’s how one unnamed insider on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign described Florida’s importance in the race in a Bloomberg Businessweek article last week.   The article noted that Trump’s team is using...

Republican Club Reunites For Season

Republican Club Reunites For Season

By Kate Johns Members dined at the Longboat Key Club Harbourside Ballroom and listened to Christian Ziegler speak. The Republican Club of Longboat Key held its first meeting of the season Oct. 5. Guests enjoyed a reception before dinner at the Longboat Key Club...

Where The Votes Are: On to November

Where The Votes Are: On to November

By Jacob Ogles Political leaders left an SRQ-led Where The Votes Are event anxious to find ways to motivate voters to polls this year. The precinct-by-precinct analysis of the August 30 primary elections in Sarasota and Manatee counties showed voters registered with...

School Board Race: Divided By Party Lines

School Board Race: Divided By Party Lines

By Anna Brugmann Caroline Zucker will continue to sit on the school board, but fears linger regard political parties' participation in school board races. Sarasota County School Board races are technically nonpartisan, but this year’s race between incumbent Caroline...

Carlos Beruff Pours More Cash Into School Board Race

Carlos Beruff Pours More Cash Into School Board Race

By Alex Mahadevan The candidates for the District 2 seat on the Sarasota County School Board raised a combined $13,200 in the last full week of fundraising before the Aug. 30 election, and spent more than $33,200 in pursuit of the position.   More than one-third...

Political Perceptions Plague Superintendent Search

Political Perceptions Plague Superintendent Search

By Anna Brugmann Even if she emerges victorious in the Aug. 30 primary for the District 2 Sarasota County School Board seat, Teresa Mast will not be able to vote on the district’s next superintendent.   The School Board plans to select Superintendent Lori White’s...

Changing Times Affect Battle For State Senate Seat

Changing Times Affect Battle For State Senate Seat

By Zac Anderson It's a seat long held by Republicans known for pushing back against other Republicans.   Abortion, the environment, education reforms – GOP state senators from Sarasota County often resisted the more conservative elements of their party on such...

Sarasota-Bradenton Delegates Enjoy Historic RNC

Sarasota-Bradenton Delegates Enjoy Historic RNC

By Jacob Ogles For Joe Gruters, attending the Republican National Convention means more than an exciting trip to a political event in Ohio. The chairman of the Republican Party of Sarasota has enjoyed one of the most important years of his political life, having...

Early Attacks On Trump In Florida Won’t Stick Says GOP Activist

Early Attacks On Trump In Florida Won’t Stick Says GOP Activist

By Zac Anderson Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump already is coming under fire in Florida from a Super PAC supporting likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, but Trump supporter Christian Ziegler says he's not worried about the candidate being outgunned...

GOP Faithful Line Up Behind Trump

GOP Faithful Line Up Behind Trump

By Dara Kam With varying degrees of enthusiasm at times overshadowed by resignation, Florida Republican leaders are girding themselves for a must-win battle this fall as they work to coalesce support for their party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump....

Florida GOP Picks Its Final Delegates To Convention This Summer

Florida GOP Picks Its Final Delegates To Convention This Summer

By Mitch Perry Republican Party of Florida Chairman Blaise Ingoglia on Saturday selected the 15 delegates and 15 alternates chosen as at-large delegates who had yet to be determined to be part of the state’s contingent of  99 delegates that will represent the Sunshine...

Rubio’s Florida Finale

Rubio’s Florida Finale

By David Cantanese Four days before the Florida presidential primary, Marco Rubio was already being asked about his next race. “Senator Rubio, if this campaign does not end with you winning the nomination, is the door open to you running for governor in Florida?”...

Bush’s Departure Should Lift Rubio

Bush’s Departure Should Lift Rubio

By Zac Anderson The expected flood of Jeb Bush backers into Marco Rubio’s camp should provide a big lift for the Florida senator’s presidential bid, nowhere more so than in his home state.   Much of Florida’s Republican political establishment has been loyal to...

Beruff Considering U.S. Senate Run

Beruff Considering U.S. Senate Run

By Zac Anderson Manatee County homebuilder Carlos Beruff has steadily increased his profile in recent years as a conservative reformer on various government boards. His next step could be a big leap into the spotlight as a Republican U.S. Senate candidate.  ...

Planned Parenthood’s Barbara Zdravecky Gears Up for Battle

Planned Parenthood’s Barbara Zdravecky Gears Up for Battle

By Kim Hackett Barbara Zdravecky keeps Sun Tzu’s The Art of War on her coffee table, which might seem an odd choice for someone who has dedicated her life to women’s health. But in 22 years of leading Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, Zdravecky has...

Wide Open Race For Rubio’s Seat

Wide Open Race For Rubio’s Seat

By Zac Anderson With no big names running and the presidential election contest drawing most of the media attention, Florida’s U.S. Senate race has been quiet so far.   One recent poll found that none of the candidates vying to replace Sen. Marco Rubio have...

Protesters Rally Outside Sarasota Planned Parenthood

Protesters Rally Outside Sarasota Planned Parenthood

By Christopher Brantley Protesters rallied outside of the Sarasota Planned Parenthood office Saturday.   Passionate protesters on both sides of the spectrum challenged the ongoing controversy, holding signs that read “babies are people too” and “my body my...

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