Politics Reporting

VoxPopuli • 27th August 2024

Profile on Anne Douglas for August 2024 primary

Veteran public school teacher Anne Douglas, 59, of Dr. Phillips, is making her first run for office as a District 4 candidate for Orange County School Board. She faces fellow teacher Jacob “Jake” Petroski and business development manager Kyle Goudy.

The nonpartisan election is Aug. 20 and the winner will take the school board seat. If no one wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off will be held Election Day, Nov. 5. Early voting takes place Aug. 5-18, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. See our li...

VoxPopuli • 27th August 2024

Profile on Jacob "Jake" Petroski for August 2024 midterm

Public educator Jacob “Jake” Petroski, who recently left the classroom to run for office, is taking his vision for Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) to the next level. Even as he has never held public office before, Petroski, the parent of a rising freshman at Olympia High School and a fourth-grader at Thornebrooke Elementary School, was first to file, putting in his paperwork for the District 4 seat on the Orange County School Board in May 2023.

“Schools are going through a real change in th...

VoxPopuli • 27th August 2024

Profile on Janét Marie Buford-Johnson for August 2024 midterm

Orlo Vista resident Janét Marie Buford-Johnson, 55, had a dim view of politics until her community was ravaged by Hurricane Ian. Now, the former Circle K general manager (currently on disability) isn’t just making her first run for elected office, she’s doing so in District 41 against political heavyweight Democratic incumbent State Rep. Bruce Antone.

The winner of the open Aug. 20 primary will take the seat. Early voting takes place Aug. 5 through Aug. 18. Mail-in ballots can be requested thro...

VoxPopuli • 27th August 2024

Profile on Bruce Antone for August 2024 midterm

Democratic incumbent State Rep. Bruce Antone, 63, is asking voters to send him back to Tallahassee for his eighth term in the Florida House. He is fending off a challenge from first-time candidate and former convenience store general manager Janét Marie Buford-Johnson.

The Aug. 20 election will decide the winner of the solidly Democratic District 41. Early voting takes place Aug. 5 -18, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily. Check our list for locations. The deadline to request a mail-in ballot is Aug. 8 and...

VoxPopuli • 29th June 2024

Supervisor of Elections Candidate Dan Helm sues Cynthia Harris for allegedly paying qualifying fee from personal account

Attorney Dan Helm, a Democratic candidate for Orange County Supervisor of Elections, Thursday filed a lawsuit in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court against Cynthia Harris, the no-party-affiliated candidate, alleging that she improperly paid her qualifying fee.

The lawsuit claims Harris used a personal check to pay the qualifying fee before the June 14 deadline and that she “falsely indicated” to the filing officer that the check was drawn from a campaign account. Orange County Supervisor of Elect

VoxPopuli • 14th June 2024

Oakland issues proclamation for Juneteenth

The earliest Juneteenth events took place in 1866 in Texas. Winter Garden and Orlando are hosting celebrations Saturday, June 15, 2024, in City Park at 10 a.m. and Camping World Stadium at 2 p.m.

The Town of Oakland Tuesday issued its twelfth Juneteenth proclamation, and its second consecutive recognition of what’s known as Black Independence Day or Freedom Day, during its commission meeting.

Juneteenth (a meld of the words June and 19) marks the day on June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived

VoxPopuli • 11th June 2024

Bracy demands Thompson drop out of District 15 race over residency issue, threatens lawsuit

In a press conference last week, Randolph Bracy, the former Democratic state senator, called out the serving Democratic state senator, Geraldine Thompson, who he is challenging for the Senate District 15 seat in the Aug. 20 election, and accused her of living out of district. Bracy threatened to file a lawsuit if she did not drop out of the race by Friday, the candidate qualifying deadline.

"Leaders can't lead if they're in denial themselves," Bracy said during the June 5 press conference. "The

VoxPopuli • 7th June 2024

Antone addresses opponent’s residency allegations

Democratic State Rep. Bruce Antone Thursday addressed his opponent’s claims that he does not reside in District 41 where he is running for re-election.

“Every time I run, they bring this up. And they’ve never proven that I do not live in the district,” Antone said in a phone interview.

Questions about Antone’s residency were raised in April when the Orlando Sentinel that his voter registration, homestead exemption and campaign filings matched an address for a house in District 40, which is rep

VoxPopuli • 5th June 2024

Antone opponent files residency complaint with Florida Ethics Commission

“I deal in truth. The truth is, he doesn’t live in the district,” Janét Marie Buford-Johnson told VoxPopuli in a phone interview Tuesday, referring to Democratic State Rep. Bruce Antone, who she’s challenging for the House District 41 seat in the Aug. 20 election.

A hospitality professional and first-time candidate, Buford-Johnson filed a complaint in early May with the Florida Ethics Commission, alleging that Antone does not live in District 41 and has not for years. This was first Tuesday by

VoxPopuli • 20th May 2024

Windermere corks new wine shop

Windermere's town council denied the couple behind the forthcoming wine market-cum-restaurant Solvino a permit to sell wine by the glass, stating they don't want more town businesses serving alcohol. But even without a permit, state law allows Solvino to pour quite a bit of wine samples.

Most folks know when they’ve reached their alcohol limit. The Town of Windermere just said when.

Citing overwhelming community opposition, the town council last week voted unanimously to deny the zoning varian

VoxPopuli • 26th April 2024

Winter Garden to distribute welcome packets with new code compliance brochure

Winter Garden to distribute welcome packets with new code compliance brochure

Winter Garden's new code compliance brochure tells residents how to keep the city "inviting and beautiful for all.”

Winter Garden is adding new Code Compliance brochures to its welcome packets for new residents, according to City Manager Jon Williams. He made the announcement at the April 11 city commission meeting.

Titled Enhancing Our Community Through Code Compliance: Your Guide to Navigating Common Code Violatio

VoxPopuli • 23rd April 2024

Democrats choose diverse slate of five to represent Congressional District 11 at National Convention

Democrats choose diverse slate of five to represent Congressional District 11 at National Convention

Democratic voters from Congressional District 11 elected a diverse five-member slate to send to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on April 20, 2024, at the West Orange Recreation Center in Winter Garden.

Democratic voters in Congressional District 11 went to the polls Saturday in Orange, Sumter and Polk Counties to select five delegates — two women and three men — to attend the Demo

VoxPopuli • 13th April 2024

Winter Garden swears in Chloe Johnson, Colin Sharman as commissioners

Johnson joins Lisa Bennett as second woman on the board.

Johnson joins District 1 Commissioner Lisa Bennett as the second woman on the commission. She is the first Black woman to sit on the commission since 2006 when Charlie Mae Wilder was appointed to complete Commissioner Mildred Dixon’s term after her death.

During commissioner reports, Johnson, who won election with 68 percent of the District 3 vote, thanked her supporters and said she was looking forward to working with city staff.

“I’m

NSM.today • 6th April 2024

Florida Supreme Court upholds abortion ban, voters to ultimately decide in November

The Florida Supreme Court ruled Monday to uphold a 15-week abortion ban while also allowing the proposed abortion access amendment to appear on ballots in November.

Through the court’s approval of the 15-week ban on most abortions, a controversial six-week abortion ban signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year will be put into effect starting May 1. The six-week ban allows exceptions for victims of incest, rape or medical emergencies in which the life of the mother is endangered.

Accordin

VoxPopuli • 30th March 2024

Biden picks Equal Ground’s Jasmine Burney-Clark to run Florida reelection campaign

Equal Ground founder and director Jasmine Burney-Clark of Ocoee was tapped to be Florida Campaign Director for President Joe Biden's reelection campaign.

President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign Friday tapped Equal Ground founder and director as its Florida campaign director.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Burney-Clark wrote, “I’m excited to announce that I’m taking on the biggest chapter of my life as the Florida State Director for Joe Biden.” She nodded to the tough journey ahead fo

VoxPopuli • 20th March 2024

West Orange voters hit the polls

Seats for mayor, three commissioners and (in Ocoee) 13 charter amendments were on the ballot.

While the Republican Primary was already a foregone conclusion, West Orange voters headed to the polls on an unseasonably cold Tuesday to choose two new Winter Garden city commissioners, a commissioner to fill out the last year of the District 4 term in Ocoee and the first new mayor the town of Oakland has had in close to 30 years.

Early in the morning, former Ocoee Commissioner George Oliver III, who

VoxPopuli • 3rd February 2024

In Winter Garden city commission races, it’s neighbor v. neighbor

Candidates for District 2 and District 3 hail from the same neighborhoods. What does that mean for voters?

Winter Garden’s city charter says that candidates must live in the district they wish to represent for at least a year before running for office. But in the same neighborhood? On the same block? It’s enough to make you wonder if there’s something in the water.

Aubrey Jewett, PhD, an associate professor of government and politics at University of Central Florida, has studied state and loca