All Posts

Elected officials and civic leaders offered a dire assessment during a panel discussion Wednesday about the forces shaping the Suncoast region: Local control over rapid development has essentially crumbled. “The state legislature has been held entirely non-accountable for the deterioration of home rule and their empowerment of developers,” said former Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton. “Hold them responsible,” he added, to applause. Thaxton and four other panelists spo

The pendulum is swinging - a note from Executive Director Rachel Berger “Congratulations, it paid off, thank you, etc. FL Democrats are back” messages have flooded my phone this past week, but here’s the thing: we never left. For years, we’ve been rebuilding, brick by brick, race by race, volunteer by volunteer. We’re starting to see the returns on that work, but it’s only the beginning. I’ve spent much of the last decade inside this fight. I started volunteering with the Par

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — Florida is barreling into a mid-decade redistricting fight with Republicans in and out of the state pushing for action — but party leaders are split on how far to go and when to start. Florida is the crown jewel in Republicans’ national redistricting ambitions.  Those pushing the effort believe the state could yield three to five additional GOP House seats ahead of the 2026 midterms — a haul big enough to influence control of Congress. But the drive com

Florida will redraw its congressional map next year, Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., told The Floridian  on Monday, teeing up the Sunshine State to become the latest in a multi-state redistricting battle prompted by President Donald Trump’s push to keep Republican control of the House. The redistricting will be completed next year. Key Facts DeSantis said he will call a special legislative session for congressional redistricting in Florida next spring, according to The Floridian.

Now he calls it a Democrat "con job." President Donald Trump has promised not only that America will be “great again” but also that it will be “ healthy again ,” “ wealthy again ,” “ beautiful again ,” and—crucially—“ affordable again .” Now, as the country faces persistent inflation, a housing crisis, and rising prices on consumer goods, he claims that affordability is nothing more than a “con job,” an opportunistic buzzword leveraged by a rival party. “The word affordabilit

Florida Democratic Party Fighting for Florida The most compelling message for Florida Democrats in the current political climate focuses on addressing everyday economic concerns, specifically affordability, healthcare, and education, while also championing personal freedoms and effective governance. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried and other leaders emphasize practical solutions to issues created by a one-party-controlled government. Key components of this message i

Trump had a bad week. Fox News polling suggests things are going to get worse. The president’s own party might finally be willing to hold him to account. President Donald Trump might suddenly find himself in the situation he’s so far managed to avoid: having his own party hold him to account. Trump tried very hard in recent weeks to cajole and browbeat Republicans into rejecting a push for the release of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, without

“We are not even two weeks from the government shutdown, and the public conversation on the matter has fled the building. This shows, no matter what you believe, there’s a simple truth. The shutdown will have zero lasting consequences for next year’s midterms. The only thing that will persevere is economic pain. And that’s exactly why Democrats won on Nov. 4. Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger, Mikie Sherrill — even down-ballot Georgia Democrats — all won with soaring margins

Residents get look at increases in Obamacare plans Floridians are facing steep increases in Obamacare health insurance premiums for 2025, with many experiencing significant sticker shock during open enrollment. The Sun Sentinel article “Huge sticker shock for Floridians” reports that residents shopping for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans are encountering sharp price hikes. These increases are especially pronounced for those who don’t qualify for federal subsidies, though even

As Americans Cry Out for Relief, Out-of-Touch Billionaire President “Doesn’t Want to Hear About the Affordability” Trump is disregarding Americans’ top concern, saying he doesn’t “want to hear about” affordability despite polling showing that nearly two-thirds of voters think Trump has made the economy worse. 1 in 4 U.S. households are living paycheck to paycheck. Manufacturing and small business employment continues to shrink and October saw the highest number of job cuts i

Don't miss the December America at a Crossroads lunch event, Is there hope for Democrats in Florida. With voter registration numbers being greatly outpaced by the GOP, and the Democrats holding only 33 seats of the 120 seats in the state house, it’s easy to be discouraged. This lunch event is timely and we hope, hopeful.  Register today to join our next lunch, December 11 at the Sarasota Yacht Club  from 11:30am-1:30pm.  Longboat Key Democratic Club

Leo makes it clear: the planet cannot wait, and global leaders can’t either. Today’s piece is a deep dive into one of the most consistent and defining themes of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate: his moral defense of our planet, shaped in no small part by his years in Peru, where he saw the human cost of climate change up close . This essay offers a thorough analysis of Leo’s constant voice on creation — a voice that has only sharpened this week, as he spoke about the climate crisis

The response to the VADC (Venice Area Democratic Club) food drive completely overwhelmed the monthly Saturday Democratic morning meeting featuring School Board candidate Jimmy Glover at Naar Hall on Shamrock Ave .  About a week ago, an email went out to members asking them to bring some food to the monthly meeting that was to be part of the Club donation to the South County Food Bank.  The VADC wondered if setting up one table would be enough for the donated food.  But to eve

The Trump administration is a regime of troubled children. In 1949, the German historian and political philosopher Hannah Arendt visited Europe for the first time since fleeing to America during the war. A year later, she wrote an analysis of what she called “the aftermath of Nazi rule.” She found the Old World lacking in civic maturity and commitment compared with her new home, the then-booming United States, noting that “the peoples of Western Europe have developed the hab

'I've got bruises all over my body,' the Rev. Michael Woolf, who was thrown to the ground and arrested by police, told Religious News Services. In video recorded on Friday (Nov. 14) outside the embattled U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois, the Rev. Michael Woolf stands alongside fellow protesters, fiddling awkwardly with his backpack as faith leaders and other protesters chant slogans at a line of police officers. A moment later, one offi

We have been sending letters and emails. We have been writing letters to the editor. We have been making phone calls. We have taken to the streets. We have been resisting with our wallets. In all these ways, we have been having an impact. And, now this past Tuesday, we showed our ultimate power - the vote! We didn't just squeak by - we had wins by tremendous margins! These wins were from state governorships to city councils, from state supreme court justices to knocking down

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried released the following statement after the House vote to reopen the government: “After weeks of Republican chaos, the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is finally over, but working families are still paying the price. This short-term deal isn’t a win for Americans; it’s just a stopgap. Without an extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies, millions of Americans will see their premiums double, forcing many to lose their

Trump calls on Senate GOP to eliminate filibuster, reopen government and pass sweeping agenda Following a swath of Democratic victories across the country Tuesday night, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said staying focused on affordability helped party candidates win. “But as much as people want to focus on the differences within the Democratic Party — of course we have conservative Democrats, centrists, progressives, and leftists — the reality is there was a

Baseball has always been a great cauldron of American vernacular speech. One relatively new expression has caught my attention: “Wear it.” Like when a 99-mph fastball hits a batter’s shoulder or thigh or foot. “Yah, I’ll wear it.” As in, this is part of the game. Sure, it hurts, but it is the price I pay for being here. It is time for the Republicans to wear their childishly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act. And speaking of bills, they are coming due. Americans are just findi