Florida politics

Florida's 27th Congressional District has miles of coastline. The district stretches from near Black Pointe Marina in south Miami-Dade County to the Venetian Causeway, and all of Key Biscayne and Miami Beach.

"Whatever is going on in the rest of the country, we're not denying climate change," says Donna Shalala, the Democrat running for Congress in the district. "For us, it's life and death."

Senator Bill Nelson and Governor Rick Scott squared off for the first of their three debates in Florida's U.S. Senate race.

In the battle over control of the U.S. House of Representatives, the race to replace the longest-serving member of the Florida Congressional delegation plays a big role. The campaign to succeed Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) in Congress pits a veteran of Democratic politics and community leader against a political newcomer who is a former Spanish-language television news host.

Republican Maria Elvira Salazar and Democrat Donna Shalala are running in the 27th Congressional district in Miami-Dade County, but the outcome will echo across the region.

A crowd of people gathered at Little Havana’s Ball & Chain nightclub on Friday, sweating under the gaze of a stage that looks like a giant hollowed out pineapple, as drafts of mojito mint freshened the night air. The event was in support of Andrew Gillum, the Democratic nominee for Governor of Florida. But for many speakers and attendees, the event’s location was also important in terms of counter-messaging.

Broward County state Sen. Lauren Book was floated as a potential running mate for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum — but she says she wouldn’t have accepted the offer if it had materialized.

Gillum, the Tallahassee mayor who snagged the Democratic nomination for governor in an upset victory on Aug. 28, ultimately chose one of his primary opponents for the lieutenant governor spot on his ticket. Book said she thinks Orlando entrepreneur Chris King is a “wonderful, wonderful choice” and said she’s on “Team Gillum” heading into November.

Officials from the Florida Democratic Party met with black South Floridians on Saturday to discuss the importance of voting and to train them how to mobilize other voters ahead of the midterm elections in November.

The algae-choked waters of Lake Okeechobee and the deadly red tide along the Gulf Coast have dominated the political debate over Florida’s environment.