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Emily L. Mahoney - Times Political Editor
Emily L. Mahoney

Times Political Editor

I'm the Tampa Bay Times' Political Editor, but really my job is to write about how struggles over politics and power define our state and impact people's lives. From Washington to Tallahassee to Tampa Bay, the political landscape is changing. It's my job to help you make sense of it all, while holding leaders to account and digging into how unelected interests wield their clout. I previously covered real estate and before that, worked in our Tallahassee bureau, which gave me an up-close view of how our state government works. I'm originally from Arizona, a state that instilled in me a love of hiking and tacos al pastor. Have a tip or story idea? Drop me a line.

  1. In Tampa, 2 events — and 2 visions for Florida — collide as Democrats, Moms for Liberty meet
    Jul. 17• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    State Senate minority leader Lauren Book speaks on stage during the Leadership Blue Gala for the Florida Democratic Party on Saturday, July 16, 2022, in Tampa.
  2. Which Florida Democrat hoping to replace DeSantis is raising more money off abortion?
    Jul. 14• Health
    Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Nikki Fried, left, who’s seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, has sought to paint her opponent Charlie Crist as anti-abortion.
  3. DeSantis stays quiet on abortion’s future in Florida as Republicans strategize
    Jul. 6• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, Gov. Ron DeSantis hasn't said what abortion legislation he wants Florida to pass. However, he issued a statement praising the court decision and promised that Florida “will work to expand pro-life protections,” without offering specifics.
  5. What Florida and its post-Parkland law show about the next phase of the gun debate
    Jul. 1• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Then-Gov. Rick Scott signed gun and school safety legislation on March 9, 2018, in Tallahassee, joined by family members of students killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. [Times (2018)]
  6. Why John Eastman mentioned Florida during the Jan. 6 hearings
    Jun. 29• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    John Eastman, former lawyer of former President Donald Trump, appears on the screen during the fourth hearing by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol.
  7. Indicted Gillum adviser suspends Florida House campaign, calls charges ‘baseless’
    Jun. 24• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Sharon Lettman-Hicks, center, leaves the federal courthouse on June 22, 2022 in Tallahassee after she and former candidate for governor Andrew Gillum were indicted.
  8. Florida reacts to Roe v. Wade overturn by Supreme Court
    Jun. 24• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    More than 1,000 activists gathered in downtown Tampa in support of abortion rights in May.
  9. Andrew Gillum, excandidato a gobernador de Florida, es acusado de fraude y arrestado por el FBI
    Jun. 22• CENTRO
    Andrew Gillum, habla en una parada de campaña en su candidatura a gobernador, el lunes 5 de noviembre de 2018, en Crawfordville, Florida. Gillum, el candidato demócrata a gobernador de Florida en 2018, enfrenta 21 cargos federales relacionados con un plan para buscar donaciones y canalizar una parte de ellas a través de terceros. La oficina del fiscal federal anunció la acusación el miércoles 22 de junio de 2022.
  10. Ex-Florida governor candidate Andrew Gillum indicted on fraud charges, arrested by FBI
    Jun. 22• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum leaves federal court in Tallahassee on June 22, 2022, after being indicted on wire fraud and other counts.
  11. DeSantis makes Florida Senate power play with endorsement in Tampa race, others
    Jun. 21• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Ron DeSantis speaks before he signs the state budget at The Villages, Florida, on June 2, 2022.
  12. MAGA influencers flock to Florida, chasing political clout and connections
    Jun. 16• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    David Leatherwood, a right-wing social media influencer, shows some of his social media equipment at his St. Petersburg home on Friday, May 20, 2022. Leatherwood goes by the online moniker of Brokeback Patriot and is part of a growing community of conservative media personalities in Tampa Bay and Florida in general.
  13. Rick Scott revises plan for more people to pay income tax after bipartisan criticism
    Jun. 9• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida speaks during a news conference on Jan. 19, 2022, in Washington.
  14. Top lawmakers passed DeSantis’ priorities. It didn’t save their Tampa Bay projects.
    Jun. 4• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves as he arrives to sign a record $109.9 billion state budget Thursday at The Villages.
  15. Ex-Florida elections chief Laurel Lee launches bid for Tampa Bay-area congressional seat
    May 17• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee speaks at a news conference on Oct. 29, 2019, in Tallahassee. Lee is running for Congressional District 15.
  16. Florida veteran pledges to spend millions in Tampa Bay-area congressional race
    May 16• Elections
    Jerry Torres, a Green Beret veteran and retired defense contractor, is self-funding his congressional campaign and says he's prepared to spend up to $15 million to get elected.
  17. Ben Diamond suspends bid for Pinellas congressional seat, citing DeSantis map
    May 12• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    State Rep. Ben Diamond announced he is dropping his bid for Congressional District 13.
  18. Florida Democrats pledge $15 million to mobilize voters, unify party
    May 11• Elections
    As part of a new campaign called “Blue Shift Florida,” Democrats pledged to spend $15 million to accomplish a series of goals, including hiring around 200 organizers, registering voters, increasing the party’s presence throughout the state by opening approximately 80 offices, and converting election-year efforts into year-round operations.
  19. Florida Democrats hope anti-abortion Supreme Court ruling could supercharge governor’s race
    May 4• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    People attend a pro-abortion rights rally and march Tuesday organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberalism Tampa Bay along Central Avenue in downtown Petersburg in the wake of a leaked draft of a majority opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court detailing the intent to strike down Roe v. Wade.
  20. Florida politicians react to leaked draft opinion on overturning Roe v. Wade
    May 3• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    A crowd of people gather outside the Supreme Court, Monday night, May 2, 2022, in Washington. A draft opinion circulated among Supreme Court justices suggests that earlier this year a majority of them had thrown support behind overturning the 1973 case Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a report published Monday night in Politico. It’s unclear if the draft represents the court’s final word on the matter.
  21. Ron DeSantis’ fight with Disney helped him break fundraising records
    Apr. 26• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis arrives to speak at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando on Feb. 24. DeSantis’ fight with Disney has drawn national attention in part because it’s unusual for Florida politicians to defy a company that’s long enjoyed VIP treatment from lawmakers as one of the state’s largest employers and a generous campaign donor.
  22. DeSantis endorses Wilton Simpson for Florida agriculture commissioner, ending speculation
    Apr. 25• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis shakes hands with Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, at the Capitol in Tallahassee during Opening Day of the Florida Legislature on March 2, 2021. DeSantis has endorsed Simpson in the Republican primary for agriculture commissioner, ending speculation.
  23. Clearwater Police looking for man suspected in Thursday night shooting
    Apr. 23• Breaking News
    Clearwater Police identified a man they said is responsible for a shooting that left one person severely injured.
  24. Florida’s Disney district crackdown may violate First Amendment, legal experts say
    Apr. 23• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    The newly painted Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is seen with the crest to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the theme park on Aug. 30, 2021, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
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