Politics

Board of Engineers will welcome new gubernatorial appointees

Published

1 hour ago

December 13, 2025

The panel is back to full strength.

Vacancies are being filled on the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, even as some other current members are being reappointed.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has selected Christopher Forehan and Richard Temple to fill open positions on the panel for Engineering and Structural Engineering.

Forehan is the President of Panhandle Engineering, a member of the Florida Engineering Society, and a previous member of the Florida State University Panama City Development Board.

Temple, the Regional Director of Walter P. Moore, is a member of the American Concrete Institute and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida Board of Directors and a previous President of the Florida Structural Engineers Association.

Dylan Albergo, Jeb Mulock, and Brock Shrader are also being reappointed to the panel.

“The Florida Board of Professional Engineers is established under Chapter 471, Florida Statutes, Engineering, and is composed of 11 members, nine of whom are licensed Professional Engineers representing multiple disciplines and two laypersons who are not and never have been engineers or members of any closely related profession or occupation. All members are appointed by the governor for terms of four years each,” notes the page for the organization that regulates Florida’s 46,000 engineers.

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Politics

National endorsements pour in for Pia Dandiya as she takes on Brian Mast

Published

18 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

May Greene

A Democrat hoping to flip Florida’s 21st Congressional District is trumpeting endorsements from a former United States Secretary of Education and two sitting members of Congress.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Congressman Ro Khanna, and Congresswoman Annie Kuster are all on board with Pia Dandiya as she works to unseat Brian Mast.

Duncan, a Barack Obama appointee, notes that Dandiya is “a true leader shaped by her service as a teacher, principal, and policy maker” and “the only former school principal across the country running for Congress.”

“Pia has spent her career in public education fighting for students who are too often overlooked, and she brings a true understanding of what works to improve outcomes for schools and families,” Duncan adds.

Khanna, a California Democrat who is quickly getting a national reputation for new-school pragmatism, says Dandiya “understands what working families truly need: good jobs, affordable childcare, strong schools, and a chance to build a secure future.”

“With experience as a teacher, high school principal, and tech-innovation leader — and a deep commitment to defending Social Security, Medicare, and our rights — Pia will put people over politics and fight for economic freedom,” Khanna adds.

“Pia is uniquely positioned to serve this district, with deep roots in this community and impressive experience in DC as a White House Fellow. Pia has the right message for this moment, has created the change we want to see in communities, and the unique ability to connect with voters across different walks of life,” Kuster adds.

Dandiya, who managed Apple strategic initiatives in the Southeast before launching her campaign, has already raised more than $783,000 from more than 2,500 donors, including contributors from every city in Florida’s 21st Congressional District and from 48 states.

While Dandiya faces primary opposition, she is the only candidate to report six-figures worth of fundraising to date, and she is seeing meaningful support from inside and outside the state, as the latest endorsements suggest.

Mast is not among the GOP incumbents currently targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, but his district has been a battleground in the past. He first won office in 2016, flipping a district previously represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy.

Redistricting in 2022 made the district a safer Republican seat. Nearly 58% of voters in the district in November voted for Donald Trump for President, according to MCI Maps. Mast won 62% of the vote in his own re-election bid.

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Politics

Rob Long reveals legislative priorities

Published

49 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

May Greene

He’s wasting no time in tackling issues that matter to his constituents.

Rep.-Elect Rob Long is hitting the ground running after a resounding 28-point win in the HD 90 Special Election.

The Delray Beach Democrat is carrying a raft of priorities for his constituents, including money for Delray’s historic American Legion Post 188C and for coral research and coastal resilience at The Reef Institute.

And colleagues are helping him get started.

Rep. Debra Tendrich introduced the money for the Legion Post, which Long says has been “a cornerstone of Delray’s Black history and civic life” since 1947.

He also says he will champion a PFAS reform package to reduce Floridians’ exposure to forever chemicals, a bill filed by Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, a Democrat from Parkland.

Though his late election normally would stop him from filing legislation for the 2026 Session, he worked with colleagues to get these priorities in play and he will assume sponsorship once he’s officially in the House.

“I’m grateful to the members who partnered with me on these bills to ensure the work could begin before I’m sworn in, and I’m proud to carry them forward on behalf of District 90. These priorities reflect the values of our community — strengthening environmental protections, supporting veterans, preserving local history, and investing in the organizations that serve our region,” Long said.

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Politics

Mystery group continues promoting Jay Collins

Published

2 hours ago

December 13, 2025

May Greene

The shadow campaign continues.

Months after first teasing a run for Governor, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins hasn’t launched a campaign.

But despite his indecision, advertising continues to promote him as if he’s already made it official.

Mail from the Florida Fighter group is circulating this weekend, including to Jacksonville Republicans, promoting the former state Senator from Tampa as a “wounded warrior, proven conservative” who has “delivered conservative wins” and is “standing with” Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The group’s documented television buys are approaching $3 million at last check, and that’s without knowing who or what is buying ads.

The mail urges recipients to call Collins and “thank” him. The call is answered by an automated voice: “The Lieutenant Governor is not answering. This mailbox is full.”

Collins has praised the third-party effort on his behalf.

“I’m very grateful for whatever group that was that put those out there. … We are in this short, final part of wrapping up our decision, and I’m very grateful for that group. It’s very encouraging to see people believe in our message and our approach,” he said at a press conference last month.

Collins especially appreciates the air cover since he sees himself as an alternative to “politicians who pat themselves on the back and put their ego first,” a seeming allusion to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who had more than $31 million banked as of the end of September.

Collins has struggled in public polls of the still-nascent Republican field to succeed DeSantis.

Collins is at 1% in a poll from Victory Insights and at 4% in a survey from St. Pete Polls.