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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. Former Florida lawmaker Sam Bell, stepfather of Kathy Castor, dies
    Mar. 15• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Sam Bell, left, stands next to his wife, Betty Castor, on the balcony of their Bayshore condo on Nov. 2, 2004, in this Times file photo.
  2. Rick Scott weighs in against Florida proposed 6-week abortion ban, contrasting DeSantis
    Mar. 11• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Sen. Rick Scott's position on a proposed six-week abortion ban counters that of Gov. Ron DeSantis, who previously said that he supported the bill because “the issue is less (about the) week than the fact that there’s a detectable heartbeat.”
  3. DeSantis isn’t running for president yet. But it looks like it in Tampa Bay.
    Mar. 8• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis holds up his book as he talks to the audience while on stage during an event at the OCC Road House & Museum 10575 49th Street North on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 in Pinellas Park.
  5. 5 highlights from DeSantis’ book, ‘The Courage to Be Free’
    Feb. 28• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    “A governor must have a strong sense of true north to guide him, but that sense must be coupled with the ability and willingness to lead with conviction,” Gov. Ron DeSantis writes in his new book’s opening page.
  6. Rick Scott exempts Social Security, Medicare from his sunset proposal after bipartisan criticism
    Feb. 17• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    U.S. Sen. Rick Scott speaks to reporters during a round table discussion at the Sun Towers Retirement Community on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023, in Sun City Center.
  7. As Florida Democrats discuss rebuilding, Nikki Fried announces run for party chairperson
    Feb. 13• Elections
    Nikki Fried, then-Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Democratic candidate for governor, speaks during a news conference outside the Pat Franks Court Building Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, in Tampa. Fried on Monday announced she is running to be the next chairperson for the Florida Democratic Party.
  8. Does Joe Biden or Rick Scott want to cut Social Security, Medicare? The fight, explained.
    Feb. 10• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    U.S. Sen. Rick Scott speaks to community leaders and Florida seniors during a roundtable discussion at the Sun Towers Retirement Community on Friday in Sun City Center. Behind him is a poster that reads: "Biden's war against seniors."
  9. President Joe Biden visits Tampa to talk health care as 2024 race looms
    Feb. 9• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    President Joe Biden meets with supporters after his speech about Social Security and healthcare at the University of Tampa on Thursday.
  10. Joe Biden will come to Tampa to tout agenda in increasingly red Florida
    Feb. 8• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    President Joe Biden talks with reporters after returning on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, from a weekend at Camp David in Maryland.
  11. DeSantis floats bill making it easier to sue news outlets
    Feb. 7• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a roundtable on media libel laws on Tuesday.
  12. DeSantis has executive privilege, a judge ruled, setting up legal battle over secrecy
    Feb. 1• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference on Jan. 26 in Miami. In multiple lawsuits, DeSantis’ lawyers have claimed that the governor wields executive privilege, a special right invoked by U.S. presidents that shields them from disclosing information of their choosing.
  13. The pandemic is central to Ron DeSantis’ brand. Will voters still care in 2024?
    Jan. 26• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    A woman carries a sign during an anti-mandate rally outside the Florida Capitol on Nov. 16, 2021, in Tallahassee. Polling shows that the public is much less concerned about the coronavirus pandemic now than they were in 2020 and 2021.
  14. Florida officials react to the Andrew Warren v. DeSantis ruling
    Jan. 20• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren takes a moment just prior to a CNN interview Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022 in Tallahassee. Warren has filed a federal suit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who suspended Warren.
  15. DeSantis prevailed over Andrew Warren. Other lawsuits show what might come next
    Jan. 20• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Ron DeSantis announces the removal of Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren during a news conference Thursday at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office administration building in Tampa.
  16. Florida Democratic Party chairperson resigns with frank letter after major 2022 losses
    Jan. 9• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Former Mayor of Miami Manny Diaz announced Monday he was leaving his role as chairperson of the Florida Democratic Party.
  17. Can Florida’s members of Congress help constituents amid speaker chaos? Confusion reigns.
    Jan. 6• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks with reporters in National Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Building on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House of Representatives is meeting to vote for the next Speaker after House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed to earn more than 218 votes on several ballots; the first time in 100 years that the Speaker was not elected on the first ballot.
  18. DeSantis tailors ‘free state’ messaging to wider audience in 2nd inauguration address
    Jan. 3• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis, first lady Casey DeSantis and their children, Mason, left, Mamie and Madison, wave to the crowd during the inauguration ceremony Tuesday at the historic Florida Capitol in Tallahassee.
  19. DeSantis political committee has received close to $900,000 since election
    Dec. 20, 2022• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis tosses hats into the crowd during a campaign event at ATMAX Equipment on Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, in Tampa.
  20. Prominent DeSantis ally, Florida political donor found dead, was under investigation
    Dec. 9, 2022• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Kent Stermon
  21. Rick Scott didn’t flip the Senate for Republicans, then he lost to McConnell. Now what?
    Nov. 19, 2022• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who led the Senate Republican campaign arm in the midterm elections, is surrounded by reporters as he walks to the historic Old Senate Chamber where he failed in a longshot bid to unseat Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022.
  22. How DeSantis-endorsed candidates fared nationally
    Nov. 16, 2022• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Doug Mastriano, the Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, records the scene on his phone as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tosses baseball caps to the audience before speaking at the Turning Point Action-sponsored Unite and Win Rally on Aug. 19 in Pittsburgh. Mastriano lost his election last week. He had been endorsed by both DeSantis and Donald Trump.
  23. Florida’s Rick Scott says he’s challenging McConnell for US Senate leadership
    Nov. 15, 2022• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Sen. Rick Scott speaks during a get-out-the-vote rally at an RNC Hispanic Community Center in Tampa on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.
  24. Cómo Florida, el estado cambiante más grande de la nación, se volvió rojo intenso
    Nov. 14, 2022• CENTRO
    TJ Goodall de Tampa sostiene un cartel de apoyo a Donald Trump durante la fiesta de la noche de las elecciones de Ron DeSantis en el Centro de Convenciones de Tampa el martes 8 de noviembre de 2022 en Tampa.