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Kirby Wilson - Politics Reporter

Politics Reporter

Since I joined the Times in September 2017, I’ve spent much of my time covering the people who lead Florida and what attracts voters to them. That includes a two-year stint covering state government from our Capitol bureau in Tallahassee. With my work, I hope to contribute to a more informed and curious community. I’m a native of Pinellas County who attended Duke University, where I majored in English. When I’m not in the office, I like to travel, sing show tunes and play chess. Email me tips and baseball trivia. If you’re nice, I might send back pictures of my cat.

  1. Devotees of TikTok monitor voting at the Capitol in Washington, as the House passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app if its China-based owner doesn't sell.
  2. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., addresses attendees at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee.
  3. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., leaves the chamber after the Republican-controlled House voted along party lines to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 21, 2023.
  4. Tim Burke departs federal court in Tampa after his hearing on Thursday.
  5. Media consultant Tim Burke, 45, stands in his digital media studio at the Seminole Heights home which he shares with his wife, Tampa City Council member Lynn Hurtak, on Tuesday, July 18, 2023, in Tampa where agents with FBI conducted a search and seizure of personal electronics and notebooks in early May.
  6. Feb. 20• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, center, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, right,  hold a news conference in Del Rio, Texas, on July 17, 2021, to talk about an effort to enforce the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas.
  7. Tanks, where cultivated chicken is made, are seen at the Eat Just office on July 27, 2023, in Alameda, California.
  8. Matt Gaetz speaks to reporters as he leaves the U.S. Capitol after U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was ousted form his position, Oct. 3, 2023, in Washington, DC.
  9. Randy McKinney of Clearwater holds "I Voted" stickers after casting his ballot at the Supervisor of Elections Office at the Pinellas County Courthouse during early voting on Oct. 19, 2020, in Clearwater.
  10. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz listens to U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 30, 2023, to discuss the U.S. government's lack of transparency on unidentified aerial phenomena.
  11. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis greets supporters at his Iowa caucuses watch party on Jan. 15 at the Sheraton West Des Moines Hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa.
  12. Jan. 21• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    A supporter holds up a sign in support of Ron DeSantis for President during the Florida Freedom Summit on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Orlando.
  13. From left, evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Casey DeSantis, holding son Mason DeSantis, watch as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a rally Jan. 13 at the Never Back Down super PAC headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa.
  14. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis listens as Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds speaks during a rally at the Never Back Down super PAC headquarters on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, in West Des Moines, Iowa. DeSantis is running for the Republican presidential nomination.
  15. Dec. 30, 2023• Investigations
    Kratom is virtually unregulated and widely available online and in gas stations and smoke shops across Florida. Researchers say lawmakers and regulators could take several steps short of a ban to protect people who use the herb.
  16. The first drone photos of Florida's Horseshoe Beach in the Big Bend area show it has been inundated with water.
  17. Jeff Erickson hoists the debris blocking authorities from entering Horseshoe  Beach.
  18. Jamie Davis of Gainesville, center, secures a sheet of plywood on the entrance of St. Johns Tavern with the help of Cody Randall, Zachary Johnson and Jeremy Onorato on Tuesday in downtown Crystal River, where a storm surge of up to 11 feet could inundate Citrus County as Hurricane Idalia moves toward Florida's west coast.
  19. The National Hurricane Center said its likely the Tampa Bay area could see a storm surge as high as 7 feet when Idalia makes landfall on Florida's west coast.
  20. File photo of Tim Heidecker from April. 6, 2022. He's bringing his comedy and music tour to Tampa on Saturday, Aug. 5.
  21. Then President Donald Trump introduces Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a homecoming campaign rally at the BB&T Center on Nov. 26, 2019, in Sunrise, Florida. Earlier this month, Trump criticized DeSantis' record of gubernatorial appointments.
  22. This combination of photos shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking on April 21, 2023, in Oxon Hill, Md., left, and former President Donald Trump speaking on March 4, 2023, at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.