Florida, the nation's bellwether / Mary Ellen Klas

Mary Ellen Klas

Politics and policy columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. Former Miami Herald Capitol Bureau Chief. Mary Ellen has covered six governors and the political dynamics of one of the most pivotal, diverse, and economically-divided states in the nation. She was awarded a 2023 Polk Award for political reporting for team coverage uncovering the secrecy, cost and documenting the political impact of the migrant relocation flights of Gov. Ron DeSantis. She was among the Miami Herald newsroom team that won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news. In 2018-19, Mary Ellen was awarded a Nieman Fellowship to study at Harvard for the 2018-19 academic year. She examined the relationship between declining journalism resources and corruption in state and local government. Scroll through these pages to see her work:

Florida, no longer the nation's bellwether

In my years of covering Florida government and politics, I had been struck by the extent to which everything that happens in Florida was a precursor to what happens in the nation. In 2010, the state elected a businessman with a shaky past who had never held public office as governor. Rick Scott's campaign appealed to xenophobic fears and economic insecurity eight years before those themes would elevate Donald Trump into office. All that ended in 2022, when the predicted red wave only happened in Florida. Florida is now a state in transition. Here is a look at where we've been and where we may be going.

Infighting is turning Florida GOP into a house divided

The 2018 midterms revealed how the GOP had to backtrack on its opposition to Obamacare to save their candidates. Florida foreshadowed that debate in 2015. The one-party breakdown was linked to the influence of special interests, increasing polarization of the parties and term limits.

Florida immigration feud reflects GOP divide

Florida's Republican presiding officers for 2012-14 were a reflection of the generational and ideological differences that divide the Republican Party. In 2016, those differences were manifest in Florida in the debate over immigration, particularly whether to extend in-state tuition to the children of undocumented immigrants.

Florida's favorite paper, Tampa Bay's favorite local news site • 9th February 2013

Cashing in on state of Florida contracts is growth industry

Florida, like the federal government, has become so dependent on outside vendors to taxpayer-supported work that it has transformed government into a contract brokering service, with more attention paid to who wins the deal than how well the service is performed. In an exclusive interview, this former contract manager walks us through how the private sector lobbyists outwit and outman the state at the negotiating table.

Senator calls for replacing transparency program

After one Senate president snuck a $5 million item into the budget to create a new budget transparency tool created by a friend of his chief of staff, his successor pulled the plug. The powerful search tool threatened to expose the budgeting tricks used by legislative leaders and budget staffers.

Top Florida Senate aide gets $400,000 as moonlighting political consultant

Former Senate President Don Gaetz, the lawmaker who authored the latest constitutional amendment on ethics, has a history of ethical contradictions. Here we reveal how his chief of staff ran his own political consulting firm while working for Gaetz and earned more than $400,000 from some of the same special interests that had a stake in influencing legislation.

Courtroom clash pits Democrats, Republicans in epic redistricting battle

The redistricting reform fight that is playing out across the country came early to Florida, where for four years the party in control worked behind the scenes to defy the new rules and tilt the outcome in their favor. It worked, until they got caught and, in 2015, the courts drew the Senate and congressional maps.

Florida, no longer the nation's bellwether

Will rejected mail-in ballots be Florida’s hanging chads of Election 2020?

Florida’s seniors, the state’s most reliable voters, are shifting away from Trump

Infighting is turning Florida GOP into a house divided

Gov. Rick Scott's weak win leaves power with Republican Legislature

Florida immigration feud reflects GOP divide

Cashing in on state of Florida contracts is growth industry

Senator calls for replacing transparency program

Top Florida Senate aide gets $400,000 as moonlighting political consultant

Courtroom clash pits Democrats, Republicans in epic redistricting battle

Florida, no longer the nation's bellwether

Will rejected mail-in ballots be Florida’s hanging chads of Election 2020?

Florida’s seniors, the state’s most reliable voters, are shifting away from Trump

Infighting is turning Florida GOP into a house divided

Gov. Rick Scott's weak win leaves power with Republican Legislature

Florida immigration feud reflects GOP divide

Cashing in on state of Florida contracts is growth industry

Senator calls for replacing transparency program

Top Florida Senate aide gets $400,000 as moonlighting political consultant

Courtroom clash pits Democrats, Republicans in epic redistricting battle

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