The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), formerly the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), is the governing jurisdiction and special taxing district for the land of Walt Disney World Resort. It includes 39.06 sq mi (101.2 km2) within Orange and Osceola counties in Florida, encompassing the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista as well as unincorporated land. It acts with most of the same authority and responsibility as a county government.
Geraldine Fortenberry Thompson is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, who currently serves as a member of the Florida State Senate from the 15th district.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Florida have federal protections, but many face legal difficulties on the state level that are not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity became legal in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lawrence v. Texas on June 26, 2003, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy law. Same-sex marriage has been legal in the state since January 6, 2015. Discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations is outlawed following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County. In addition, several cities and counties, comprising about 55 percent of Florida's population, have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. These include Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee and West Palm Beach, among others. Conversion therapy is also banned in a number of cities in the state, mainly in the Miami metropolitan area, but has been struck down by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. In September 2023, Lake Worth Beach, Florida became an official "LGBT sanctuary city" to protect and defend LGBT rights.
Barbara Lagoa is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Prior to becoming a federal judge, she was the first Latina and Cuban American woman appointed to serve as a justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.
Jill Anne Pryor is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Pryor was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Ronald Dion DeSantis is an American politician serving since 2019 as the 46th governor of Florida. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the U.S. Representative from Florida's 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2018. DeSantis was a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, withdrawing his candidacy in January 2024.
Gregory Scott Tony is an American law enforcement officer and serving since 2019 as the 17th Sheriff of Broward County, Florida.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Florida were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, to elect the 27 U.S. representatives from the state of Florida, one from each of the state's 27 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including President of the United States.
Cannabis in Florida is illegal for recreational use. Possession of up to 20 grams is a misdemeanor offense, punishable by up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $1000, and the suspension of one's driver's license. Several cities and counties have enacted reforms to apply lesser penalties, however.
Aramis Ayala is an American politician and prosecutor who was the state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. She was elected in November 2016, and served as the chief prosecutor from 2017 to 2021. In May 2019, Ayala stated that she would not seek re-election as state attorney.
Ashley Brooke Moody is an American attorney and politician serving as the attorney general of Florida since January 2019. Moody previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney and a circuit court judge in Hillsborough County.
Brenda Calhoun Snipes was an American public official who was the Supervisor of Elections for Broward County, Florida. She was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush in 2003. Snipes was registered as a Democrat.
Anna Vishkaee Eskamani is an American politician who is a member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 42nd district in Orange County, which covers parts of Orlando along with Maitland, Winter Park, Eatonville, Edgewood, and Belle Isle. She is the first Iranian American elected to any public office in Florida.
Laurel Frances Lee is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representatives for Florida's 15th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, she was a judge on Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit from 2013 to 2019 and was the 30th Secretary of State of Florida from 2019 to 2022.
The 2022 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Florida, alongside other state and local elections. Incumbent Republican Governor Ron DeSantis won re-election in a landslide and defeated the Democratic Party nominee, Charlie Crist, who served as governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 as a Republican and later as an independent. No Democrat has been elected governor of Florida since 1994.
Jamie Rutland Grosshans is a justice of the Supreme Court of Florida.
The 2022 Florida Attorney General election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the Florida Attorney General. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody was reelected for a second term, defeating Democratic challenger Aramis Ayala by a 21-point margin.
Carolina Dinorah Amesty is an American politician and businesswoman who has served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives for District 45. Amesty has directed her policies towards taxes, health care, education, veterans affairs, and the tourism industry.
Andrew Howard Warren is an American prosecutor and politician who has been the state attorney for Florida's 13th Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County since 2017. In August 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended Warren. On June 22, 2023, the Florida State Supreme Court dismissed a suit filed by Warren challenging his dismissal. In Warren's federal lawsuit, the case remains pending at the district court level after a U.S. Court of Appeals remanded the case in early 2024. Warren was previously a federal prosecutor in the fraud division at the United States Department of Justice.
Ron DeSantis has served as the 46th governor of Florida since January 8, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he narrowly defeated Democratic challenger Andrew Gillum in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial election. As governor, DeSantis resisted taking many of the measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 that various other state governments implemented, such as face-mask mandates, stay-at-home orders, and vaccination requirements. During the pandemic, Florida experienced above-average economic growth. DeSantis cut state-government spending, which, combined with federal stimulus payments and high sales-tax revenue, led to the largest budget surplus in Florida history. He engaged in recovery efforts after Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole, and oversaw the passage of the controversial Parental Rights in Education Act. He was reelected in a landslide in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial election; his 19.4% margin of victory over Charlie Crist was the state's largest in 40 years. He has generally governed as a conservative.
