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The Florida Power 100: 

The most influential political players in the Sunshine State.

Nick Iarossi, Ron LaFace Jr. & Scott Ross 

Owner; Owner; Managing Partner, Capital City Consulting 

Capital City Consulting has solidified its status as the third-ranking lobbying firm in Florida by earnings in recent years, thanks to the leadership of co-owners Nick Iarossi and Ron LaFace Jr. The two attorneys have capitalized on their state government experience, Iarossi as a staffer in the Florida House and Senate and the state Department of Insurance, and LaFace with the state Department of Education. A key player on their 18-member team is Scott Ross, a gaming, entertainment and regulatory expert who’s so close to Gov. Ron DeSantis that he once was reportedly considered to become 3 chief of staff. Ross just got a different promotion, getting named the firm's managing partner this month.

Gov. DeSantis highlights nation-low unemployment rate, 1.5M new businesses

Florida has the lowest unemployment rate of the 10 largest states in America, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who celebrated the ranking Friday while highlighting the state’s healthy business ecosystem.

That’s because Florida has “encouraged workforce development, kept the economy open and put Florida families first,” DeSantis said in a Friday press note.

Through August, the Sunshine State has maintained a 2.7% unemployment rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a full percentage point higher than the national unemployment average of 3.7%.

Further, more than 1.53 million new businesses have sprung up in Florida since January 2020, outpacing second-place California, which saw 250,000 fewer companies open their doors over the same period.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis coming to Alachua County for Republican Party fundraising event

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at an annual Alachua County Republican Party fundraiser.

This year marks the 20th annual Ronald Reagan Black Tie and Blue Jeans BBQ event, held by the local Republican Party.

Past notable speakers include Dan Bongino, Candace Owens, Larry Elder and Tomi Lauren. The governor was previously scheduled to attend the event back in 2018 with Lauren, a controversial political commentator, but canceled to visit the state's Panhandle, which was damaged by Hurricane Matthew.

Jim Mooney drops $81K on ads for HD 120 as challenger ramps up spending too

Islamorada Republican Rep. Jim Mooney spent $96,000 between Aug. 1 and Sept. 9 to hold onto his House District 120 seat representing the Florida Keys and the southernmost part of Miami-Dade County.

More than 84% of the money covered advertising.

Mooney also raised $51,000 between his campaign account and political committee, Friends of Jim Mooney with disproportionate help from health care and utility companies.

His largest expenditure was a more than $68,000 payment to Los Angeles-based campaign advertising company Mentzer Media Services. Another $10,000 went to Orlando-based Consensus Media. He also paid $2,800 to Keys Weekly, the largest newspaper circulation in Monroe County.