After months of searching for just the right fit, I am thrilled to announce that former Associated Press and Florida News Network veteran John Lucas has joined The Capitolist as a reporter. John brings a wealth of media experience to our team and I couldn’t be more excited about the scope of coverage we’ll be able to provide with him aboard.

John Lucas

John spent three decades working as a broadcast journalist, including 16 years as a reporter covering state government for the Florida News Network and the Associated Press.  You can read his full bio here, but he’s covered some major national stories over his career, including the Danny Rolling murder spree in Gainesville, the 1988 Republican National Convention (yes, that cover photo above is John and his co-anchor in New Orleans), and he covered NASA’s return to flight after the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.

Following Hurricane Katrina, he spent several weeks in Washington, D.C., developing and coordinating a special Gulf Coast video feed for the AP that provided storm aftermath and recovery video to television stations in areas along the Gulf Coast that were impacted by Katrina. He also served in the communication offices for Attorney General Pam Bondi and later at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

John’s experience working inside state government and covering it as a journalist, combined with his experience in both print and video journalism, makes for a fantastic fit with The Capitolist.

As we continue to grow our coverage capabilities and the way we package and deliver content, John will become an ever-more-visible face in downtown Tallahassee. If you need to add him to your press release list or pass along a hot news tip, he can be reached at JohnLucas@TheCapitolist.com.