Veteran Florida Political Reporter Brendan Farrington Dies at 60
Brendan Farrington, a longtime Associated Press reporter known for covering Florida politics, hurricanes, and oddball stories, has passed away at age 60. He died on Friday at his home in Tallahassee after a short illness, according to Steve Schale, a close family friend.
Farrington spent over 25 years with the AP, becoming a familiar face in the state capital. Colleagues described him as well-connected, fair, and kind, with a sharp wit. A passionate sports fan, he once claimed to have visited every Major League Baseball stadium.
His reporting spanned decades and touched many lives. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush remembered him as an "old school journalist" and "a real pro" in a post on social media. Fellow reporters often turned to him for guidance, calling him both a mentor and a trusted friend.
Born in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, Farrington started his career at The Patriot Ledger in 1988. He joined the AP in Miami in the late 1990s and moved to Tallahassee in 2001. Known for his storytelling, he once covered a bizarre incident where a man cooked and ate his own severed finger, blending tragedy with dark humor.
In 2021, tensions flared when a spokesperson for Governor Ron DeSantis criticized Farrington’s reporting on a donor’s ties to a COVID-19 treatment. The exchange sparked online backlash, with Farrington jokingly warning his followers not to let the government silence them.
He retired from the AP in January 2025 after accepting a voluntary buyout. One of his favorite stories involved a Florida Senate president who was paid $152,000 in taxpayer funds to write a 175-page political science textbook that few could access.
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