Republican Primary Opponents Harrison & Wedding Already Campaigning For Dist. 63

By Matt Wiley

Longtime New Tampa resident Shawn Harrison wants his seat back in Tallahassee and already has begun campaigning to once again become the State Representative for District 63, which includes the New Tampa area that has been represented by incumbent Dist. 63 Rep. Mark Danish (D-New Tampa) since November 2012.

On February 11, Harrison, of the Tampa law firm Shawn Harrison Associates, spoke at the New Tampa Chamber of Commerce (NTCC) meeting that held at Hunter’s Green Country Club. During the meeting, Harrison gave Chamber members a brief background of his political career, which began when he served as the chair of the Tampa Palms Community Development District (CDD), before he went on to win the District 7 seat on the Tampa City Council and as New Tampa’s state representative.

“New Tampa has to reinvent its identity,” Harrison said. “Years ago, (New Tampa) was seen as the bedroom community of northern Tampa, but now we are maturing as a community.”

Harrison pointed out that New Tampa is in a unique position just south of the bustling Wesley Chapel area and begged the question, “How does (New Tampa) play off of Wesley Chapel’s growth? New Tampa can’t just be the northern suburbs of Tampa anymore because those have moved further north (into Wesley Chapel).”

If he is elected again, Harrison says that he will continue his focus on opportunities for small businesses and start-ups, like the many in the New Tampa area. Harrison said that, although he may have lost his seat to Danish during the last election, he is proud that Florida Constitutional Amendment 9, which he sponsored, provides a tax exemption for surviving spouses of military members or first responders killed in the line of duty.

Harrison said, so far, he has raised more than $60,000 for his campaign.

Maj. Wedding To Oppose Harrison In Primary

However, before Harrison will have a run at the seat currently occupied by Rep. Danish, he will face off against fellow Republican and soon-to-be New Tampa resident, U.S. Air Force Reservist Maj. Bret Wedding.

After serving five tours overseas, Wedding, 38, says that he is ready to take his leadership skills that he honed in the military to Tallahassee.

“When I was in Iraq, I had the opportunity to help develop and lead city councils,” Wedding explains. “(The Iraqi people) involved were actually doing something because they believed in something greater: a free Iraq. They did it at the risk of their own lives. They were doing what they believed was right at the ultimate risk. When I got back, I decided that I wanted to do something great here.”

Wedding says that he recognizes that the area, just like the rest of the state and country, needs jobs. However, he says that what the New Tampa area needs are the right jobs, which can be brought to the area by incentivizing companies with lower taxes.

“Bringing good jobs to the area is my biggest platform,” Wedding explains. “People tend to care less about social issues if they can’t put food on the table. The economy comes first for me.”

During his career in the U.S. Army, Air Force and private sector, in addition to earning more than 20 military medals and other awards (including being named the 2011 Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce Military Officer of the Year), Maj. Wedding has a long track record of high- profile leadership positions, including being the director of operations for an Air Force Aerial Port Squadron and Force Support Squadron, as well as the commander of the 927 Logistics Readiness Squadron at Macdill Air Force Base. He graduated from the University of Central Florida in Orlando with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in 1999 and earned his Master’s degree in Administration from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, MI, while serving in the Air Force.

Wedding currently does not live in New Tampa, but says that during his time going door-to-door to meet the people he might one day represent, he has gotten a good look at the area and is planning to move into the District with his wife Cindy and two daughters as soon as possible.

For more information about the two State House District 63 Republican primary contenders, please visit ShawnHarrison.com or BretWedding.com.