Mixed Bag Of Results For New Tampa Candidates In The August 20 Primary Election 

Electioneering at the New Tampa Regional Library on Primary Election Day (Aug. 20), were (above) County Commission candidate Jim Davison (with daughter Allie), Dist. 67 Florida House candidate Rico Smith (below right) and Pebble Creek activist Leslie Green and her husband, Dr. Mike Green (below left). 

On Aug. 19, the day before the Primary Election throughout Florida, New Tampa resident Dr. Jim Davison told me that he felt he had run his best campaign yet — and believed that he would defeat Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Boles in his bid for the Republican nomination for countywide District 6, where incumbent Democrat Pat Kemp was leaving her seat to challenge for the U.S. Congressional seat held by Dist. 15 incumbent Laurel Lee. (Note – Rep. Lee easily earned the Republican nomination on Aug. 20 to face Kemp on Tuesday, November 5). 

“It’s in the hands of the voters,” Davison told me that day. “My fate is already sealed. But either way, I’m going to light a cigar, see what happens and be satisfied with what I’ve worked to accomplish this time around.” 

Unfortunately for Davison — who previously has run for both the County Commission (against current District 2 incumbent Ken Hagan; more on him below) and Tampa City Council (losing by 65 votes in a runoff election to now-two-term incumbent Luis Viera in Dist. 7) — it again wasn’t meant to be. Davison lost 59%-41% to Boles, who will now face Democratic Primary winner and former State Rep. Sean Shaw for the Dist. 6 seat in Nov. 

And, although he was a lot stronger in New Tampa’s 25 voting precincts (see chart below) — where he earned nearly 48% of the vote — than he was countywide, Davison still finished behind Boles on the local ballots, too, despite being a strong-voiced advocate for New Tampa at both City Council and County Commission meetings for more than two decades. 

Meanwhile, Hagan, the former New Tampa resident, easily defeated Melissa Nordbeck 78.2%-21.8% (Hagan was even stronger in New Tampa, where he earned 82.1% of the vote), and will face Democrat Patricia Alonzo in his attempt to keep alive his 22-year streak of serving either in District 2 or a countywide Commission seat — the longest tenure of any current Hillsborough commissioner. 

In one of the more contentious races last month, Tampa Palms resident and incumbent District 3 Hillsborough County School Board member Jessica Vaughn convincingly defeated Myosha Powell — 59%-41% — to retain her seat. Vaughn, who won nearly 63% of the vote in New Tampa’s 25 precincts, survived a number of nasty attack ads (including being called a Hamas terrorist) and Gov. Ron DeSantis’ endorsement of her opponent to retain her seat. 

“The race was unfortunately ugly and had me more concerned about my safety and my family’s safety,” Vaughn told me a few weeks before the election. “I’ll be relieved when it’s over either way.” 

In the other School Board race where New Tampa residents had a vote — District-wide Dist. 7 — incumbent and long-time former teacher Lynn Gray advanced to a November runoff against Karen Bendorf in that four-candidate race. Neither Gray (35.1%) nor Bendorf (30.3%) received close to the 50% + 1 vote needed to win the seat outright. In fact, if the rest of the county voted the same way New Tampa did, Bendorf would not have even advanced to the runoff, as third-place finisher Johnny Bush received more votes in our 25 precincts (24.1%-23.7%) than Bendorf did. 

Also winning handily in Aug. was New Tampa resident and former County Commissioner, State Rep. and State Sen. Victor Crist, who defeated Melony Williams with more than 68% of the vote (nearly 71% in New Tampa), to secure the Republican nomination for Clerk of the Court & Comptroller. Crist will face incumbent Clerk (and former School Board member) Cindy Stuart. Crist, who is still recovering from a serious car accident that occurred not long before the Primary, is far behind Stuart in fund raising, but he also is a well-known local name, so that Nov. race should be interesting. 

State & National Races 

Republican incumbent U.S. Senator and former Gov. Rick Scott faced little resistance from his Primary Election opponents Keith Gross and John Columbus, but his campaign against Democratic primary winner Debbie Mucarsel-Powell — a former U.S. Representative from Miami-Dade County, could be an interesting one with truly national implications, with the split in the Senate currently sitting at 50 (46 Democrats and four independents who either caucused or are considered to be with the Dems for committee purposes) to 49 Republicans, and one seat open. 

If Mucarsel-Powell (who easily defeated three opponents in Aug.) can flip that Senate seat in Nov. — and some recent polls do show her as being ahead by a few percentage points — the Democratic Party could retain control of the Upper House of Congress. Of course, a lot will depend upon the outcome of the Presidential election between former President Donald Trump and current Vice-President Kamala Harris and whether or not the winning candidate proves to have coattails that flip other seats in both houses. 

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, who maintains an office in Tampa Palms, grabbed 72.5% of the vote (70.6% in New Tampa) to easily outdistance opponents James Judge (18.2%) and Jennifer Barbosa (9.3%) to face off against Kemp, who had to give up (due to term limits) the countywide Dist. 6 County Commission seat she has held since first being elected in 2016. Kemp, who also was an aide to current Dist. 14 U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (when Castor served on the County Commission) and former U.S. Rep. Sara Romeo, has been a popular Hillsborough commissioner, but will also have to be able to earn votes from Republican-leaning areas like Wesley Chapel and parts of Polk County to unseat Rep. Lee, will have her work cut out for her. 

And, in the battle to face incumbent Democrat (and State House Minority Leader) Fentrice Driskell for her Dist. 67 Florida House seat in Nov., two New Tampa Republicans squared off — Dr. Lisette Bonano, who lost to Driskell in the 2022 election, and Rico Smith (who previously planned to run for the Dist. 6 Hillsborough Commission seat being given up by Kemp but who switched to vie for Driskell’s seat in January, after conferring with party leaders in Tallahassee). Smith, an engineer and a U.S. Air Force vet, defeated Bonano (a retired U.S. Army officer) 56.5%-43.5% in Aug. (57.5%-42.5% in New Tampa). But, according to TransparencyUSA.org, Smith was far behind Driskell in terms of fund-raising and will surely have his hands full trying to unseat this rising star in the Democratic party.

Judicial & Other Races 

One of the most closely-watched races in November will be between former twice-elected Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, the Democrat who was suspended from his seat (for allegedly not following his duties), and the Republican Gov. DeSantis replaced him with — Suzy Lopez. Warren easily dispatched Elizabeth Martinez Strauss on Aug. 20 (70.3%- 29.7%), so it remains to be seen if Warren can keep Lopez from winning a full term in Nov. 

There also were two judgeships up for election, including New Tampa resident Linette “Star” Brookins, who lost the County Court Judge Group 11 seat to Christine Edwards by 57.4%-42.6%, but who lost in New Tampa’s 25 precincts by less than 2% (50.9%-49.1%). 

Voter Turnout 

Whether it’s always been deserved or not, New Tampa’s voters have long been known in both the city and county for apathy and not showing up to vote — except for in Presidential Election years — but the Primary Election voter turnout countywide was 19.53% and New Tampa was barely behind that with 19.49%. 

When you consider that Pasco County as a whole — and the Wesley Chapel area, as well — had only about a 16% turnout, New Tampa didn’t fare too badly this time around and, with both a contentious Presidential election and a controversial county School Tax on the ballot, it may be possible for both the county and New Tampa to surpass the 2020 turnout of 76+%. 

No Matter Which Party You Prefer, Please Vote In The August 20 Primary Election! 

No matter which party or candidate you support, there can be little doubt that U.S. Vice President’s Kamala Harris suddenly seeming to be the new Democratic candidate for president has made the Presidential Election on Tuesday, November 5, at least more interesting, as well as more controversial. 

To be honest, right now I’m much more interested in what happens with our local and state elections — both on Nov. 5 and on Tuesday, August 20 — also known as Primary Election Day. 

No, the ballots aren’t nearly as full as they will be for the General Election and there’s no State Constitutional or local Amendments on the Aug. 20 ballot (something else to be thankful for), but there are several important local and two national offices being contested on Primary Day. 

For example, incumbent U.S. Senator (and former Florida Governor) Rick Scott faces two Republican challengers — John S. Columbus and Keith Gross — in the primary, with the winner squaring off against the winner of the four-way Democratic primary between Stanley Campbell, Rod Joseph, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Brian Rush. 

Meanwhile, incumbent District 15 U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, who has an office in Tampa Palms, is facing two Republican opponents on Aug. 20 — Jennifer Barbosa and James Judge. The winner of the Primary will face outgoing Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp, who is finishing the second of two four-year terms on the Commission, on Nov. 5. Kemp does not face a Primary opponent. 

Primary day will include races for two Pasco County Commission seats and one seat on the Pasco School Board (where Dist. 4 incumbent Alison Crumbley faces history teacher Jessica Wright). 

Dist. 1 and 2 commissioners Ron Oakley and Seth Weightman — the two districts that include Wesley Chapel — do not face primary challenges and Weightman isn’t on the ballot in November, either. Oakley will face Lisa Moretti, who lists Dade City as her address (as does Oakley), on Nov. 5. Moretti has no party affiliation. 

In District 5, which mainly includes Port Richey and Hudson, incumbent Jack Mariano faces Spring Hill resident Gina Finocchiaro on Aug. 20, and the winner will still face opposition in November from Hudson resident Thomas A. Celotto, who is running with no party affiliation. 

The most interesting local race on Aug. 20 is between former Commissioner Christina “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick, current Commissioner Lisa Yeager (who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to fill the seat vacated after the passing of Comm. Gary Bradford in May of this year) and the county’s former community services director Gabriel “Gabe” Popadopoulos. The most curious thing about this race is that the winner will serve only a two-year term (as there is no Democratic or other candidate), since Bradford would not have faced a challenge for his now-vacant seat until 2026. 

Please also note that all Pasco residents are able to cast ballots in all County Commission and School Board races, regardless of which of the five districts the candidates represent. 

Here Are The Races On The Aug. 20 Ballot 
Republican Primary 

U.S. Senator 

John S. Columbus 

Keith Gross 

Rick Scott (Incumbent, or “I”) 

Representative in Congress – District 15 

Jennifer Barbosa 

James Judge 

Laurel Lee (I) 

Superintendent of Schools 

John Legg 

Michelle Mandarin 

County Commissioner – District 4 

Christina “Fitzy” Fitzpatrick 

Gabriel “Gabe” Popadopoulos 

Lisa Yeager (*) 

* – Appointed to finish term of the 

late incumbent Gary Bradford 

County Commissioner – District 5 

Gina Finocchiaro 

Jack Mariano (I) 

State Committeeman 

Shawn Foster (I) 

Stephan Hassler 

David Wallis 

State Committeewoman 

Julia Aguayo de Hassler 

Stephanie Pontlitz 

Rebecca Yuengling 

Democratic Primary 

U.S. Senator 

Stanley Campbell 

Rod Joseph 

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell 

Brian Rush 

Universal Primary 

Circuit Judge – 6th Circuit, Group 9 

Nicole Pearlman 

Kate Spurlock 

Circuit Judge – 6th Circuit, Group 14 

Cornelius Christopher Demps 

Jenn Dubbeld 

Nick Fiorentino 

School Board Member – District 4 

Alison Crumbley (I) 

Jessica Wright

Do You Plan To Vote On (Or Before) August 20? Here’s Why You Should! 

Every Presidential Election year, a lot of people who never vote otherwise head to the ballot box (or, these days, their mailbox) to cast a ballot for the first time in four years on the first Tuesday of November, only to never cast another vote for another four years. 

And, it seems, that even though there are always candidates and state and local amendments to vote for in November, the vast majority of residents in most communities don’t bother to find out anything about those candidates or ballot measures because they have no intention of voting in a November election in a non-presidential year. Even fewer cast ballots in August Primary Elections. 

And yes, even fewer City of Tampa residents cast ballots in Tampa’s Municipal Elections in March of odd-numbered years. 

The thing that boggles my mind is that although those elected to serve in the White House and Congress are important, they honestly have a lot less to do with most of our day-to-day lives than those who serve in the State Legislature, County Commission, School Board and City Council. Most of us can’t call the President for any reason, nor can we regularly attend a session of Congress, but you can get your state and local elected officials on the phone to express your opinion, ask for help on an issue affecting you or your family and regularly attend County Commission, School Board and City Council meetings to have your opinions heard on roads, parks and development projects, whether in your own backyard or that affect the entire city, county or school district. And yes, a trip to Tallahassee to speak your mind to your Florida legislators is a lot easier than flying up to Washington, DC, and being anything other than a spectator. 

But, even though I’ve been saying the same thing in these pages for a little more than 30 years now, all I still hear people talking about when they discuss politics are the “orange guy” who used to be president and the “doddering old man” who holds that office now. And, anytime I ask people if they plan to vote in August, when School Board members and County Commissioners facing a primary opponent but no opposition party opponent in November are elected, the familiar — and painful — refrain is, “I only vote in the big elections.” To which my only response, after three decades of the same thing being said, is now just “Yeesh.” 

So, why do I even bother to keep trying? Because I still believe that if I can convince even one person who otherwise wouldn’t have cast a vote in these important local elections, the effort is still worth it. 

To that end, while I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind about voting in the Primary Election on Tuesday, August 20, I do hope that some of you will take a look at the candidates and issues on the ballot and decide to take five minutes of your time — whether you vote by mail, vote early at the New Tampa Regional Library or walk into your nearby polling place on Aug. 20 — and get involved in the local political scene, rather than just complain about it. 

Anyway, I’m off my soapbox, but here are some of the races that either will be determined or at least partially determined in the Primary Election: 

Clerk of Circuit Court — Former County Commissioner and State Representative (and Tampa Palms resident) Victor Crist faces off against retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Melony Williams in the Republican primary to see who faces Democratic incumbent — and former School Board member — Cindy Stuart. 

County Commissioner, District 2 — Incumbent Ken Hagan, who has served on the Commission since 2002, faces a Republican primary opponent in land use activist and Odessa resident Melissa Nordbeck for the right to face Democratic candidate and New Tampa resident Patricia Altagracia Alonzo in November. 

County Commissioner, District 6 — Long-time New Tampa resident and activist Dr. Jim Davison faces long-time Hillsborough firefighter Chris Boles in the Republican primary for this countywide seat. In November, the winner will face the winner of Sean Shaw vs. Joseph Ryan Taylor in the Democratic primary. 

School Board Member, District 3 — Incumbent and Tampa Palms resident Jessica Vaughn, a former classroom and substitute teacher, faces Myosha Powell in this non-partisan race (meaning that it is open to voters in all parties). Powell’s website says her mission “is to be the parents’ ally.” 

School Board Member, District 7 — Incumbent and career educator Lynn Gray faces three challengers in middle school teacher Karen Bendorf, Johnny “Principal” Bush (who led Robinson and Plant high schools) and architectural designer Jen Flebotte in this District-wide non-partisan election. 

U.S. Senator — Republican incumbent Rick Scott faces two primary opponents in August — John S. Columbus and Keith Gross. The Democratic primary includes former Congresswoman Debbie Mucasel-Powell, former Congressman Alan Grayson, Stanley Campbell, Joseph Rod and Brian Rush. 

U.S. Congress, District 15 — Incumbent Republican Laurel Lee faces Jennifer Barbosa and James Judge in an August primary. The winner faces former Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp, who is unopposed for the Democratic nomination. 

Hillsborough State Attorney — Andrew Warren, who was removed from this office by Gov. DeSantis, faces off against Tampa lawyer Elizabeth Martinez for the Democratic nomination. The winner faces Warren’s DeSantis-appointed Republican replacement, former Hillsborough judge Suzy Lopez. 

Also, although the race won’t be decided until November 5, incumbent Dist. 67 Democratic State Rep. and House Minority leader Fentrice Driskell faces a rematch against Republican candidate Lt. Col. Lisette Bonano, a New Tampa resident. 

Here are some important dates coming up: 

Deadline to Register to Vote in Primary Election or Change Party Affiliation: Monday, July 22 

Early Voting Dates for the Primary Election: Monday, August 5-Sunday, August 18 

Primary Election Day: Tuesday, August 20, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

‘I Only Vote In The Important Elections’ — Too Many Locals

I have never been the most political (or politically correct) guy in the world, but I have watched and covered so many elections — local, state and national — over the nearly 25 years I have been the owner and editor of this publication that I can’t help but notice that more often than not, more people than not do not vote in local elections.

And, the #1 reason I hear from New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents for not voting is always the same: “I only vote in the important elections, like for our President.”

Well, I’m here to tell you that if you’re a) not already registered to vote or b) don’t plan to vote in the upcoming Primary Election on Tuesday, August 28, or the General “Midterm” Election on Tuesday, November 6, you’re selling yourself — and your community — short.

In August, three of Pasco’s five School Board seats (in other words, 60 percent!) are up for grabs and, unless there is a Runoff Election in any of those three districts (all Pasco School Board and County Commission seats are elected countywide), this will be your only chance to have a say in who will be responsible for building and staffing schools and protecting your public school children.

That fact alone should at least get you thinking about getting out to the polls on Aug. 28, although it is past the deadline to do so if you’re not already registered to vote as you’re reading this. In addition, with so many parents concerned about the future plans (in 2020) to again re-zone the schools in Wesley Chapel, getting out to vote for the candidates you believe will be the most likely to help keep your children where you want them perhaps should be important enough to get you to cast a ballot this year.

Two of those candidates — three-term incumbent Allen Altman in District 1 and Heide Janshon, one of two candidates attempting to unseat two-time District 3 incumbent Cynthia Armstrong — have taken ads (both on page 5) in this issue, in order to try to help convince you to get out and cast a ballot for them.

There also are six local judges and several local Community Development District (CDD) Board candidates who will be elected on Aug. 28, and there will be primaries for U.S. Senate, Florida’s next Governor, Attorney General and Commissioner of Agriculture, as well as the State Senate.

If you decide not (or you’re not already registered) to vote on Aug. 28, you have until Tuesday, October 9, to get yourself registered for the General Election on Nov. 6.

At that time, in addition to voting for U.S. and State Senate, as well as Governor, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Agriculture, you’ll also get to vote for two County Commission seats and our area’s Dist. 38 State Representative.

One of those November contests will have Pasco County Dist. 2 Commissioner Mike Moore squaring off against fellow Wesley Chapel resident Kelly Smith. I just wanted to make it clear that the fact that we have a story about Smith, a political newcomer, in our latest issues isn’t an endorsement for her or in any way an indictment of the job that Moore has done since being elected in 2014. We just felt it was newsworthy for our readers that Mike will face an opponent who also lives in Wesley Chapel.

As For Endorsements…

The first 10 or 15 years that I owned this publication, I felt it was my job to go to as many governmental meetings as possible in order to cover those meetings for our readers and to get to know as many of our local, state and some national (such as District 12 U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis) elected officials as I possibly could. One of the reasons I did so was so I could make intelligent endorsements, based on my knowledge of our area’s infrastructure and other needs.

I began phasing out making endorsements about 10 years ago, in part because I have had other people covering most governmental meetings. I never really had any problem with the often negative feedback I would receive when I would endorse one candidate over another, but I will say that I have gotten a lot less hate mail since then. At any rate, get out and vote, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel!