Below is my attempt to provide information on the races in the City of Tampa taking place in March 2023 on my ballot (I live in District 6). The Tampa Bay Times has provided a little bit of information on the various races, but not many details on the various candidates. (See here for their recommendations.) FYI, the mayor’s race and the city council seats are all supposed to be non-partisan races. Also, Jane Castor actually vetoed all of the Amendments to the Tampa Charter, but the City Council overrode her veto.
(NOTE: Finished adding info on February 20th. Will update as needed. Feel free to add information in the comments that is missing.)
Mayor
Jane Castor
Party: Non-Partisan race (but Democrat)
Background Information: Tampa native. Graduated from The University of Tampa. Former Chief of Police of Tampa. Incumbent. Been Mayor since 2019.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $80,850 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; Twitter, Facebook
City Council, District 1
Sonja P. Brookins
Party: Non-Partisan race (but Democrat)
Background Information: From Tampa. Went to Chamberlain high school. Studied chiropractic and yoga. Not sure what she is a doctor of. She worked at Keiser University after teaching science at other levels (K-12 maybe). Her campaign website is broken. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $3,725 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook
Joseph Citro
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Born in DC but lived in Tampa since 1974. Currently a member of the City Council (incumbent). Recent story about him owing back taxes and having his wages garnished to pay them. (Tampa Bay Times version.) Lives on Bayshore. Runs a hair salon in Midtown. Lots of community volunteering and such. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $36,100 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Alan Clendenin
Party: Non-Partisan race (but Democrat)
Background Information: From Sanford, Florida. Went to Valencia Community College and then the University of Colorado. Worked as an air traffic control professional. Lived in Tampa for 37 years. Lots of volunteering and community work. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $60,573 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Chase Harrison
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Lived in Tampa for 20 years. Retired from US Air Force and the Tampa Police Department. Now flies commercially. Graduated from Everglades University.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $7,965 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
City Council, District 2
Michael Derewenko
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: From Texas but has lived in Tampa for a while. Graduated from Gaither High School. Then to HCC Dale Mabry. Marketing manager for a company that makes irrigation equipment. Lives in Ybor. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $8,256 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Robin Lockett
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Tampa native. Graduated from Tampa’s technical high school then continued to HCC. Emphasized that she is a “faithful member of Bible Based Fellowship Church of Temple Terrace.” She is currently the regional director of Florida Rising. Looks like she has a lot of experience working with non-profits and advocacy organizations. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $8,470 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Guido Maniscalco
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Grew up in Tampa. Went to Tampa Catholic and HCC then USF. Currently on the City Council but switching districts (from 6 to 2) due to term limits. First elected in 2015. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $43,264 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Mike Suarez
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Tampa native. Has 3 kids. No information about him on his campaign website. Served two terms previously on City Council. Runs a commercial insurance business. Failed to pay taxes at one point. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $21,060 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
City Council, District 3
K. J. Allen
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Parents were in the military; moved around a lot. Former college athlete and K-12 educator. Has a BS in Marketing and Management from Gannon University in PA. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $3,510 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Janet Cruz
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Tampa native. Got an associate’s degree from Hillsborough Community College in opticianry. Owns Pearle Vision Centers and has worked in healthcare. Was elected to the Florida House in 2009 in a special election. Served four terms. Served as a senator in Florida as well but lost re-election in 2022. Now running for City Council. Also, she is the mother of the mayor’s partner (a lobbyist), which is a little nepotistic. (Also, Janet Cruz accused Lynn Hurtak of being anti-gay in a debate and got booed as a result, since there is zero evidence of Hurtak being anti-gay. Seems like Janet Cruz is both desperate and out of touch.)
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $65,258 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
George “TheHunted” Feshev
Party: Non-Partisan race (but Republican)
Background Information: Immigrant from Eastern Europe – Bulgaria (legal immigrant – he makes that clear on his website). Says he went to college in Europe and served in the military. Immigrated to the US and started an import/export business. Was also shot and nearly died. Website is riddled with typos. Tampa Bay Times investigated why he included “The Hunted” on his ballot. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $5,157 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Lynn Hurtak
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: From Tampa. Bachelors and Masters from the University of Florida. Taught school. Then worked in international development with USAID. Was appointed to City Council. This will be her first election. Very active in a number of organizations. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $45,828 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Jose Vazquez
Party: Non-Partisan race (but Democrat)
Background Information: Not a clear biography, but it looks like he’s done lots of things: security guard, paramedic, metal recycler, chauffeur. Has lots of connections to Puerto Rico. Doesn’t like Janet Cruz. Likes animals.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $4,263 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
City Council, District 6
Tyler Barrett
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: From Jackson, MS. First-gen college grad. Has worked in various jobs addressing food insecurity and HIV/AIDS awareness. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $11,329 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Rick Fifer
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Originally from Pennsylvania. Graduated from West Chester University then earned Masters degrees in Public Administration and Social Work from USF. Lived in Tampa since 1983. Was a social worker before switching to real estate. Lives in Seminole Heights. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $13,185 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Charlie Miranda
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Went to HCC and The University of Tampa. Works in horse racing. Has been on City Council for a long time. Currently in a different district but term-limited, so switching to District 6. Tampa Bay Chamber interview. (Couldn’t find an official campaign website for him.)
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $49,360 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Nicole Payne
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Bills herself as a public speaker and education counselor. Attended South University (seems sketchy). Couldn’t find a campaign website, just a LinkedIn profile. Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $5,775 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Hoyt Prindle
Party: Non-Partisan race
Background Information: Has a BS from Florida State and an MBA from The University o fTampa. Worked for the Florida Business Development Corporation. Got a law degree from Stetson in 2015. Now works for a law firm. (Took campaign photos by my office – Plant Hall at UT.) Tampa Bay Chamber interview.
Finances: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections: $36,221 (as of 2/20/2023)
Websites: campaign website; TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 9.01 Regarding the Creation of Standing Boards
Text on Ballot:
Shall the amendment to section 9.01 of the Tampa Charter, clarifying that standing boards shall be created by the city council by ordinance without requiring the mayor’s recommendation, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No 2023-1, be ratified and approved:
Here’s the City Council Ordinance. What does it mean? This is one of the amendments that is meant to wrest some control from the Mayor and give it to the City Council. If you’ve been paying attention to the local news, you’ll know that there has been a fair amount of conflict between the City Council and the Mayor over a number of issues. This Amendment would make it so standing boards, ad hoc boards, and committees can be created by the City Council without requiring the mayor’s recommendation. The wording change is actually really subtle in this one. It basically changes the wording to say that the City Council can create ad hoc boards and committees without requiring the mayor’s recommendation.
Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 6.03 Regarding the Appointment of City Department Heads
Text on Ballot:
Shall the amendment to section 6.03 of the Tampa Charter, providing the mayor’s nominations for heads of departments and other city employees as set out in section 6.03, must be approved by four votes of the city council and providing for interim appointments of existing city employees by the mayor for a maximum of 180 days, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa ordinance no. 2023-2, be ratified and approved:
Here is the text of the City Council Ordinance. This amendment, like the one above, is about wresting some control from the Mayor and giving it to the City Council. This was a pretty big issue with the most recent Chief of Police who was appointed by Jane Castor over objections by the City Council and then resigned for misconduct. The City Council wants to have some oversight here. Basically, the Mayor would still be able to appoint interim individuals for up to 180 days, but heads of departments and other city personnel with administrative authority or responsibility equal to a department head would have to be approved by the City Council before their position is permanent. If the City Council doesn’t approve a candidate, it would go back to the Mayor and the process would start over.
Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 2.02 Regarding Term Limits of City Council Member
Text on Ballot:
Shall the amendment to section 2.02 of the Tampa Charter, revising the term limits of city council members to limit the ability of members of city council to serve more than a total of four consecutive, full terms, effective with the City of Tampa election 2027, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No. 2023-3, be ratified and approved:
Here is the City of Tampa Ordinance. (I found this at the bottom of this page.) And here is what it really means: Right now (2023), Tampa City Council members are limited to two consecutive terms in the same District (i.e., they are “term-limited”). However, they can then switch their district, from a local one (4, 5, 6, or 7) to a city-wide district (1, 2, or 3). They can then serve two terms in that district, then switch back to their local district, and so on, forever. In effect, there are no real term limits for City Council as people can switch between districts and continuously be re-elected. This new amendment actually imposes a term limit of four terms, regardless of the district.
Amendment to Tampa Charter Section 10.10 Regarding the Charter Review Advisory Commission
Text on Ballot:
Shall the amendment to section 10.10 of the Tampa Charter, providing that, commencing in 2025, a Charter Review Advisory Commission shall be established every eight years, instead of every ten years, providing for the hiring by the city of legal counsel and a professional facilitator for the Commission, with City council approval, and correcting a scrivener’s error, as set out and proposed by City of Tampa Ordinance No. 2023-5, be ratified and approved:
First, the definition of “scrivener” is clerk, scribe, or notary. Just in case you didn’t know. Second, here’s the City of Tampa Ordinance. Third, this is a relatively minor change. Instead of setting up a Charter Review Advisory Commission every 10 years, this would change it to every 8 years. It also provides legal counsel that is not a city employee to provide legal advice to the Commission and details that the lawyer will be paid by the City of Tampa.
