Hillsborough County Elections: U.S. House, State Senate Up For Grabs

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — In addition to members of Congress, governor, attorney general and other members of the Florida Cabinet, Hillsborough County voters who plan to head to the polls on election day will vote for three state senators, eight state representatives and four county commissioners.

Polls on election day, Nov. 8, open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. local time. However, since Florida has two time zones (Central and Eastern), preliminary election night results will not be released until 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

U.S. House

On the ballot, longtime U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, will battle to retain her District 14 seat in Congress against Tampa Republican James Judge.

District 14 includes the entire city of Tampa, as well as north and northwest Hillsborough County.

Castor was born in Miami and raised in Tampa, graduating from Chamberlain High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Emory University in 1988 and a law degree from Florida State University College of Law in 1991.

Castor was first elected to the U.S. House in 2006, serving on the House Budget Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Prior to running for the U.S. House, she served on the Hillsborough County Commission from 2002 to 2006.

Her opponent is a Clearwater native who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 2003 to 2007 where he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Adak from 2004-2005, and later in Miami as a public affairs specialist from 2005-2007.

Following his service in the Coast Guard, Judge returned to Tampa and founded Judge Public Relations. He is also a volunteer spokesman for the Skyway 10k run, which has raised more than $2 million for the Armed Forces Families Foundation.

Democat Alan M. Cohn is attempting to wrangle the long-held Republican House District 15 seat from Republican Laurel Lee.

Following redistricting, District 15 includes Brandon, Temple Terrace, Plant City, Lutz and Zephyrhills in Pasco County and Lakeland.

Prior to running for office, Cohn graduated from Hofstra University in New York in 1985 and worked as an investigative journalist for ABC Action News, winning national and state journalism awards for his work uncovering political and corporate corruption including a story about defective parts being installed on Black Hawk helicopters built by Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft.

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Cohn ran for the U.S. House in 2014 and was defeated by incumbent Dennis Ross. He ran again in 2020 against Republican Scott Franklin and was once again defeated.

This time, he's pitted against Lee, a former prosecutor and judge who served as Gov. Ron DeSantis' Secretary of State.

Lee received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida, and was appointed by then-Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida 13th Circuit Court in 2013, serving until 2019. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Lee was an assistant U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Florida and an assistant federal public defender in the Middle District of Florida.

She was appointed Secretary of State on Jan. 28, 2019, and resigned on May 16, 2022, to run for the Congress.

And finally, incumbent U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan will go up against Democrat Jan Schneider for the District 16 congressional seat.

The 16th U.S. House District includes Sarasota, Bradenton and South Hillsborough County north to Riverview.

Buchanan received his master's in business administration from the University of Detroit in 1986 and was elected to represent the 13th Congressional District in 2007 and the 16th Congressional District in 2013.

He's served on the House Committee on Ways and Means including as chairman of the subcommittee on human resources and subcommittees on health, Social Security and trade.

Schneider earned a doctorate. in political science from Yale University. Prior to that, she graduated summa cum laude from Brown University and earned a master's in international relations from the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs.

In addition to practicing law, she's been active in the fight for reproductive freedom, serving on the boards of the Suncoast Commission on the Status of Women and the Sarasota-Manatee National Organization for Women.

Florida State Senate

At the state level, Florida Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, will face Republican Jay Collins for the District 14 senate seat.

District 14 includes Tampa and northwest Hillsborough County.

Born in Tampa, Cruz graduated from Hillsborough Community College in 1977 and worked as an optician and health care executive before successfully running for the state House in 2011.

Collins was born in Montana and served as a Green Beret in the U.S. Army from 1995 to 2018. He received a graduate degree from Norwich University in 2012.

Florida Democratic Sen. Darryl Ervin Rouson will face Republican Christina Paylan for the second time, this time vying to represent Florida Senate District 16.

Following redistricting, District 16 portions of south St. Petersburg and Tampa, southwest Hillsborough County, and parts of Brandon and Temple Terrace.

Two years ago, Paylan challenged Rouson for the District 19 Senate seat and overwhelmingly lost as a no-party candidate. This time, she is facing Rouson as a Republican in the new District 16 created under reapportionment.

A former county prosecutor, Rouson served eight years in the Florida House before being elected to the Senate in 2016.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey, Paylan earned her medical degree from the University of South California.

Republican Florida Sen. Danny Burgess of Palm Harbor will face Democrat Mike Harvey for the District 23 seat.

District 23 includes central and east Pasco County and a portion of north Hillsborough County.

Born in Zephyrhills, Burgess received a bachelor's in political science from the University of South Florida in 2008 and his law degree from Barry University in 2011.

At the age of 18, he was elected to the Zephyrhills City Council, making him the youngest elected official in the state, and then served as mayor of the town from 2013 to 2014 before being elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2014.

He was elected in 2020 to represent District 20 in the Florida Senate. He currently chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee and previously served as chair of the Select Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Response as well as the chair of the 2022 Senate Legislative Redistricting Committee.

His Democratic opponent grew up in low-income housing, living with his grandmother after his mother joined the military. Harvey went on to start his own transportation company, buying a Town Car with $3,000 he saved, and ultimately turned it into a fleet of vehicles providing transportation services for Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties.

Florida polls close at 7 p.m. local time. However, since Florida has two time zones (Central and Eastern), preliminary election night results will not be released until 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Voting On Election Day

Voters who wait until election day must vote in the polling place assigned to their precinct. Click here to find election day precincts.

To avoid delays at the polling place, voters should bring one or two forms of current identification that include their signature and photo. Without proper identification, residents may still vote a provisional ballot, which will later be evaluated by a canvassing board for eligibility.
Any of the following forms of photo identification are acceptable:

• Florida driver's license
• Florida ID card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
• U.S. passport
• Debit or credit card
• Military ID
• Student ID
• Retirement center ID
• Neighborhood association ID
• Public assistance ID
• Veteran health ID issued by the Veterans Administration
• Concealed weapons license
• Government employee ID

If your photo ID does not include your signature, you will be asked to provide another ID that has your signature.

To keep voting lines moving, Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer advises voters to fill out a sample ballot in advance. Residents can download a sample ballot here.

If you received a vote-by-mail ballot but have decided to vote in person instead, your vote-by-mail ballot will be canceled.

When you arrive at the polls:

1. Check in with your valid and current photo and signature ID.
2. Receive your paper ballot and proceed to a privacy booth.
3. Using the black pen provided, completely fill in the oval next to each of your selections.
4. Review your ballot. If you wish to make changes, request another ballot.
5. If you have any questions, ask a poll worker before you insert the ballot in the scanner. Once a ballot has been accepted, it cannot be retrieved.

If you are satisfied with your selections:

• Take your ballot to the optical scanner in the secrecy folder provided.
• Insert your ballot into the optical scan feeder.
• The scanner will record your votes and place your ballot into the locked ballot box.
• The scanner will alert you if your ballot appears blank or if it detects too many votes.
• You will have the option to either submit the ballot as is or make changes.
• You are not required to vote in every race or for every issue on the ballot; therefore, the scanner will not alert you of instances in which you did not vote.

Who's On The Ballot?

United States Senator

• Marco Rubio-Republican
• Val Demings-Democrat
• Dennis Misigoy- Libertarian Party of Florida
• Steven B. Grant-no party affiliation
• Tuan TQ Nguyen-no party affiliaton

Representative in Congress District 14

• James Judge-Republican
• Kathy Castor-Democrat

Representative in Congress District 15

• Laurel Lee-Republican
• Alan M. Cohn-Democrat

Representative in Congress District 16

• Vern Buchanan-Republican
• Jan Schneider-Democrat

Governor and Lieutenant Governor

• Ron DeSantis and Jeanette Nunez-Republican
• Charlie Crist and Karla Hernandez-Democrat
• Hector Roos and Jerry "Tub" Rorabaugh-Libertarian Party of Florida
• Carmen Jackie Gimenez and Kyle "KC" Gibson-no party affiliation

Attorney General

• Ashley Moody-Republican
• Aramis Ayala-Democrat

Chief Financial Officer

• Jimmy Patronis-Republican
• Adam Hattersley-Democrat

Commissioner of Agriculture

• Wilton Simpson-Republican
• Naomi Esther Blemur-Democrat

State Senator District 14

• Jay Collins-Republican
• Janet Cruz-Democrat

State Senator District 16

• Christina B. Paylan-Republican
• Darryl Ervin Rouson-Democrat

State Senator District 23

• Danny Burgess-Republican
• Mike Harvey-Democrat

State Representative District 62

• Jeremy M. Brown-Republican
• Michele K. Rayner-Democrat

State Representative District 64

• Maura Cruz Lanz-Republican
• Susan L. Valdés-Democrat

State Representative District 65

• Karen Gonzalez Pittman-Republican
• Jen McDonald-Democrat

State Representative District 66

• Traci Koster-Republican
• David Tillery-Democrat

State Representative District 67

• Lisette Bonano-Republican
• Fentrice Driskell-Democrat

State Representative District 68

• Lawrence McClure-Republican
• Lorissa Wright-Democrat

State Representative District 69

• Daniel "Danny" Alvarez-Republican
• Andrew Learned-Democrat

State Representative District 70

• Mike Beltran-Republican
• Eleuterio "Junior" Salazar Jr-Democrat

Board of County Commissioners District 1

• Scott D. Levinson-Republican
• Harry Cohen-Democratic

Board of County Commissioners District 2

• Ken Hagan-Republican
• Angela Birdsong-Democrat

Board of County Commissioners District 5

• Donna Cameron Cepeda-Republican
• Mariella Smith-Democrat

Board of County Commissioners District 7

• Joshua Wostal-Republican
• Kimberly Overman-Democrat

Justices of the Supreme Court

Shall Justice Charles T. Canady of the Supreme Court be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Justice John D. Couriel of the Supreme Court be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Justice Jamie Grosshans of the Supreme Court be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Justice Jorge Labarga of the Supreme Court be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Justice Ricky Polston of the Supreme Court be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Second District Court of Appeal

Shall Judge Patricia Joan Kelly of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• N0

Shall Judge Nelly N. Khouzam of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Judge Suzanne Y. Labrit of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Judge Matt Lucas of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Judge Robert Morris of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Judge Stevan Travis Northcutt of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained inoffice?

• Yes
• No

Shall Judge John K. Stargel of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

Shall Judge Craig C. Villanti of the Second District Court of Appeal be retained in office?

• Yes
• No

County Court Judge Group 14

• Melissa Black
• Mike Isaak

Soil and Water Conservation District Group 2

• Ryan Gill
• Kim "Klarc" O'Connor

Soil and Water Conservation District Group 3

• David Maynard
• Adam Young

Supervisor, Arbor Greene Community Development District Seat 1

• Mike Candella
• Kevin R. Kerrigan

Supervisor, Arbor Greene Community Development District Seat 2

• Adam Bell
• Matt Dykeman
• Thomson George
• Susan A. Waldman

Supervisor, Cory Lakes Community Development District Seat 5

• Cynthia McIntyre
• Sid Shah

Supervisor, Covington Park Community Development District Seat 2

• Stephen J. Brown
• Teresa Elaine Reidt

Supervisor, Covington Park Community Development District Seat 3

• Ronald Blue
• William C. Gallen

Supervisor, The Hammocks Community Development District Seat 3

• Sandra Dee Hensley-Oram
• Michelle Rodriguez

Supervisor, The Hammocks Community Development District Seat 4

• William Jeff Bryson
• Mike Henke

Supervisor, Harbor Bay Community Development District Seat 1

• Michael Rodriguez
• Ryan Wick

Supervisor, Harbor Bay Community Development District Seat 3

• Horace Robert Lynch Sr
• Dean L. Walters

Supervisor, Heritage Harbor Community Development District Seat 5

• Benjamin L. Delaney
• David Penzer

Supervisor, K-Bar Ranch Community Development District Seat 5

• Frank E. Morales
• Christiane Rinck

Supervisor, Rivercrest Community Development District Seat 2

• Edward Lamp II
• Joseph Allen McGee

Supervisor, South Fork East Community Development District Seat 4

• Karen Gagliardi
• Eric Spann

Supervisor, Tampa Palms OST Community Development District Seat 1

• Rafael Cubas
• Fred Pfister

Supervisor, Tampa Palms OST Community Development District Seat

• Pamela Cubas
• Jay Krause

Supervisor, Waterleaf Community Development District Seat 3

• Robert R. Bishop
• Bob Crespo

Supervisor, Waterleaf Community Development District Seat 5

• Robert S. Bernardo
• James R. Ciciora

Supervisor, Westchase Community Development District Seat 2

• Christopher "Chris" Barrett
• Basil Anthony Piazza

Temple Terrace City Council

• James Chambers
• Alison McGillivray Fernandez
• Robert "Bob" Friedman
• Gil Schisler
• Brandon Smith

No. 1 Constitutional Amendment Article VII, Section 4; Article XII, Section 42

Limitation on the Assessment of Real Property Used for Residential Purposes

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution, effective January 1, 2023, to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to prohibit the consideration of any change or improvement made to real property used for residential purposes to improve the property's resistance to flood damage in determining the assessed value of such property for ad valorem taxation purposes.

• Yes
• No

No. 2 Constitutional Amendment Article II, Section 5; Article XI, Sections 2 and 5

Abolishing the Constitution Revision Commission Proposing an amendment to the State

Constitution to abolish the Constitution Revision Commission, which meets at 20-year intervals and is scheduled to next convene in 2037, as a method of submitting proposed amendments or revisions to the State Constitution to electors of the state for approval. This amendment does not affect the ability to revise or amend the State Constitution through citizen initiative, constitutional convention, the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission, or legislative joint resolution.

• Yes
• No

No. 3 Constitutional Amendment, Article VII, Section 6; Article XII

Additional Homestead Property Tax Exemption for Specified Critical Public Services Workforce

Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to authorize the Legislature, by general law, to grant an additional homestead tax exemption for nonschool levies of up to $50,000 of the assessed value of homestead property owned by classroom teachers, law enforcement officers, correctional officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, child welfare services professionals, active duty members of the United States Armed Forces, and Florida National Guard members. This amendment shall take effect January 1, 2023

• Yes
• No

Hillsborough County Referendum

Funding for Countywide Transportation Improvements by Levy of One Percent Sales SurtaxShould transportation improvements be funded throughout Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Plant City, Temple Terrace, Brandon, Riverview, Carrollwood and Town ‘n’ Country, including projects that:

• Build and widen roads.
• Fix roads and bridges.
• Expand public transit options.
• Fix potholes.
• Enhance bus services.
• Improve intersections.
• Make walking and biking safer.

By levying a one percent sales surtax for 30 years and funds deposited in an audited trust fund with citizen oversight?

• Yes
• No