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Here’s what it actually does."},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/06/02/desantis-has-claims-about-his-tax-amendment-heres-what-it-actually-does/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"Y7FCY2VMJVA4XBFXRGT5VV7PSI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"They claim the ballot measure, which seeks to increase the existing $50,000 tax exemption for homestead properties to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, would deceive voters."},{"_id":"NDWJSYCXWVAFDAHKB5FY7NWCLI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The ballot summary does not merely describe the Proposed Constitutional Amendment — it endorses it,” the lawsuit states. “The ballot summary … sets forth three political taglines — ‘ensuring funding for core services,’ ‘protecting small businesses,’ and ‘ensuring fairness for Florida residents’ — giving reasons why voters should vote for the proposal. But the purpose of a ballot summary is to explain what an amendment does, not to advocate for its adoption.”"},{"_id":"EXC5AAP4CFFH7MVOEK4GGEBVXQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But even if the court finds the ballot summary is misleading, that wouldn’t erase the measure from the ballot."},{"_id":"SKIOTRHB65CWBBRIRRAIMBRISA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Under state law, Attorney General James Uthmeier would be required to amend the ballot summary if it is found to be defective."},{"_id":"UF3J5ZRO2BF5PHPWIO4BUKAVWM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Lawmakers passed the measure after it was <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/27/desantis-property-tax-exemption-homestead-special-session/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/27/desantis-property-tax-exemption-homestead-special-session/\">drafted by DeSantis’ office</a>. GOP leaders amended it to exempt taxes levied to fund schools, but city and county officials across the state have warned if voters approve it, their budgets — and the services they provide to residents — will suffer."},{"_id":"EHVUNJZL6JE5BBHLDFQXNM6PNY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"DeSantis and supporters of the measure, though, have largely waved those critiques away, claiming local governments have overtaxed homeowners as property values have risen in recent years and now they need to rein in spending."},{"_id":"5ZBEOVUILNFSHFQBTRFUWNYEWI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"According to a House staff analysis, the measure could cost local governments $8.4 billion per year, if it gets the necessary 60% support from voters to pass into law."},{"_id":"QC7JLGWXWRAU5ESFUULON76QZA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A spokeswoman for DeSantis didn’t immediately respond to an email Thursday."},{"_id":"TYJKTWZNRNGLJMS3RA4REENQTQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The lawsuit claims several pieces of the ballot summary are misleading."},{"_id":"ZU2UYVN2GJCIVIHRPZQH3NWJB4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The phrase “ensuring funding for core services” is a misnomer, the lawsuit claims, because it drastically cuts property tax revenues. The proposed amendment would require cities and counties to spend property tax revenues on a list of “core services,” including public safety, but it also lowers the amount of money available for those services."},{"_id":"5PFAOVZZ7JH6VFO6QUM2LVG27Y","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The lawsuit also takes issue with the phrase “protecting small businesses,” as there’s no provision that marks such businesses out for special treatment. There is a provision lowering the current 10% cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead properties to 5%, but that applies to more than just small businesses."},{"_id":"54AG2NFCERAKRCL3EHMOGQN2TQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The Proposed Constitutional Amendment broadly limits future assessment increases on all categories of non-homesteaded property, and provides no protection to small businesses, or other non-homesteaded property, from the expected higher taxes resulting from increases in millages rates necessary to offset (at least partially) the loss of tax base caused by the amendment,” the lawsuit states."},{"_id":"PN4NLGKLTVGW3BL7G6RUHRQCJU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Another misleading piece, according to the lawsuit, is its expressed intent to eventually eliminate all non-school homestead property taxes, something DeSantis has said is his goal. But although the measure directs the Legislature to set up a structure to allow local governments to phase out homestead property taxes, that’s short of a mandatory full elimination."},{"_id":"HQK2QFMNQZBNLHMN22KLDJYF7A","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The actual proposed constitutional language does not require the ‘full elimination,’” the lawsuit states. “Rather, it requires the Legislature to establish procedures through which local governments may choose to grant additional exemptions in the future ‘up to’ the full assessed valuation.”"},{"_id":"6XSACP6MVZDJJGGMGQI3OE7IRU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<i>By Gray Rohrer, News Service of Florida</i>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"It argues the ballot summary is 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He has made himself a national brand in part by hammering on social issues, including cracking down on what he dubs as “woke” practices.","_id":"JA7XY7CMJNGUDNZMWQ63WSRQ34","text":"Ron DeSantis","slug":"ron-desantis"}]},"related_content":{"basic":[]},"type":"story","geo":{},"credits":{"by":[{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/4e3fef9f-fcee-4f0c-9da5-dbc526e02139.jpg"},"name":"News Service of Florida","description":"The News Service of Florida covers all aspects of state government, including the governor and Legislature.","_id":"news-service-of-florida","additional_properties":{"original":{"image":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/4e3fef9f-fcee-4f0c-9da5-dbc526e02139.jpg","books":[],"education":[],"podcasts":[{"name":"","download_url":"","url":""}],"awards":[],"bio":"The News Service of Florida covers all aspects of state government, including the governor and Legislature.","_id":"news-service-of-florida","byline":"News Service of Florida"}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8"}]},"first_publish_date":"2026-06-11T20:28:54.687Z","additional_properties":{"is_published":true,"has_published_copy":true},"last_updated_date":"2026-06-11T20:28:54.796Z","publishing":{"scheduled_operations":{"unpublish_edition":[],"publish_edition":[]}},"slug":"taxlawsuit","owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"tbt"},"address":{},"workflow":{"status_code":1},"promo_items":{"basic":{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{},"auth":{"1":"a0eac3d8356afed742e1b38113a4db460639c8f166a99fe4841dc0074db5f997"},"caption":"Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed the Legislature to pass a proposed amendment to reduce homestead property taxes. Now the amendment has drawn its first legal challenge.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Wire feeds","edit_url":"","source_type":"wires","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"7080638c-b1c0-47c8-89fa-25c6a828833b"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/KHFSQWVOYFGDZLVFLIHH5CGHOY.jpg","licensable":false,"display_date":"2026-06-06T11:05:51.937Z","alt_text":"Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks about his proposal for Florida to become the first state to abolish property taxes during a news conference at the Florida REALTORS headquarters in Orlando on Monday, March 31, 2025.","credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"TNS","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Rich Pope, Orlando Sentinel","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks about his proposal for Florida to become the first state to abolish property taxes during a news conference at the Florida REALTORS headquarters in Orlando on Monday, March 31, 2025.","width":2000,"_id":"KHFSQWVOYFGDZLVFLIHH5CGHOY","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/KHFSQWVOYFGDZLVFLIHH5CGHOY.jpg?auth=a0eac3d8356afed742e1b38113a4db460639c8f166a99fe4841dc0074db5f997","iptc_source":"Orlando Sentinel","iptc_job_identifier":"176057968P","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/KHFSQWVOYFGDZLVFLIHH5CGHOY.jpg?auth=a0eac3d8356afed742e1b38113a4db460639c8f166a99fe4841dc0074db5f997","takenOn":"2026-06-06T11:04:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/KHFSQWVOYFGDZLVFLIHH5CGHOY.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/KHFSQWVOYFGDZLVFLIHH5CGHOY.jpg?auth=a0eac3d8356afed742e1b38113a4db460639c8f166a99fe4841dc0074db5f997","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/KHFSQWVOYFGDZLVFLIHH5CGHOY.jpg?auth=a0eac3d8356afed742e1b38113a4db460639c8f166a99fe4841dc0074db5f997&width=300","version":0,"originalName":"Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks about his proposal for Florida to become the first state to abolish property taxes during a news conference at the Florida REALTORS headquarters in Orlando on Monday, March 31, 2025.","mime_type":"application/octet-stream","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"MBR"},"created_date":"2026-06-06T11:05:53Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-06T11:05:53Z","publish_date":"2026-06-06T11:05:51.937Z","slug":"US-NEWS-SCARE-TACTICS-AND-SURVIVAL-MODE-1-OS.jpg","height":1333}},"canonical_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/11/desantis-property-tax-amendment-homestead-lawsuit-ballot/","revision":{"editions":["default"],"parent_id":"LLULUVXSUJHX5HMZEQ3AOQXMVE","published":true,"branch":"default","revision_id":"K65B2GGHL5H7DAT6SK4OZSRLJM"},"planning":{"budget_line":"taxlawsuit: Two former local elected officials and a nonprofit group filed suit Thursday in Leon County Circuit Court against the property tax cut amendment placed on the November ballot by lawmakers, alleging it is misleading. NSF","scheduling":{},"story_length":{"character_count_actual":3878,"inch_count_actual":23,"inch_count_planned":25,"word_count_actual":605,"line_count_actual":157}},"display_date":"2026-06-11T20:28:54.687Z","headlines":{"tablet":"","print":"","meta_title":"","native":"","web":"","mobile":"","basic":"Lawsuit challenges Florida property tax amendment","table":""},"created_date":"2026-06-11T19:41:24.044Z","publish_date":"2026-06-11T20:28:54.687Z","_id":"XY5BJGIG5FAL7EFMRCCWOLPOZI","website":"tbt","website_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/11/desantis-property-tax-amendment-homestead-lawsuit-ballot/"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"JIZSS7NHSFFKNCZXQBRDYHZS3I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan to slash property taxes on Floridians’ primary homes has attracted an unlikely coalition of opponents: anti-tax advocates."},{"_id":"EBII6WYOCZE63EJZNVE73WR5BI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"After DeSantis revealed his proposed amendment two weeks ago, the right-leaning Florida TaxWatch said it was flawed and “unnecessary.” Former GOP Sen. Jeff Brandes, a longtime anti-tax libertarian, rails about it <a href=\"https://x.com/JeffreyBrandes?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/JeffreyBrandes?lang=en\">online</a> almost daily. And<b> </b>on Thursday, the <a href=\"https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ron-desantis-property-tax-ballot-measure-florida-9accc6ef?mod=e2two\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.wsj.com/opinion/ron-desantis-property-tax-ballot-measure-florida-9accc6ef?mod=e2two\">Wall Street Journal’s conservative editorial board</a> called DeSantis a “disappointment” on taxes and questioned his motives<b> </b>on the amendment. "},{"_id":"VSQFAW5GXNFGVKE4VRPJZI5LDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It’s a shame that Gov. Ron DeSantis is using his final months in office to push a poorly designed measure on the November ballot that would put his state on the slippery slope of a progressive property tax regime,” it<b> </b>wrote."},{"_id":"H2KL3AQVYFEEDOIXKS6WZDLTMY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"DeSantis anticipated a chorus of opposition from Democrats and local officials, who have warned the dramatic shortfall in revenue will cut services. But he and his staffers have publicly bristled at the criticism from the right. A spokesperson <a href=\"https://x.com/AlexLanfran/status/2065050917020328082\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/AlexLanfran/status/2065050917020328082\">called the paper’s editorial</a> “incredibly lazy” and “embarrassing” on X. "},{"_id":"SJHY4WJ4O5CLVGHZPISLN6JKNM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"When former Republican Rep. Bob Rommel accused TaxWatch of ignoring the increase in local government spending in the last seven years, DeSantis <a href=\"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2062161673381695560\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2062161673381695560\">chimed in</a> on X in support<b> </b>of Rommel’s comments: “Good one, Bob!”"},{"subtype":"twitter","referent":{"referent_properties":{},"provider":"https://publish.x.com/oembed?url=","service":"oembed","id":"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2062161673381695560","type":"twitter"},"_id":"I74HL252IBAAFONYICPV4FS4B4","raw_oembed":{"author_name":"Ron DeSantis","author_url":"https://x.com/RonDeSantis","cache_age":"3153600000","width":550,"html":"<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Good one, Bob! <a href=\"https://t.co/bppAv62YQO\">https://t.co/bppAv62YQO</a></p>&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href=\"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2062161673381695560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 3, 2026</a></blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n","provider_url":"https://x.com","_id":"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2062161673381695560","type":"twitter","provider_name":"X","version":"1.0","url":"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2062161673381695560","height":null},"type":"oembed_response"},{"_id":"ZSIBU5CN6ZEDLKQS4BNJE3PP2I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The amendment would triple the state’s homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 in 2028, with future increases matching the annual inflation rate. It also lowers the cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead property, such as stores or rental homes, from the current 10% to 5%."},{"_id":"VXYMNNEMGNBZHKFYROW7UFMOLU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"If approved by 60% of voters, millions of Floridians could save thousands on their property tax bills each year.<b> </b>But some conservatives and anti-tax groups are opposed primarily because it does nothing to stop local governments from increasing other taxes and fees."},{"_id":"VXBBUR5JHZHTXA5YBNSGNOG5OI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Homeowners might pay less in tax, but renters, snow birds and businesses would end up paying more,” the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board wrote."},{"_id":"H3BC4LKI7JDIHCXENWEDRROVJY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The political goal looks to be to drive Republican voter turnout in November and give Mr. DeSantis another victory before he leaves office,” it<b> </b>added."},{"_id":"4DLSEEKIDNF5JEH5TVATRFQCFM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning think tank, <a href=\"https://taxfoundation.org/blog/florida-property-tax-proposal/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://taxfoundation.org/blog/florida-property-tax-proposal/\">warned</a> that the amendment “would shift property tax burdens in highly distortionary ways and make Florida’s tax code far less stable and competitive.” Local officials might raise their sales taxes to make up lost revenue, prompting residents in higher-tax counties to shift their purchasing to lower-tax ones — or to neighboring Georgia and Alabama, the organization speculated."},{"_id":"PJB3DKN2PREL3M3IGEYKRUKLXA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Conservative opponents have also criticized what Florida TaxWatch called the “hurried evaluation and adoption of this proposal” in the Legislature. Lawmakers approved the amendment in less than 24 hours last week after receiving it from DeSantis a few days earlier."},{"_id":"TZTEDZWU7BHBBGUJABRGX4QXLM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"TaxWatch opined that it would have been more appropriate to leave<b> </b>proposed changes to a <a href=\"https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/FTBRC/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/FTBRC/index.html\">25-member state tax commission</a> set to meet in January for the first time in decades."},{"_id":"3TE4HQP5AVFGPJXUJJOZX7N5BY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Rather than force this issue to be decided in a hastily called Special Session it would be far better to have this issue taken up by the constitutionally mandated group Florida TaxWatch helped establish — the Taxation and Budget Reform Commission,\" the organization wrote."},{"_id":"OR5ZRI726FASRN2YYQIVIHNHOI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Brandes has blasted the Legislature for approving the amendment without conducting any analysis, and he’s warned that <a href=\"https://x.com/JeffreyBrandes/status/2061496148460790119?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/JeffreyBrandes/status/2061496148460790119?s=20\">it would force</a> cities and counties to beg Tallahassee for money to make up drastic revenue shortfalls."},{"_id":"KKLJJYVLZBGZPI4J2PGSS4JXGM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a longtime DeSantis ally, warned of the amendment’s “unintended consequences.”"},{"_id":"WCJ6J4UKZVFJRKJENRTAL2W45E","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I fear the proposal will devastate counties’ and cities’ ability to deliver vital services, including emergency services, to our citizens,” he said <a href=\"https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-county/polk-sheriff-local-leaders-brace-for-potential-funding-cuts-from-property-tax-relief/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-county/polk-sheriff-local-leaders-brace-for-potential-funding-cuts-from-property-tax-relief/\">in a statement</a> to WFLA."},{"_id":"QH6R45SS7BHGPC7D2OWV57EAUM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"DeSantis’ office referred comment to a post on X by spokesperson Alex Lanfranconi, who called the criticism<b> </b>a “progressive argument to prevent any form of tax relief.”"},{"_id":"GK7ODL773NH7VMOWMNQ5P3GPT4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Local governments can afford to cut spending,” he wrote."},{"_id":"POHW7WSRC5C4VFFY23V6EAWSJI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"DeSantis accused the Wall Street Journal <a href=\"https://x.com/rondesantis/status/2065080577007419833?s=46\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/rondesantis/status/2065080577007419833?s=46\">on X</a> of “defending bloated local budgets and opposing property tax relief for Florida homeowners.”"},{"subtype":"twitter","referent":{"referent_properties":{},"provider":"https://publish.x.com/oembed?url=","service":"oembed","id":"https://x.com/rondesantis/status/2065080577007419833","type":"twitter"},"_id":"SYNCQCCAHJDELOLUER6C4BITWA","raw_oembed":{"author_name":"Ron DeSantis","author_url":"https://x.com/RonDeSantis","cache_age":"3153600000","width":550,"html":"<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Wall Street Journal defending bloated local budgets and opposing property tax relief for Florida homeowners.  <br><br>Florida hasn‘t raised the homestead exemption outright since 1980 and the last partial exemption increase was enacted almost 20 years ago.  <br><br>Both times people made… <a href=\"https://t.co/dibjnA4HHY\">https://t.co/dibjnA4HHY</a></p>&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href=\"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2065080577007419833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 11, 2026</a></blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n","provider_url":"https://x.com","_id":"https://x.com/rondesantis/status/2065080577007419833","type":"twitter","provider_name":"X","version":"1.0","url":"https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2065080577007419833","height":null},"type":"oembed_response"},{"_id":"DYQORI7JHZGETC65JVU52EFOT4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Florida hasn‘t raised the homestead exemption outright since 1980 and the last partial exemption increase was enacted almost 20 years ago,” he wrote. “Both times people made similar arguments against property tax relief.”"},{"_id":"65ARFOJJFNGW7IMK6472JTCICI","type":"raw_html","content":"<style>.subtext-iframe{max-width:540px;}iframe#subtext_embed{width:1px;min-width:100%;min-height:256px;}</style><div class=\"subtext-iframe\"><iframe id=\"subtext_embed\" class=\"subtext-embed-iframe\" src=\"https://joinsubtext.com/c/politi-texts-florida?embed=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe></div>\n<script>fetch(\"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alpha-group/iframe-resizer/master/js/iframeResizer.min.js\").then(function(r){return r.text();}).then(function(t){return new Function(t)();}).then(function(){iFrameResize({heightCalculationMethod:\"lowestElement\"},\"#subtext_embed\");});<\/script>"},{"_id":"BM3OO2XRMZEGZGODESMSTAAJZI","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"center","type":"text","content":"<b>• • •</b>"},{"level":2,"_id":"MTKKNAEE6NFIRGKT3XMXN5NMDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage"},{"_id":"DKPULAISCBASJOGDHLNXNRHEGA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Congressional midterms: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/10/florida-redistricting-desantis-election-lawsuit-st-petersburg-bradenton-arcadia-wauchula/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/10/florida-redistricting-desantis-election-lawsuit-st-petersburg-bradenton-arcadia-wauchula/\">St. Petersburg and Wauchula are in the same congressional district. We drove it</a>"},{"_id":"PLAZ3Q4TCNHBZNFNFEHDOO7HGE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Property tax amendment: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/06/02/desantis-has-claims-about-his-tax-amendment-heres-what-it-actually-does/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">DeSantis has claims about his tax amendment. Here’s what it actually does.</a>"},{"_id":"ELDF4BUCWZCF7GDVGKQWXZUUT4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Mail ballots: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/20/mail-in-ballot-request-new-midterms/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/20/mail-in-ballot-request-new-midterms/\">Mail ballot requests are down across Tampa Bay</a>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page is the latest to come out against the amendment."},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news/florida-politics/elections","parent_id":"/news/florida-politics","name":"Elections","description":"Elections","_id":"/news/florida-politics/elections","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news/florida-politics"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/florida-politics/elections"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Required reading for Floridians","newsletter_image":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MQKT3QD2BNEJVOCA4EFB42WHQU.JPG","newsletter_subheadline":"Subscribe to our free Florida in Focus newsletter","newsletter_id":"46","newsletter_blurb":"Get the biggest stories happening across the state every Wednesday."},"site":{"site_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/","rotator_id":"5LXIDJJRENDVXOWOL3KZDLBFCU","site_keywords":"election","site_description":"Elections","site_title":"Election updates from the Tampa Bay 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newsletter","newsletter_id":"46","newsletter_blurb":"Get the biggest stories happening across the state every Wednesday."},"site":{"site_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/","rotator_id":"5LXIDJJRENDVXOWOL3KZDLBFCU","site_keywords":"election","site_description":"Elections","site_title":"Election updates from the Tampa Bay Times"},"inactive":false,"site_topper":{"site_logo_image":null},"name":"Elections","_id":"/news/florida-politics/elections","advertising":{"adbridg_kvp":{"News":"elections"}},"ancestors":{"default":["/news","/news/florida-politics"]}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},{"path":"/news","parent_id":"/","name":"News","description":"News in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area, including breaking news, public safety, crime, health, hurricanes and weather, politics, the environment and more from the staff of the Tampa Bay 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Ron DeSantis' plan to dramatically reduce property taxes on primary homes is drawing criticism from unlikely foes: anti-tax advocates including the Wall Street Journal's editorial board.","scheduling":{},"story_length":{"character_count_actual":4687,"inch_count_actual":28,"inch_count_planned":25,"word_count_actual":733,"line_count_actual":193}},"display_date":"2026-06-11T20:01:38.486Z","headlines":{"tablet":"","print":"","meta_title":"","native":"","web":"","mobile":"","basic":"Why anti-tax advocates are against DeSantis’ property tax plan","table":""},"created_date":"2026-06-11T13:13:00.021Z","publish_date":"2026-06-11T20:01:38.486Z","_id":"DZ5S6R3LMFBZ3LG76CDDLMLGIY","website":"tbt","website_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/11/desantis-property-tax-amendment-wall-street-journal-taxwatch/"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"JIZSS7NHSFFKNCZXQBRDYHZS3I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the GOP front-runner for Florida governor, is endorsed by President Donald Trump and has an insurmountable lead in campaign contributions. Most <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/florida-governor-election-polls-2026.html?searchResultPosition=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/florida-governor-election-polls-2026.html?searchResultPosition=1\">credible polls of likely Republican voters</a> show him with a commanding edge against his primary opponents."},{"_id":"VSQFNWWBBZCKBIUM366ND73KLI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But in a week in which his Democratic foe, former U.S. Rep. <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/10/florida-governor-david-jolly-gwen-graham-2026-democrat/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/10/florida-governor-david-jolly-gwen-graham-2026-democrat/\">David Jolly, pivoted toward the November general election</a>, Donalds finds himself stuck battling his own party."},{"_id":"4KOBZTIQ5VD33DDGEC7ZUGN2H4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"On Thursday, Donalds’ campaign blunted mounting pressure to debate his three GOP rivals in the race with an official refusal. In other words, there will be no debate."},{"_id":"WITEVTXJPNF6VGMIXRVWHKO2VQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“There are no participation trophies in politics,” said Gates McGavick, communications director for the Donalds campaign. “It is not Byron’s job to legitimize campaigns that have failed to gain meaningful support. Republicans are united behind Byron Donalds on defeating Democrats in November.”"},{"_id":"ULWTTRE3T5AE5IHSQEHQM7G2J4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"His three main Republican opponents haven’t gotten the message that Donalds has already won the Aug. 18 primary. Rather than quit the race, all three have launched public campaigns to convince Donalds to debate them."},{"_id":"L3FEAW57XFFANA7GAIYUOZAAJE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Lt. Gov. Jay Collins <a href=\"https://x.com/CollinsWarRoom/status/2062866638823632980\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/CollinsWarRoom/status/2062866638823632980\">is asking voters to sign a petition to convince party leaders to set up a debate</a>."},{"_id":"2PKEJVUKHBEB3MVU2QP5Q22I4M","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“You have to come out and debate, and I’m very frustrated that Byron Donalds isn’t willing to do that,” Collins said Sunday on Fox News. “If you’re that far ahead, then what are you scared of? Step up, communicate and show up on the debate stage.”"},{"_id":"6NGTPI5QUZFVVGFEYRSZDNRQAE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"On Wednesday, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner said he wants a series of debates. "},{"_id":"BNUKB6DSKRFF5BA5CYBFMC5NNE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“If you can’t stand on the stage with your fellow Republicans, how can you possibly defend the free state of Florida?” Renner said in a news interview that his campaign retweeted. “How can you possibly stand on the stage with David Jolly? It’s disrespectful to the voters of Florida for us not to have a series of debates.”"},{"_id":"B6ZJQ5CM7ZA2FE5IMTWYW5FY2Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Byron Donalds is trying to steal the election,” said investor James Fishback on X <a href=\"https://x.com/j_fishback/status/2064897759446974879\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/j_fishback/status/2064897759446974879\">late Wednesday in a retweet</a> of a claim that the Republican Party of Florida was barring him and other candidates from debating. "},{"_id":"IPH3XJFGVNF2LGZORUN7KGMRLE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Florida GOP chairperson Evan Power wouldn’t comment on whether candidates have been barred from debating Donalds. <a href=\"https://x.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2064818647613182368\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2064818647613182368\">Social media has buzzed</a> with reports that party leaders created a debate threshold for a GOP summit in late June that includes certain levels of polling and fundraising. "},{"_id":"GPRBRPQ3XBEZJBY5JPK7NGYXAI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We have nothing to report until candidate qualifying is completed,” Power told the Tampa Bay Times when asked about the threshold, referencing instead Friday’s noon deadline to qualify for the race. “We don’t even know what our field looks like.”"},{"_id":"TB5Y7TNU5FGI5DZEQFTPQ6KXEY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But Fishback said Power told him in March that to qualify for debate participation, candidates needed to raise more than $10 million and gain 10% support in unspecified polls. No GOP candidate besides Donalds<b> </b>meets that 10/10 threshold. "},{"_id":"NNABMGG6EFCBTEOBANCUD6Z6RI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"There’s no question that Donalds is lapping his GOP and possible Democratic opponents. The latest round of campaign finance reports revealed this week that his campaign had raised a total of $82 million. "},{"_id":"ISPUGLXVKJGLXKOVZGVQRBFJRI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In April and May<b> </b>alone, Donalds’ campaign pulled in<b> </b>$14 million. "},{"_id":"FVA3Q6TBEJBO7HIDNZ66SHLLOQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Jolly’s campaign raised $1.2 million during that time."},{"_id":"G5MU7KNDUFD3XFKOCPW4AH7YYM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Yet Jolly has a big advantage in that his main rival, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/05/jerry-demings-drops-out-governors-race-cancer-diagnosis-democrat-david-jolly/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/05/jerry-demings-drops-out-governors-race-cancer-diagnosis-democrat-david-jolly/\">dropped out of the Democratic primary race last week </a>after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. "},{"_id":"N5C4MNFFMFAHTLEU5Z6ZCBCNQQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"With virtually no chance of losing the primary, Jolly has the luxury of using his limited war chest and resources to focus on the general election and appeal to independent voters. "},{"_id":"ELXH3FUJIVFB3GVMKCKHSSWKLA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"On Wednesday, he announced his running mate, former U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham, daughter of popular former Gov. Bob Graham."},{"_id":"JWE76FHQ2VDKJCAV2KGBUEGVXI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Together, they pitched the Democratic ticket to all voters."},{"_id":"BSHOMIMWZBBMHKBYXTIESJCA2U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“You don’t have to be a Democrat to vote for a Democrat, because we want every single voter across the state to recognize this is a generational moment that requires generational leadership,” Jolly said. "},{"_id":"6PTEYAGLDBCZDAHPGLF5BMI2IA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Donalds, meanwhile, is still proving his conservative bona fides. In an election cycle where Trump has all-time low approval ratings, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/21/byron-donalds-donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz-weaponization-iran/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/21/byron-donalds-donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz-weaponization-iran/\">Donalds must still give interviews backing the Iran war and downplaying gas prices</a> to mollify Trump and MAGA voters. "},{"_id":"G4C7OOOZXFH2HMEEGDLXFG5S64","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"So, even though Donalds <a href=\"https://x.com/ByronDonalds/status/2062971575385633068\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/ByronDonalds/status/2062971575385633068\">asserts that the general election has already started</a>, his hardline conservative messaging suggests he’s still trying to wrap up a primary win. Fending off his GOP rivals until the Aug. 18 primary comes with risks."},{"_id":"NKXHVWGI6ZHGHAPYAV4SG7MOFA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“At this point, fighting amongst Republicans only helps the Democrats end the Florida Dream we all love and cherish,” Donalds said on X this week."},{"_id":"JFNBLEQCI5H4PAXKIYI7CDGIVQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<i>Times data reporter Ashley Borja contributed to this story.</i>"},{"_id":"65ARFOJJFNGW7IMK6472JTCICI","type":"raw_html","content":"<style>.subtext-iframe{max-width:540px;}iframe#subtext_embed{width:1px;min-width:100%;min-height:256px;}</style><div class=\"subtext-iframe\"><iframe id=\"subtext_embed\" class=\"subtext-embed-iframe\" src=\"https://joinsubtext.com/c/politi-texts-florida?embed=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe></div>\n<script>fetch(\"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alpha-group/iframe-resizer/master/js/iframeResizer.min.js\").then(function(r){return r.text();}).then(function(t){return new Function(t)();}).then(function(){iFrameResize({heightCalculationMethod:\"lowestElement\"},\"#subtext_embed\");});<\/script>"},{"_id":"BM3OO2XRMZEGZGODESMSTAAJZI","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"center","type":"text","content":"<b>• • •</b>"},{"level":2,"_id":"MTKKNAEE6NFIRGKT3XMXN5NMDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage"},{"_id":"R762IRVLERDKJGR5UUQTLIY7NQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Congressional midterms: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/10/florida-redistricting-desantis-election-lawsuit-st-petersburg-bradenton-arcadia-wauchula/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/10/florida-redistricting-desantis-election-lawsuit-st-petersburg-bradenton-arcadia-wauchula/\">St. Petersburg and Wauchula are in the same congressional district. We drove it</a>"},{"_id":"MSD6RMUGUNEC3JQBN6HCTMUEJU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Property tax amendment: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/06/02/desantis-has-claims-about-his-tax-amendment-heres-what-it-actually-does/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">DeSantis has claims about his tax amendment. Here’s what it actually does.</a>"},{"_id":"5YAWS3II3BGBDK532JBS7LSPP4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Mail ballots: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/20/mail-in-ballot-request-new-midterms/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/20/mail-in-ballot-request-new-midterms/\">Mail ballot requests are down across Tampa Bay</a>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Meanwhile, the Aug. 18 primary is pretty much set for Democrats after Jerry Demings announced he was dropping out of the race for governor. "},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news/florida-politics/elections","parent_id":"/news/florida-politics","name":"Elections","description":"Elections","_id":"/news/florida-politics/elections","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news/florida-politics"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/florida-politics/elections"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Required reading for Floridians","newsletter_image":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MQKT3QD2BNEJVOCA4EFB42WHQU.JPG","newsletter_subheadline":"Subscribe to our free Florida in Focus newsletter","newsletter_id":"46","newsletter_blurb":"Get the biggest stories happening across the state every 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As an editor, I’ve run our news coverage during some of the most divisive times our nation has ever faced. Now I’m back reporting on all things politics. Local. State. Federal. Send me tips, rants or keen assessments. I’m on it.","bio":"Michael Van Sickler is the political editor. Reach him at mvansickler@tampabay.com.","author_type":"Times Political Editor","firstName":"Michael","twitter":"MikeVanSickler","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_tagline":"Contact Michael Van Sickler at mvansickler@tampabay.com. 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He has a mammoth-sized lead in campaign contributions. He's all over social media and the state. He's adored by conservative media. And yet his campaign's decision to dodge a debate with his opponents continues to nag at his campaign.","scheduling":{},"story_length":{"character_count_actual":4925,"inch_count_actual":30,"inch_count_planned":30,"word_count_actual":807,"line_count_actual":205}},"display_date":"2026-06-11T17:57:09.186Z","headlines":{"tablet":"","print":"","meta_title":"","native":"","web":"","mobile":"","basic":"‘No participation trophies’: Byron Donalds won’t debate GOP rivals for governor","table":""},"created_date":"2026-06-11T11:21:19.571Z","publish_date":"2026-06-11T18:55:15.95Z","_id":"JXOTWZPZCBBWBJ7QTKIV53OQH4","website":"tbt","website_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/11/byron-donalds-sunshine-showdown-debate-james-fishback-jay-collins/"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"JIZSS7NHSFFKNCZXQBRDYHZS3I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A political committee supporting St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch’s reelection campaign missed the state’s deadline to report contributions and expenditures for the latest period, the latest in a string of mishaps dogging Welch’s fundraising efforts."},{"_id":"R5N2IUCYUJDWBCHWF3R3DBTHWE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Records show St. Petersburg Progress was the only political committee supporting a St. Petersburg mayoral candidate to not make Wednesday’s midnight filing deadline. Welch, an accountant by trade, is on his third political committee in three years."},{"_id":"WTO33IWEX5H4XMGVN63CFS4JP4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Adrienne Bogen, a spokesperson for Welch’s campaign, said the political committee’s report is late due to a family emergency. She said that it will pay the state’s $50 late fee."},{"_id":"OQMCERDXWJFANLNFKEKRSUM7OY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A prior political committee supporting Welch, Pelican PAC, was <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/09/20/st-petersburg-mayor-pac-donations-not-reported/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/09/20/st-petersburg-mayor-pac-donations-not-reported/\">shuttered by the state</a> in 2024 for failing to appoint required officers to manage the organization. It also repeatedly failed to file either a financial report or a waiver, racking up 12 failure to file notices from the state."},{"_id":"DNNKML4ROBEMFEJHWDL7EDW64I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Welch supporters then opened The Pelican Political Action Committee, using the same treasurer who did not correct Pelican PAC’s reports. In January, Bogen said the treasurer, Yolanda Brown, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/01/12/st-petersburg-mayor-ken-welch-money-stolen-political-committee-yolanda-brown/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/01/12/st-petersburg-mayor-ken-welch-money-stolen-political-committee-yolanda-brown/\">improperly misspent $207,500</a> from August to October 2025. She said Thursday that money has not been returned."},{"_id":"WGMZLKJURBEB5NAHXUYQWZ65UQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"That political committee is still active but dormant. St. Petersburg Progress opened in January."},{"_id":"H2SUGG6U3ZALDIVZDOMKD25COY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"According to the report filed Thursday, St. Petersburg Progress raised around $114,000 for the last reporting period, from April 1 to May 31. The latest report lists seven donors: a company owned by Sidd Pagidipati, a Tampa Bay Rays minority owner, the development group behind Skyway Village and Marina Bay developer Reza Yazdani."},{"_id":"W6KIOUMZCJHJXI2CFJ2IFBTTME","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Welch’s fundraising total between the political committee and individual contributions is around $600,000. He has about $250,000 in cash on hand."},{"_id":"KYDHP7J4PJCBFJASULFESMVLQU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"St. Pete Shines, the political committee supporting former Florida Gov. and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist in his candidacy for mayor, reported $289,571 in the latest reporting period for monetary and in-kind contributions. That brings the political committee’s fundraising total, which includes rollover money from past political committees from other runs for office, to just about $1.5 million."},{"_id":"AFTWGSE7NJEEHOSPZFLHXOJDNQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The bulk of those reported donations came from Many United Democrats. The political committee received an infusion of $196,500 from the Florida Democratic Party on May 31. That same day, it donated $192,000 to St. Pete Shines."},{"_id":"URB2WQJA3JA4TPYYF7Z3565EOE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"After expenditures, there was $1.35 million in St. Pete Shines’ bank account. Other notable donations include Ferg’s Sports Bar &amp; Grill owner Mark Ferguson, who donated to Welch’s political committee in the last cycle."},{"_id":"ZXJPKHSLZJDA3GUYTTFVQH2SJY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A Better Burg, the political committee supporting former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large’s run for mayor, raised $13,500. That brings the total raised to date to $50,550."},{"_id":"CPGYK6UQEZGPRA54WGPVUZ2CSI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A Better Burg has $40,584 in cash on hand. On top of that war chest, Large raised $59,430 through individual contributions to his campaign."},{"_id":"REKDCK2PKBHTHPD6P7BDEILV6I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The political committee supporting City Council member Brandi Gabbard, Forward Together PC, reported no contributions but $4,215 in expenditures. Her campaign account has raised $4,150."},{"_id":"LM2XK7W6CRAJPPZX3MNRM74LEY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Forward Together’s total raised to date is $10,600, but the political committee has $3,525 in cash on hand."},{"_id":"IN5WINGL3NC3BPQ4XTYAWK4WCE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Mayoral candidates Maria Scruggs and Kevin Batdorf do not have political committees at the state level. Batdorf raised $1,305 in individual campaign contributions."},{"_id":"GKQ5VI6QSZF2FIVURXAQOEY5WQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Scruggs has a political committee at the city level called Shelynn PAC. It raised $7,500 through the last city reporting period. On top of that, she has reported $18,000 through individual contributions."},{"_id":"65ARFOJJFNGW7IMK6472JTCICI","type":"raw_html","content":"<style>.subtext-iframe{max-width:540px;}iframe#subtext_embed{width:1px;min-width:100%;min-height:256px;}</style><div class=\"subtext-iframe\"><iframe id=\"subtext_embed\" class=\"subtext-embed-iframe\" src=\"https://joinsubtext.com/c/politi-texts-florida?embed=true\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"></iframe></div>\n<script>fetch(\"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alpha-group/iframe-resizer/master/js/iframeResizer.min.js\").then(function(r){return r.text();}).then(function(t){return new Function(t)();}).then(function(){iFrameResize({heightCalculationMethod:\"lowestElement\"},\"#subtext_embed\");});<\/script>"},{"_id":"BM3OO2XRMZEGZGODESMSTAAJZI","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"center","type":"text","content":"<b>• • •</b>"},{"level":2,"_id":"MTKKNAEE6NFIRGKT3XMXN5NMDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage"},{"_id":"YCDQ2FAYFZA3BBZYFTAMLZOYBI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Congressional midterms:</b> <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/02/12/hakeem-jeffries-democrats-house-control-congress/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Can Democrats retake the US House? It could depend on Florida</a>"},{"_id":"HSDHM3Q2ZNC4HBHVN6ZR6F75HQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Voter issues: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/03/28/byron-donalds-james-fishback-iran-affordability-jeffrey-epstein/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">These 4 issues make Florida’s midterms a tougher slog for Republicans</a>"},{"_id":"37CLFNDETFG2NFRA46K7SVGVBU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Race for the Governor’s Mansion: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/01/21/governor-2026-donalds-collins-renner-fishback-desantis-endorsement-demings-jolly/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Is the Florida governor’s race set?</a>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"A campaign spokesperson said the political committee will file the latest financial report Thursday."},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news/florida-politics/elections","parent_id":"/news/florida-politics","name":"Elections","description":"Elections","_id":"/news/florida-politics/elections","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news/florida-politics"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/florida-politics/elections"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Required reading for Floridians","newsletter_image":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MQKT3QD2BNEJVOCA4EFB42WHQU.JPG","newsletter_subheadline":"Subscribe to our free Florida in Focus newsletter","newsletter_id":"46","newsletter_blurb":"Get the biggest stories happening across the state every 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Now, as the political class analyzes the terrain ahead of the 2026 midterms, the national Democratic Party “autopsy” reports are rolling in. And once again, they miss the point entirely."},{"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"tbt"},"copyright":"Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. 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They see a state that has grown “too complicated” and “too expensive,” justifying a multi-year retreat that left local organizers without central party support or permanent ground operations. They treat Latinos as voters like a homogeneous mass rather than a dynamic, nuanced community to be organized year-round."},{"_id":"BS2KIYTRGJCEJA3U5QZFIGGPEU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"If anyone wants to know why the political landscape has shifted, they don’t need a consultant. They just need to look at the data."},{"_id":"MHVTCBAKCRDBPCSDRAB4QL2ZZ4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The latest <a href=\"https://unidosus.org/press-releases/new-unidosus-bipartisan-poll-hispanic-voters-feeling-economically-strained-concerned-about-their-safety/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">bipartisan poll</a> from UnidosUS paints a searing, undeniable picture of an electorate that is deeply strained, exhausted by partisan warfare and ignored by the establishment."},{"_id":"WCCSQPKVLFAFBDKNLH7Q7SS5MQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Nationally, 68% of Latino voters believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to the poll. Only 15% say they are living comfortably. The top four issues are pocketbook concerns: cost of living (60%), jobs and wages (40%), healthcare costs (37%) and housing (27%)."},{"_id":"WMPQNZUZPNB7XF663VRP62VFIY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The GOP recognized this reality. To their credit, they showed up, tapped into economic anxieties and spoke directly to our communities. In 2024, that earned them historic margins."},{"_id":"TNH6CDR5HZF3PGG5WTYDMNGZHQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But the UnidosUS data reveals a paradox that should serve as a flashing red light for both parties."},{"_id":"HE2BPB3WUFGQPMKW6OTR63ULV4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"While the Trump administration’s policies have caused a severe erosion of support — with 67% of Latinos now disapproving of the president’s performance and 1-in-4 Latino Trump voters from 2024 saying they regret their choice — Democrats are not automatically reaping the benefits."},{"_id":"KW6DGUXTVBCAHOMNP7FKQ3C3AY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Both parties are underperforming. Why? Partly because many Latino voters have joined the voting rolls in just the last four years. They are young, independent and have no institutional loyalty to a political establishment that does not speak to them directly."},{"_id":"SXUQAPHSGZH3NHP2RIFUWB2ZOY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Nowhere is this disconnect more evident than in Florida. Despite its economic growth and expanding political influence, many families face rising costs, struggling schools and uncertainty surrounding immigration policy. National politicians love to use immigration as a cudgel in the culture wars, detached from how it impacts real families. The UnidosUS data shows that 44% of Latinos fear that immigration authorities will harass or arrest them, even if they are U.S. citizens or legal residents. Furthermore, 86% of Latinos — including a majority of Latino Republicans — support legal status for long-residing undocumented immigrants."},{"_id":"O5XIH5FTBVBQPAT4VDHT6M4FP4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Our people do not want cruel, sweeping enforcement. They want a fair, orderly and decent system. They want the American Dream, pursued lawfully and with integrity."},{"_id":"GKAZUVH6IBHIHCG4FVZQYAYUCM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In South Florida, foreign politics is local politics. What happens in people’s countries of origin affects everything, including their votes. Yet Washington continues to pour millions into television advertising while neglecting the community infrastructure and trusted local relationships that actually shape political engagement."},{"_id":"L6PHLGBJ5RGMHE4HRM2GSTLV5I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Florida must never be abandoned. As a university professor, I look at the young, talented students in my classrooms and see the key to unlocking an incredible future for our country. But they are being locked out by a political system that prefers partisan theater over people-centered policy."},{"_id":"NYC7CKSSTVAB5H4MJAXPRAXZ24","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The midterms are rapidly approaching, and the Latino electorate is highly motivated to vote — 76% indicate they plan to head to the polls. But they are not waiting for any politicians’ drafted talking points. They are looking for leaders who understand their realities."},{"_id":"3U4U323XRJERFM4NCYBQSX7S2U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"It is time for a radical shift. We must build real relationships with the human beings behind the data. Only when we stop treating Latino communities as an election-cycle calculation, and start showing up at their doors, sitting at their kitchen tables and earning their trust can we move forward united and ready for the next 250 years."},{"_id":"XEA4226LMFCRDJU7O4KBEXPHNQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<i>Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is a former member of Congress, the first South American-born immigrant elected to the U.S. Congress and director of the Graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.</i>"},{"_id":"DNE3V4MXIBGRNF5NNC24UMKMPA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"©2026 Miami Herald. 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in the Pulse nightclub shooting 10 years ago."},{"_id":"3TN4F6PHQFB4RGSVALC6S5QNJY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"St. Petersburg is the latest city to receive a request for a proclamation from Christian groups that promote marriage as being between one man and one woman. It was brought forward by council member Corey Givens. "},{"_id":"Z6F64AHOINEB7C2QWMK5RAMKII","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A similar proclamation was recently approved by the Pinellas County Commission. The Clearwater City Council <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/clearwater/2025/06/21/clearwater-embraces-faith-family-this-pride-month/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/clearwater/2025/06/21/clearwater-embraces-faith-family-this-pride-month/\">approved the recognition last year</a>. "},{"_id":"VRYIPHE2URFGHJWR4GUO7VCSUA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"However, Mayor Ken Welch’s administration has attempted to mitigate the message by inserting the word “Inclusive” before the proclamation’s title. “Inclusive Family and Faith Month” now seeks to recognize families in all forms, including same-sex couples."},{"_id":"AHFALACEG5HQDCUWKTIWFQ5KOA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Though Faith and Family Month’s official organizers are not expected to come to City Hall on Thursday, Givens’ invited guests include a group called Florida Faith Foundations. According to its website, the group is “against a radical Leftist Woke insurgency.” It seeks to “expose LGBTQ+ radical activism.”"},{"_id":"TPY3U3VITNBIJHJ3CK2FJJM7JY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Before it was rewritten, the proclamation seemed out of character for St. Petersburg, which <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/06/04/st-petersburg-pride-dei-lgbtq-desantis/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/06/04/st-petersburg-pride-dei-lgbtq-desantis/\">raised the St. Pete Pride flag above City Hall</a> last week for potentially the last time.<b> </b>It has historically hosted the largest Pride festival in Florida and threw a block party to celebrate ahead of a new Florida<b> </b>law that goes into effect in January that bars cities and counties from <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/22/desantis-dei-diversity-net-zero-emission-greenhouse-gases/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/22/desantis-dei-diversity-net-zero-emission-greenhouse-gases/\">funding or promoting diversity</a>, equity and inclusion programs."},{"_id":"JV562FWZBNGXZL5IQZAOQEVA4Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Givens was the only council member who was not at the flag raising, though he attended a council meeting later that day. He said he had a personal conflict but attended the St. Pete Pride Family Day event."},{"_id":"KQRBA2EOEZAZHGPC3BJBBBXG5A","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A few organizations approached him wanting the city to recognize the month of June as Faith and Family Month,<b> </b>Givens said. He said he brought the proclamation forward as Gov. Ron DeSantis declared June Faith and Family month."},{"_id":"OVTS7SVHTNFIZJLGY3NQL6NTDE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Givens said Welch did not approve the language of the original proclamation submitted. Givens said he was supportive of the changes."},{"_id":"KEMV42C7SNH6RFUD3VM4FBMKNI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“This had nothing to do with Pride,” Givens said. “This is just a month where we’re celebrating faith and family and promoting organizations to support family and having a Father’s Day event.”"},{"_id":"EOEFAR2YSJCAFNNMV7SYQ2FYYI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Givens said he supported the proclamation because he is the son of a single teen mom and he is a proponent of ending “the epidemic of fatherlessness.” He serves on the board of Next STEPP, a St. Petersburg pregnancy center that has been <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2021/06/12/how-controversy-over-a-st-petersburg-pregnancy-center-derailed-grants-for-small-businesses/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2021/06/12/how-controversy-over-a-st-petersburg-pregnancy-center-derailed-grants-for-small-businesses/\">accused by abortion-rights advocates of using unethical anti-abortion tactics</a>."},{"_id":"RZ42L3RWWNGQZIRDH5GQFV3NBQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I recognize too that families today look different,” Givens said. “There’s homosexual couples who are parents and I respect that. I would not diminish their ability to be good parents in any way. What I do know is that kids in general stand to benefit in many ways from having a father figure in their life.”"},{"_id":"5WWG5A2TXJEX5CJZSZVOV4WU2Y","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Asked about Florida Faith Foundations and the statements on the group’s website, Givens said he doesn’t discriminate when people bring proclamations to him."},{"_id":"YYUWTQVLNBCFBIO7XG3YOMEAXA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“As long as it’s legal and appropriate, this was one I was willing to bring forward,” he said. “I commend the mayor for signing it.”"},{"_id":"TI5R5OJ6AFED7MHWPKF5U56GZU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"That doesn’t pass the smell test for council vice chairperson Richie Floyd, who is sponsoring the Pulse Remembrance Day Proclamation, which remembers the deadliest act of anti-LGBTQ+ violence in modern history."},{"_id":"3KHIV6PAAJF2NNIQ5WTNR44IJ4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“There’s a concerted effort to try to push back against LGBTQ+ rights,” he said. “I’m glad the proclamation is reflecting that our city’s not going to be a part of that pushback. Obviously I can’t speak to his intent, but the intent of these organizations are abundantly clear. It’s laid out on their website."},{"_id":"T2RTVNAYZJB5XEK6EIZSPNPQVA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It’s naive at best, really,” Floyd said."}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"The proclamation resembled the one Pinellas County approved before St. Petersburg officials revised it to include the word “inclusive.”"},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news/st-petersburg","parent_id":"/news","name":"St. Petersburg","description":"The latest community, government, crime and business news about St. Petersburg from the Tampa Bay Times.","_id":"/news/st-petersburg","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/st-petersburg"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Keep up with Tampa Bay’s 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Equal Ground Education Fund and two other voting rights groups <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/05/congressional-redistricting-lawsuits-desantis-election-voting/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/05/congressional-redistricting-lawsuits-desantis-election-voting/\">brought the case</a> alleging the new districts were drawn to favor the Republican Party, a violation of the state’s anti-gerrymandering law, but the First District Court of Appeal didn’t grant a temporary injunction while the underlying case is pending."},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"ERHSGLUKYZCALJGKEEPUQFFB5U","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781135582461-964q7ymls","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"Florida redistricting map to stay for 2026 after judge declines to block it"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/26/florida-redistricting-maps-2026-midterm-republican-gop-desantis/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"HRWRTO6TWFDE3EB5NVAI47CHQM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“At this time, we do not have jurisdiction over that matter, and we do not simply assume that the First District’s decision will provide an appropriate basis for this Court’s review,” the court ruling states."},{"_id":"L6FLVAWNQFENBCETE42CKILPVA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Genesis Robinson, executive director for Equal Ground, slammed the court’s decision. "},{"_id":"6GAA5IRYPNCEFE4HLEHEPPU5SY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The time to protect voters from irreparable harm is before another election takes place under this map,” Robinson said in a released statement. “And while we remain committed to ensuring that Florida’s constitutional protections are fully upheld, Florida voters deserve fair maps, fair representation, and a democracy that works for everyone now.”"},{"_id":"JOX5WA273JFDDJIAO2XWMHJ7NU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Justice Jorge Labarga wrote a dissent arguing the court did have jurisdiction, and chiding the First DCA for not expediting a review by the Florida Supreme Court. The qualifying deadline for U.S. House candidates ends Friday at noon, leaving no time for the courts to rule on the merits of the case before the elections are locked in place."},{"_id":"5HUO3NEXDVCFZDNXEZZEU32OTQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Had the district court invoked pass-through jurisdiction here, doing so would have established an independent basis for this Court’s jurisdiction in this matter,” Labarga wrote. “Unfortunately, for now, and with a filing deadline and an election fast approaching, we will not have the opportunity to review the issues of statewide importance raised in the petitioners’ efforts to enjoin Florida’s 2026 congressional map.”"},{"_id":"ZMBJCOESANA7HPDTS3QZMORBQY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":""},{"_id":"YTUWAADV2ZGDJLQTECQ6JKYP6Y","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/04/florida-redistricting-desantis-maps-gop-republican-congress-trump/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/04/florida-redistricting-desantis-maps-gop-republican-congress-trump/\">Gov. Ron DeSantis </a>pushed for a redrawn congressional map of Florida’s 28 districts after President Donald Trump urged Republican-controlled states to pass new maps favoring the GOP ahead of the midterm elections."},{"_id":"HKO74IMCDZCITPIUN3647YWUYY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"An aide for DeSantis drew the new map and <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/27/florida-redistricting-map-desantis-trump-congress-republican-seats/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/27/florida-redistricting-map-desantis-trump-congress-republican-seats/\">handed it to the Republican-led Legislature</a>, which passed it without any changes during an April special session."},{"_id":"XY7VG3UNTFCURGQJV7N7QZQM2A","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"DeSantis has pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which was released during the special session, undercutting part of the Voting Rights Act that allowed districts to be drawn to favor racial or ethnic minorities. That ruling meant District 20, specifically, had to be redrawn, he contends."},{"_id":"7LAJWOFKYVEPFACAZWN5I3D4MI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But Democrats and voting rights groups that brought the case alleged the new map is a blatant gerrymander to favor the GOP, violating a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2010, known as the Fair District Amendment, that prohibits drawing districts to favor or disfavor political parties."},{"_id":"KTRPV2OOA5GMHLIVYOHKL44UHY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"They noted DeSantis’ aide, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/28/florida-redistricting-desantis-trump-gop-partisan-fair-districts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/28/florida-redistricting-desantis-trump-gop-partisan-fair-districts/\">Jason Poreda</a>, told lawmakers he drew the new map with partisan data. And DeSantis’ office also sent the map to Fox News with partisan coloring, showing Republicans could flip up to four seats based on 2024 presidential voting patterns."},{"_id":"6PPGUU3AGVDNHAD2AVSTQOYTSQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Although the underlying case will still progress through the court process, the maps will remain in place."},{"_id":"KZI73KA52VCEDGME6S4VGWJZNI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The people of Florida can rest assured that elections will take place this year — under a redistricting law and an election code enacted by their Legislature, all as administered by various, capable state and local election officials — following which they will have their duly apportioned allotment of elected representatives in Congress,” Justice Adam Tanenbaum wrote in a concurrence that took issue with Labarga’s dissent."},{"_id":"R2FGJZOQWBC6RAV62LTYVG7PPM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“In the meantime, the plaintiffs will have their days in court, in due course, to be heard on the merits of their challenge to the new redistricting law—all in comportment with the reformed judicial system established by the people through their constitution,” he added."},{"_id":"2SAPUDVPR5BTNBHM46FCJ433VQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<i>By Gray Rohrer, News Service of Florida</i>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Justice Jorge Labarga wrote a 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Ron DeSantis’ property tax proposal</a> could affect the county’s finances, according to a draft agenda obtained by the Tampa Bay Times."},{"_id":"O5SJIN4P6BC73FKLXSWQISBPPY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The presentation comes at the request of Commissioner Chris Boles, who told the Times Wednesday he felt his directive was a particularly prudent course of action because of Hillsborough’s ongoing stadium deal negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays. Talks with the team, he said, cannot occur in a vacuum."},{"_id":"A3R4Q7MFXVC33IZGVUD6PGV7D4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We have this huge decision to make,” Boles said. “How is this (property tax plan) going to affect it?”"},{"_id":"PXLYM6ITHVF5POCZQA264OENHU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"After <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/20/tampa-bay-rays-hillsborough-county-stadium-mlb-babby-hagan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/20/tampa-bay-rays-hillsborough-county-stadium-mlb-babby-hagan/\">Hillsborough</a> and the <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/21/tampa-bay-rays-tampa-city-council-stadium-vote-memorandum-of-understanding/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/21/tampa-bay-rays-tampa-city-council-stadium-vote-memorandum-of-understanding/\">city of Tampa</a> approved a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with the baseball team last month, Rays CEO Ken Babby <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2026/05/23/ken-babby-rays-stadium-deal-tampa-city-council/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2026/05/23/ken-babby-rays-stadium-deal-tampa-city-council/\">told the Times</a> future discussions would not include “reopening a discussion on the economics” in the memorandum."},{"_id":"FVBUR6TY55B6JP43C32VLLQQPA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But Boles, who voted in favor of the memorandum of understanding, said he believes DeSantis’ plan should change that."},{"_id":"GYLGQTS3EFACZLSW3WLVB7O5CM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Given the Governor has advanced a plan to reduce revenue sources for local governments, by increasing the homestead exemption amount and reducing the cap on commercial property to 5%, the landscape has dramatically changed,” he wrote in an email to County Attorney Julia Mandell and County Administrator Bonnie Wise earlier this week."},{"_id":"6SS5LKW5NZDDHM6MCQMWPQMTJQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Therefore, I believe an opportunity has now opened to reconsider any “financial template(s).”"},{"_id":"FQHSD4QPFREJHAEXCKXNW5SCLI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In his email to Mandell and Wise, Boles raised a total of nine questions that, he wrote, the answers to which “will significantly influence whether (he feels) sufficient common ground exists to justify continued advancement of the proposal.”"},{"_id":"P74ZRJVLTZHEZEIDVAERPGDDD4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Before I can determine whether this proposal remains in the County’s best interest, I need greater certainty regarding the County’s long-term financial exposure, future flexibility, taxpayer protections, and the enforceability of the private commitments being relied upon,” he wrote."},{"_id":"LYDG5AGEQJBBRJN2UOG2TUIQ4U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Particularly concerning to Boles is the <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/05/02/tampa-bay-rays-stadium-property-tax-ken-hagan-ken-babby/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/05/02/tampa-bay-rays-stadium-property-tax-ken-hagan-ken-babby/\">$103 million in county rainy day funds</a> that is included in the framework for the $976 million public contribution outlined in the nonbinding memorandum. "},{"_id":"TPX576UUI5GQLKYQI5VFM3E2VI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Is it really smart to give $100 million of reserves if we are looking at a potential $300 million loss?” Boles said, alluding to how DeSantis’ property tax plan could affect Hillsborough’s funding. "},{"_id":"PMMRZCX33VFRDFWXOG2EQS2DP4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Such a decision, he said, could look like “bad form” from the county."},{"_id":"7RB7WU5ORRDZ7DOFNXWASI5L2I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Boles joined commissioners Harry Cohen, Ken Hagan, Christine Miller and Gwen Myers in voting in favor of approving the memorandum in May. Commissioners Donna Cameron Cepeda and Joshua Wostal voted against it."},{"_id":"2D54WABWQFDWHP5FSJM7QAELBM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Next Wednesday’s meeting is scheduled to start at 9am."}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Commissioner Chris Boles, who voted in favor of the memorandum of understanding, says the governor’s plan dramatically changes the landscape in which the deal is being considered."},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news","parent_id":"/","name":"News","description":"News in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area, including breaking news, public safety, crime, health, hurricanes and weather, politics, the environment and more from the staff of the Tampa Bay 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Gov. Byron Donalds is presiding over a dystopian Florida overrun by energy-guzzling data centers. Utility bills have skyrocketed. “Marijuana monopolies” are poisoning the water. And, if things couldn’t get any worse, “AI hate speech is now a felony.”"},{"_id":"EOFASUIS65GPPDXVU24XQKDCSY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"There is only one man who can save the day: Lt. Gov. Jay Collins."},{"_id":"2K65QNHKG5CGTBCF2KANZB2IH4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"This is the Orwellian future depicted in one of several AI-generated attacks that have emerged from the online ecosystem supporting Collins, a former Republican state senator and Green Beret now running for governor."},{"_id":"UMRYRQJB6RCGVNFYZCUSSX55OM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The video is ridiculous by design. But it also exposes a striking contradiction at the heart of Collins’ candidacy. "},{"_id":"OWZGSREFGVE4PNUTEEWMZNKQJU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Opposition to data centers has become one of the lieutenant governor’s signature campaign issues as he seeks to overtake Donalds, the Trump-endorsed front-runner in the Republican primary and the beneficiary of support from a super PAC funded by AI industry giants."},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"LEVVDQ522NAL3F427G2W3ZCGGE","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781116120365-x8ihcbp1x","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"What does Byron Donalds think about AI and data centers? He says he disagrees with Trump"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida/2026/06/02/data-centers-florida-ai-byron-donalds/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"XD5Y423PRZBEZIMIICLDYXQJHI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Yet, even as Collins travels the state warning voters that artificial intelligence and the data centers that support it threaten Florida’s environment, energy grid and quality of life, some of the most salient messaging boosting his candidacy is being created with the help of the same technology."},{"_id":"22R6NMVLBNCVTIL6WRHMPYBOHE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The videos promoted by his campaign may also offer an early sign of where Florida politics is headed."},{"_id":"RCMRJZWX5ZGJTPLNYJUSCHWAPM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"While so-called “AI slop” has surfaced in congressional races and presidential campaigns across the country, the videos appear to be among the first high-profile examples of a Florida gubernatorial candidate or his political allies using AI-generated content as a recurring campaign tactic."},{"_id":"YQJYYXSSNNH3VG5Q3OD7XFRMM4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Political observers say the technology is likely to become a fixture of future campaigns because it allows supporters to create professional-looking ads, songs and videos at little cost with virtually no gatekeepers. "},{"_id":"U6Q4P3PGWBDQ7G7SW7E4T4YRTY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“This is the future of political advertising,” said Jane Bambauer, a University of Florida law professor who studies technology and free speech. “Everyone’s going to be able to do this.”"},{"_id":"BHQR7JCLV5ELROA4RK5NX5VKVQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"As the technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, Bambauer said, political messaging will become increasingly decentralized. Candidates and parties may lose control over their own narratives as supporters, activists and influencers create and distribute content on their behalf. Some messages will go viral; others will disappear unnoticed."},{"_id":"AWDIM2L4ENGOVBQKFE65VEZSMU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“There will be fewer controls that the political parties, or even the candidates themselves, can exercise,” Bambauer said."},{"_id":"V6B5F257AVHUDGYV2UXABWUT4Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"For now, though, Collins and his supporters seem comfortable leveraging fan-made AI content as political ammo against their biggest rival."},{"_id":"FOA3VVMGBFAJZP7ZYW3TWZV3FQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A roughly minute-long video circulated on X by an account known as “Collins War Room” — which describes itself as the “Official War Room Account for DeSantis Appointed @JayCollinsFL” — and amplified by Collins supporters, depicts Donalds as an authoritarian supervillain and Collins as a comic-book superhero. "},{"_id":"UF7DI52Q5FGH3N3KVDCVC4JQAQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Literally."},{"_id":"343GO34EDFFQTJVR4YFTNIPVOY","type":"raw_html","content":"<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Our supporters have outdone themselves with this one!<br><br>🔥🔥🔥 <a href=\"https://t.co/PAr3CXU0X9\">pic.twitter.com/PAr3CXU0X9</a></p>&mdash; Collins War Room (@CollinsWarRoom) <a href=\"https://x.com/CollinsWarRoom/status/2061883775462559837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>"},{"_id":"K54XUQJYKFDY7BQ4YZLLWXY6HU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The video opens with a scowling Donalds sitting behind the governor’s desk one year into his hypothetical first term. Flanked by Jeffrey Epstein and Republican operative Roger Stone, Donalds brushes off a working-class man in overalls pleading for relief from data centers and the utility bill hikes they bring."},{"_id":"5EZPTAFTL5CYFJPYR5UCG6YTXA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Guards, get this peasant out of my office,” the AI-generated Donalds snarls."},{"_id":"OJGKVN4QGZHIDFXYD77TKS5OYU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Bill Gates and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cackle as Capitol police drag the man away."},{"_id":"2BNFOAJJLZB7ZNG3CGEBYBSOVA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Moments later, Collins bursts onto the scene donning a Captain America-style costume. He punches his way through a half-dozen officers before delivering a flying kick — aided by a bionic version of the prosthetic leg he wears after being wounded in Iraq — to Donalds’ face."},{"_id":"GPNS34FCJVHLBKPEZVC433CYYI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The Collins campaign did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Donalds, a Naples-area congressman, declined to comment."},{"_id":"QGH5KPURIBGGNF6OPBNJQ4XZ4E","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Donalds alluded to the video at an event in Miami last week as he laid out his AI policy agenda, saying, “There’s all kinda AI gifs and things running around. That’s fine, but whether it’s you or anyone else, you should be able to protect your name, image and likeness.”"},{"_id":"4J57HNHXXBCQBC4W4MWRGMG5TM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The architect behind the video is Michael Thompson, a Winter Haven Republican who runs a THC chocolate and candy business as well as an AI-assisted marketing company called Green Peak Media."},{"_id":"6N66ZPD67RCZRGL2LHAWTXWYA4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Despite the videos’ appearance on accounts dedicated to promoting Collins, Thompson said he did not coordinate with the campaign. Instead, he said he shared the content with fellow Republicans in Polk County before they ended up on the Collins War Room account."},{"_id":"C7YVZTFQWVHQZNY6YR5APN5YCU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I wasn’t coordinating with them,” Thompson said of the Collins campaign. “But, hey, if they want to offer me a job? Maybe.”"},{"_id":"WYDDTB5OYBAWLOL6KL7FHK533U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Thompson relied heavily on AI tools, software and “synthetic” assistants he developed himself. He described himself as the “executive producer” of the videos and said he was motivated by what he viewed as insufficient criticism of Donalds’ support for data center development."},{"_id":"2D6ZOCOF2VAXRMUR54LYYBXFJY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I was wanting to convey a story that I didn’t see the campaign conveying: basically, that Byron Donalds is in alignment with data centers,” Thompson said. He pointed to a Collins event in Polk County where the lieutenant governor discussed requiring data centers to generate their own power and use closed-loop water systems. "},{"_id":"QIVQLSHEQJHI3PFWPMGXHQX3AY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I was like, ‘OK, this is the guy,’” Thompson said of Collins. “But he’s got to be marketed better.”"},{"_id":"F57ZILHT45DFDFIWYG67AKDB5A","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The Captain America video is just one entry in Thompson’s growing catalog of AI-generated content supporting Collins, which has been reposted on X by several of the lieutenant governor’s allies, including his wife, Layla Collins; <a href=\"https://x.com/johncardillo/status/2061904781614944648?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/johncardillo/status/2061904781614944648?s=20\">John Cardillo, a senior adviser to the Collins campaign</a>; and Jason Puwalski, Collins’ press secretary."},{"_id":"YRLEFNHLZREF5FFP3WH6MXGQ4M","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Thompson said there are more videos to come. His catalog so far includes “Data Center Donalds,” a catchy Lego-style music video attacking the congressman. Collins called the earworm “pretty cool” on X."},{"_id":"K7ZJTLU5AJEJ5CXGSHSY72H5QY","type":"raw_html","content":"<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">OMG, who did this!?<br><br>(And now I can’t get this song out of my head.) <a href=\"https://t.co/tJWNfDjayo\">pic.twitter.com/tJWNfDjayo</a></p>&mdash; Collins War Room (@CollinsWarRoom) <a href=\"https://x.com/CollinsWarRoom/status/2059995687937360368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src=\"https://platform.x.com/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>"},{"_id":"KXZON7CKXVHLXJ5OALOYNCKI44","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A sequel song, “Old McByron,” goes like this: “Old McByron had a plan. AI, AI, o. And on that plan, he built a grid. AI, AI, o. With a data center here, and a data center there….”"},{"_id":"OIUVPDLPYVE3XGHFVDRYQCXVC4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Thompson acknowledged that the Lego aesthetic was inspired in part by <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd8jrd1vnyo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjd8jrd1vnyo\">AI-generated videos that circulated online from Iranian state-linked accounts</a> attacking President Donald Trump."},{"_id":"DIBLY25MOZHOXFYMYBE2FAR5MU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I saw what Iran was doing,” Thompson said. “You have the ground war, and then you have the propaganda war, and I saw what Iran was doing with the propaganda war, and I realized how powerful that was.”"},{"_id":"KMOJ36NFTFCORG7F53LWYSNE24","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Thompson embraces AI enthusiastically — even as the candidate benefiting from his work campaigns against the spread of AI infrastructure."},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"GZZWA4QDPJDJBIDSNAVIAUGCXQ","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781123548934-5wkbbj58o","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"Is a data center coming to Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas? We chased the rumor"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2026/06/10/data-center-florida-gandy-pinellas-st-petersburg-petition/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"OUQLX5ESLRCYTOPNXU6QJOJZ7I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Thompson said he does not oppose data centers categorically, but believes they should be located outside Florida. He argued the United States has become fixated on building massive data centers to gain an edge in AI, while countries such as China are pursuing more efficient computing technologies that may require less energy and water."},{"_id":"MFCJ47KKSJFGXCYHOWPLNNNNW4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Thompson still poked fun at the apparent contradiction in his <a href=\"https://x.com/MichaelThompson/status/2063411562220577003?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/MichaelThompson/status/2063411562220577003?s=20\">latest production</a> on Saturday, in a parody of an oft-memed clip from the Adolf Hitler-centered film “Downfall.”"},{"_id":"WXOECJ7HBFGPJKP3HD7AJEUYQA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In Thompson’s video, a Nazi Party official informs Donalds — standing in for Hitler — that “the Jay Collins supporters are using AI to call you out for your plans to make Florida the data center capital of the U.S.”"},{"_id":"ERM7P2PJ5FFFHJCK2XWNKBDKWE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I’m basically fully taking advantage of AI, 100%,” Thompson said. “And I’m not against AI data centers, I just don’t want them in Florida. Go put them in another state.”"},{"_id":"NDVKS73ACBHMFMQZCZNKA227WQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Donalds has argued such facilities can be developed responsibly if they generate their own power, manage water consumption and shield ratepayers from added costs."},{"_id":"UJCKF3B3MJDEROTYSABTKEM43A","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Collins has made opposition to data centers a central plank of his campaign, but as a state senator he voted for legislation that included tax incentives for them."},{"_id":"3NR23MMAYZHP5O4RJ4VATKH4CU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"One of Collins’ opponents in the Republican primary, former House Speaker Paul Renner, dismissed the videos in an interview as “over the top.” (A miniature, AI-generated version of Renner can be seen in a bird cage on Donalds’ desk in Thompson’s Captain America video.)"},{"_id":"3ALCANWFQBFE7F6HZRJTM2NH54","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Renner argued that voters deserve substantive engagement from candidates through televised debates and public appearances rather than AI-generated caricatures and social-media spectacles."},{"_id":"GBPJPGQKYBENLG4NTM7JOZJZDU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It’s also disrespectful to the voters to run a caricature campaign,” Renner said. “He needs to show up and actually stand on the stage with all the other candidates.”"},{"_id":"JZEXZYGIXNH2LBXLIBQGW7JTCQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"He also mocked Collins’ superhero alter ego."},{"_id":"OWGYIGE4QRHDDJFRWRDYCMJ4TA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“He’s making such a big deal about it and running these stupid AI videos that he’s Mr. Captain America, but can’t even show up for a single candidate forum with other candidates present,” Renner said."}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Videos being promoted by Lt. 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"},{"_id":"Q2BOHXLX6ZAKRPWKHCB6Q7AB34","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"That’s according to a recent poll from researchers Timothy Kellison and Cole Armstrong of Florida State University and San José State University, respectively. It probed 600 active Hillsborough County voters — out of more than 801,300 registered as of April — between April 16 and June 9. "},{"_id":"XJP6O5F4A5F4ZP66XOVQ2MO4VY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The survey comes weeks after <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/20/tampa-bay-rays-hillsborough-county-stadium-mlb-babby-hagan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/20/tampa-bay-rays-hillsborough-county-stadium-mlb-babby-hagan/\">Hillsborough’s County Commission</a> and the <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/21/tampa-bay-rays-tampa-city-council-stadium-vote-memorandum-of-understanding/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/21/tampa-bay-rays-tampa-city-council-stadium-vote-memorandum-of-understanding/\">Tampa City Council</a> approved a nonbinding agreement with the Rays, propelling their pitch to build a $2.3 billion baseball stadium in Tampa. "},{"_id":"PAPNWVS45BDLZLX2BXPS3LO764","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Many residents recognize what a ballpark could bring— what they’re less sure about is whether their voices have been part of the decision,“ Kellison said in a news release. ”The gap between support for the idea and confidence in the process is worth paying attention to as the project moves forward.” "},{"_id":"LKRXFKRBZVECTMROLR66BVGPRE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Three in four survey respondents agreed that the stadium would bring jobs to the region, and roughly two-thirds said it would be a source of community pride."},{"_id":"L3LIV4CKTNF6HJPNDWAXZMPUY4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But a majority said they feel residents have been shut out of the decision-making process. Less than 30% of respondents said “city leaders have taken seriously” the views of residents who live near the site at the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College, in West Tampa. "},{"_id":"VMH37WVOKVGK7G6PT76GJ4IBNE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Roughly a third of respondents agreed that “city leaders have been open and honest about the costs and benefits” of the project. A third also said they trust officials to make the “right decisions for the community regarding the ballpark.” "},{"_id":"CRGS3AQHGBC3ROF6LGGLDAE5NM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"And around 45% of respondents said they support using public funds to build the stadium, with more than half opposed. More than 70%, meanwhile, agreed that “there should have been a public vote on the use of public funds.” "},{"_id":"HW4UEKP7PJDKHF45S47EAHB25M","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The nonbinding memorandum of understanding approved by local officials last month outlines a $976 million public contribution toward the cost of the stadium, with $796 million from the county and roughly $180 million from the city. "},{"_id":"IVM6APZOHZAIFE5NQXZVCC74IE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Survey responses were collected through an online questionnaire sent to more than 29,600 active registered county voters. Roughly 25% of respondents are registered Democrats, 32% are Republicans and another third are independent, according to the news release. Nearly 60% are men. "},{"_id":"WKHHP4EEJNGY3CPHDB2RLJITZY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Some responses mirror those from a <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/04/08/tampa-bay-rays-stadium-poll-hillsborough-deal/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/04/08/tampa-bay-rays-stadium-poll-hillsborough-deal/\">survey commissioned earlier this year</a> by Tampa Sports Authority board member Andy Scaglione that found a majority of county voters say they support a Rays stadium in Tampa and believe the project would drive economic impact. "},{"_id":"INPWUPZZFBF4TCOBYO22S2OOOA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"That poll of 530 “likely voters” also found that a majority of respondents opposed using money from the Community Investment Tax, the county’s half-percent sales tax, to help pay for the stadium. 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Gwen Graham</a> will join him on the ticket. "},{"_id":"BWQEFELNSNEMZEOOXMWGF63XMM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Jolly is the first major gubernatorial candidate to announce his lieutenant governor pick. "},{"_id":"YNGYBXIN7VBM5BCWF7MQYXMIXI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“This is a generational moment that requires generational leadership,” Jolly said Wednesday."},{"_id":"JESQ3NSALZH7PFNTVHIDM4YWA4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Graham is the daughter of former Florida Gov. Bob Graham. She ran for governor in 2018 but lost in the primary to Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, who was the more progressive candidate. "},{"_id":"KJZZYSZYNFGUJGO2TGTFD4GZKA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Jolly, who was a Republican when he served as Pinellas’ U.S. representative, has run his campaign as a moderate Democrat. Graham joins him on the ticket in the center-left. "},{"_id":"XDCDRIJRB5CIZHAGMZSF6UJECE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Jolly said he chose Graham because he was looking for someone who was capable of serving the state “not just as lieutenant governor but as governor.” He said he and Graham would be a governing partnership. "},{"_id":"K4GYHAXDU5C6LORF3JICOVGD44","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Her loss in 2018 to the U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders-endorsed Gillum was seen as a <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/08/28/for-gwen-graham-loss-is-a-rejection-of-her-familys-centrist-politics/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/08/28/for-gwen-graham-loss-is-a-rejection-of-her-familys-centrist-politics/\">rejection of Graham’s milder</a>, occasionally Republican-friendly brand of politics. Gillum later lost to Republican Ron DeSantis in the general election by <a href=\"https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/17/desantis-wins-florida-gubernatorial-race-as-gillum-concedes-1000530\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/17/desantis-wins-florida-gubernatorial-race-as-gillum-concedes-1000530\">less than half a percentage point</a>."},{"_id":"JCSK2EDOLJC2PEMV4UCWYDRPNA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But the Florida of 2026, branded by DeSantis as the ideal state for conservatives, isn’t the Florida of 2018. Jolly and Graham are embracing their centrist bona fides rather than running away from them. "},{"_id":"TJIMAOTBRFHNLIPHXXRWZJ2UKE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“David and I are in this campaign because the Florida we love, the Florida we all love, frankly is slipping away,” Graham said."},{"_id":"FH3H2UYPRZD75GTZJ6ITWLZWXA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"When <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/06/05/david-jolly-democrat-governor-desantis-pinellas-2026-election/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/06/05/david-jolly-democrat-governor-desantis-pinellas-2026-election/\">launching his campaign</a>, Jolly said his policies had changed but his values hadn’t, emphasizing his belief in fiscal restraint and small government. "},{"_id":"TQWFSHXBYBFZFORWX26X67F2GY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Jolly’s announcement comes a week after his main opponent for the Democratic nomination, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/06/05/jerry-demings-cancer-diagnosis-florida-governors-race/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/06/05/jerry-demings-cancer-diagnosis-florida-governors-race/\">withdrew from the race</a> after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. "},{"_id":"KRZALWTC5FGAJPHFW2EH5WGIBM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Among Republicans, there are several high-profile candidates, including President Donald Trump’s pick, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds. Other Republicans include investor James Fishback, former House Speaker Paul Renner and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins."},{"_id":"7QF7QYLZZBCTLGGDFKKIQD7FVI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In a statement, Evan Power, the head of the Republican Party of Florida, said that Jolly and Graham are “the perfect representatives of today’s Florida Democratic Party.”"},{"_id":"WMBSJLHDD5CJTJZCUYK3WJJQWA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“David Jolly has spent years changing his beliefs whenever it benefits his political career, while Gwen Graham abandoned the North Florida values she once claimed to represent and went to work advancing Joe Biden’s radical education agenda in Washington,” Powers said. "},{"_id":"N2HSQIPHM5BI5I73HPJWKXOUTA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":""},{"_id":"J743IHYJZVDUDHNKHSX3KT7X7A","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"DeSantis is term-limited. He has not yet endorsed a candidate to replace him."},{"_id":"TJA5UQJ3XZGKPDWLERTMSDSDVM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The primary election is Aug. 18. "}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Graham, the daughter of former Gov. 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Jolly is running for governor.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Archive","edit_url":"","source_type":"other","source_id":"2339177","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"custom","name":"Archive","category":"other","subcategory":"Ingestor"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/Q2BI3UWJHQI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.jpg","geo":{},"licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times (2017)","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"","additional_properties":{},"type":"author"},{"image":{"version":"0.5.8","url":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/tbt/eae59f55-6796-4071-8151-9e9160279bb2.png"},"socialLinks":[{"site":"email","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"curso@tampabay.com"},{"site":"twitter","deprecated":true,"deprecation_msg":"Please use social_links.","url":"TB_TimesCurso"}],"social_links":[{"site":"email","url":"curso@tampabay.com"},{"site":"twitter","url":"TB_TimesCurso"}],"name":"Chris Urso","description":"Chris Urso is the photo director who oversees news and sports coverage. Reach him at curso@tampabay.com.","_id":"chris-urso","additional_properties":{"original":{"lastName":"Urso","secondLastName":"","role":"Photo Director/News and Sports","education":[],"native_app_rendering":false,"affiliations":"","bio":"Chris Urso is the photo director who oversees news and sports coverage. Reach him at curso@tampabay.com.","twitter":"TB_TimesCurso","contributor":false,"custom_tagline":"Contact Chris Urso at curso@tampabay.com. Follow @TB_TimesCurso.","beat":"Times staff","bio_page":"","last_updated_date":"2024-09-22T00:08:24.250Z","byline":"Chris Urso","email":"curso@tampabay.com","slug":"chris-urso","image":"https://author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub/tbt/eae59f55-6796-4071-8151-9e9160279bb2.png","longBio":"Growing up in Southern California was great but in 2005 I needed to make a drastic move. This move was not caused by my fear of earthquakes but my fear of not having a career in the vocation I adored. Family in tow we trekked cross country, on a plane, and landed at The Tampa Tribune. I am lucky to be one of the few who were plucked by the Tampa Bay Times after the purchase of the Tribune in 2016. My family and I have grown to love the Tampa Bay area. We spend off times floating on the intercostal and biking along the Pinellas Trail. I am extremely passionate about photojournalism and a strong advocate of photojournalism ethics. When asked, I tell people I am just a SoCal expat attempting to live the Florida lifestyle and I make visuals awesome.","fuzzy_match":false,"author_type":"Times Staff Photographer","firstName":"Chris","books":[],"podcasts":[],"awards":[],"custom_phone":"‪727-487-2449‬","_id":"chris-urso","status":true}},"type":"author","version":"0.5.8","url":"","slug":"chris-urso"}]},"subtitle":"","width":744,"_id":"Q2BI3UWJHQI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q2BI3UWJHQI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.jpg?auth=f15d8a16e26737fc988e745ada76bc840bbbf916399f41aed1680bafaf3b0d02","keywords":[],"proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q2BI3UWJHQI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.jpg?auth=f15d8a16e26737fc988e745ada76bc840bbbf916399f41aed1680bafaf3b0d02","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/Q2BI3UWJHQI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.jpg","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q2BI3UWJHQI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.jpg?auth=f15d8a16e26737fc988e745ada76bc840bbbf916399f41aed1680bafaf3b0d02","ingestionMethod":"Ingestor","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/Q2BI3UWJHQI6TAOPPAY4DVT77I.jpg?auth=f15d8a16e26737fc988e745ada76bc840bbbf916399f41aed1680bafaf3b0d02&width=300","version":3,"originalName":"AR-309259411.jpg","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[]},"created_date":"2019-08-28T02:35:41Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-10T17:56:45Z","height":498,"image_type":"photograph"}},"canonical_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/10/florida-governor-david-jolly-gwen-graham-2026-democrat/","revision":{"editions":["default"],"parent_id":"ECKILSCXTVEE3ACWIU6DAM2XYM","published":true,"branch":"default","revision_id":"CNCIMMJLTREWJI3EP7WB6DMU7Q"},"planning":{"budget_line":"Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly is expected to announce his running mate: Gwen Graham.","scheduling":{},"story_length":{"character_count_actual":2646,"inch_count_actual":16,"inch_count_planned":13,"word_count_actual":418,"line_count_actual":109}},"display_date":"2026-06-10T15:13:19.36Z","headlines":{"tablet":"","print":"","meta_title":"","native":"","web":"","mobile":"","basic":"David Jolly picks Gwen Graham as running mate for Florida 2026 governor race","table":""},"created_date":"2026-06-10T11:47:06.853Z","publish_date":"2026-06-10T17:56:52.924Z","_id":"ABTGF5ZNRBASFE3QG3GZMP2FOI","website":"tbt","website_url":"/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/06/10/florida-governor-david-jolly-gwen-graham-2026-democrat/"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"GM7RDMCLGNB6FA2CQOM6D53DIQ","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Thousands signed a petition. Facebook users talked of sit-ins and urged their neighbors to flood the inboxes of Pinellas County commissioners. Residents testified in government meetings that they were terrified for their future home values and drinking water."},{"_id":"QQWXVJPG6NH4XFJOFVL7N5FNYA","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"The rumors of a potential data center coming to Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas County have weighed heavy on the minds of residents. They’ve read horror stories of the hulking, humming warehouses going up in neighborhoods before locals could mount opposition — spurring fears of<b> </b>a powerful industry that can move faster than reliable information."},{"_id":"VNKCVQ7GRNCIDGOA22UCAB26IA","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"But, at least for now, a Gandy data center proposal doesn’t exist."},{"_id":"35Y4HWGZO5HV3MIYIZUGGHEC4E","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"The Tampa Bay Times tracked down the rumor to its most likely source. Here’s what we found:"},{"level":2,"_id":"T6ETRSAIVJBQRMTDUDUQQB6KTE","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"The origin of the Gandy data center rumor"},{"_id":"HEUTLVHRHNCH7D4HQUNSDZF7BU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The first known mention of a potential data center on Gandy Boulevard came on April 30 during a Pinellas County commission meeting."},{"_id":"JUWIJJQY2FH5VB3RELZWEW7I5U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Commissioner Kathleen Peters floated the idea of passing a county moratorium on large-scale data centers. She said time was of the essence."},{"_id":"74GVPDP3MBCOXFJD6SZMZIFMLI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We already have somebody interested in putting one on Gandy Boulevard,” Peters said."},{"_id":"SWAGMIMV5FA6TGP2BJBE4HFTMY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Oh my,” gasped fellow commissioner Rene Flowers."},{"_id":"ORHUQYFA6BCPDAVJ4H4VMUZUSA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“So if it’s something this commission is going to entertain, I think it’s something we’d have to expedite,” Peters said."},{"_id":"Y3I3JGT3LZFKBHGYUVAUIVU624","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The Times <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/pinellas/2026/04/30/pinellas-county-artificial-intelligence-data-centers/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/pinellas/2026/04/30/pinellas-county-artificial-intelligence-data-centers/\">published a story about her comments</a>, as did other local media outlets like <a href=\"https://stpetecatalyst.com/peters-seeks-to-block-data-centers-despite-state-law/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://stpetecatalyst.com/peters-seeks-to-block-data-centers-despite-state-law/\">the St. Pete Catalyst</a>."},{"_id":"KY534SOCL5GADBBXC4XKVXLEFY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In a recent phone interview, Peters explained the backstory to that remark. As she researched the data center issue, she asked the county administrator if anyone had expressed interest in building one in Pinellas County."},{"_id":"EYPFWG4PSNCURC2TLISVJG642I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Staff had one inquiry in the Gandy area, but they had not filed an application. It was just a phone call inquiring — no application, no nothing,\" Peters said. “I never asked who inquired, so I don’t know.”"},{"_id":"Z3PETKBSZFDDZFYCIR5DMQTRXY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"When the Times asked the county for more information about who made that phone call, officials did not elaborate."},{"_id":"ZZ5JRESNTJBIHD3LNB2VS5ZWOU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Pinellas County has not received any formal proposal, site plan or applications for a data center along Gandy Boulevard,” Pinellas spokesperson John Carkeet wrote in an email. “I’m sorry, but we do not have any additional information on this.”"},{"_id":"LHASQMKSSFCJRFC6AEDSE5M6RE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Duke Energy, which would provide the power to a data center in that area, referred a reporter to the local governments in the area, saying that public officials are typically made aware of data center proposals before the utility."},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"JUH4RYQE75GHJCUIACW2ZYNETA","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781031366205-pb97ywtzw","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"Duke Energy trying to skirt new Florida data center law, consumer advocate says"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2026/05/29/duke-energy-florida-data-center-desantis-electric-bill/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"level":2,"_id":"VYHZO56HERFAFC4ILXOM5L7ECM","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"The possible source"},{"_id":"PMDRESPOPFDD5FNC27SZBJSNQE","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Within weeks, posts whipping up opposition to “the Gandy data center” were exploding on social media."},{"_id":"BJMB7PIK45GPFJFCWV7FDALKNM","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“Hey St. Pete, we all hate data centers right?” local influencer Caulin Donaldson told his 120,000 Instagram followers in late May. He has millions more followers on TikTok, where he’s known for <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/2022/04/18/pinellas-influencer-got-14-million-tiktok-followers-cleaning-local-beaches-now-he-wants-your-help/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/2022/04/18/pinellas-influencer-got-14-million-tiktok-followers-cleaning-local-beaches-now-he-wants-your-help/\">viral videos of picking up trash on the beach</a>."},{"_id":"GI2XNBU5XNATNC7I3LQRG2LSFM","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“Well, turns out they’re eyeing the Gandy area,” Donaldson said in the video. “This is the time we shut it down.” "},{"_id":"CEYWXLVSSBDY5OLCAK33DRBSR4","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“These AI data centers in Pinellas County — this is gonna be the next big debate,” said Marc Jason, host of the Pinellas Podcast TikTok account in a video. “Move over, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2026/02/03/ebikes-crashes-electric-scooters-pinellas-trail-hillsborough-biking/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/transportation/2026/02/03/ebikes-crashes-electric-scooters-pinellas-trail-hillsborough-biking/\">e-bikes</a>.”"},{"_id":"LMJHEISJMZGGNL2UZNO3UAOMA4","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"One possible source of all the speculation is Derby Lane, the old greyhound racing track that occupies 130 acres in unincorporated Pinellas County near Gandy Bridge."},{"_id":"XGZVUOT3EBCDBKTOMVHXB5XMUA","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Sagi Genger, CEO of Rally Development, the investment group that <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/entertainment/things-to-do/2026/03/23/derby-lane-st-petersburg-farmers-market-flea-history-development-tampa-rally/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/entertainment/things-to-do/2026/03/23/derby-lane-st-petersburg-farmers-market-flea-history-development-tampa-rally/\">recently bought the racetrack</a>, confirmed to the Times that the new owners did consider a data center there at one point. But due to technical issues, they decided against it."},{"_id":"USPVFCN2SJEH3A35U5ZCWQVZRQ","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Genger said he was unaware of anyone else on Gandy considering a data center."},{"_id":"HKXAE5TOMVE33LRWT26NBPU6Z4","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“We looked at it,” he said. “We’re moving in a different direction.”"},{"_id":"WW7A46D6QBGEVKT7ZSAOJEYZRE","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Nationwide, public opinion on data centers has <a href=\"https://heatmap.news/daily/data-center-polling?utm_source=TheRundown&amp;utm_medium=Sailthru&amp;utm_campaign=060826_TheRundown\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://heatmap.news/daily/data-center-polling?utm_source=TheRundown&amp;utm_medium=Sailthru&amp;utm_campaign=060826_TheRundown\">swung negative</a>, and Florida appears to be no exception. "},{"_id":"QVIX7ZKZIRHWHM3INUEPZXDIGA","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"People of all political stripes have <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2026/06/04/florida-data-center-citrus-polk-fort-meade-desantis-petition/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2026/06/04/florida-data-center-citrus-polk-fort-meade-desantis-petition/\">organized against proposals in rural parts of the state, including in Citrus County, Lakeland and Fort Meade</a>."},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"U65WRHTUKJAMLBWDI2U6F63J74","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781031301201-jhpwgzdme","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"In rural Florida, the anti-data center movement gathers strength"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2026/06/04/florida-data-center-citrus-polk-fort-meade-desantis-petition/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"2XYTOFTGONCMFCREVD32T7KNXY","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Donaldson, the local eco-influencer, said he’s glad Tampa Bay residents are on high alert for any data center proposal that arises. He’s the one who started the <a href=\"https://c.org/dSHNss86Ms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://c.org/dSHNss86Ms\">anti-data center petition</a>, and<b> </b>he said he kept its description intentionally broad so it can be repurposed to show the force of opposition to any projects that crop up in Tampa Bay."},{"_id":"GKIRIF4EARAMPJXIDQYUEYRG2I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I would absolutely do it again because, I think after watching what happened in Box Elder County, it seems they caught wind of it too late in the process,” Donaldson told the Times, referencing a 40,000-acre project <a href=\"https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2026/05/21/utah-gov-spencer-cox-says-rollout/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.sltrib.com/news/environment/2026/05/21/utah-gov-spencer-cox-says-rollout/\">in Utah</a> that’s prompted mass backlash from residents there."},{"_id":"UFSEXNDUDFAXTA7V3LKWSXDPYA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I’m happy to jump online and say, ‘Turns out this is a rumor, this is great.’” "},{"_id":"V25FLPM6GRCRTHBWXVKV2JMXRQ","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Peters said even though the Gandy project isn’t materializing, she’s worried that this is only the beginning. She’s been told that the city of Pinellas Park also received inquiries — though no formal applications — from companies eyeing their land. "},{"_id":"AZZBDHNJ7NFCDAKD3DYPRFN4UQ","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"If the land was already zoned industrial, she worries it wouldn’t even require a city council vote or public hearing, leaving residents in the dark."},{"_id":"D3UCAI22RVGQXOPYCNTGWLJZBQ","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“There’s no reason on the planet anyone should build a data center in this county,” Peters said. “It doesn’t even make sense.”"},{"level":4,"_id":"3O4HD25NJ5FLZGXUUOKTKA4JFQ","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"center","type":"header","content":"<i><b>• • •</b></i>"},{"_id":"6LXKYBDJ3VHW3BSDN3MDVXIQGM","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"<i>The Tampa Bay Times launched the Environment Hub in 2025 to focus on some of Florida’s most urgent and enduring challenges. You can contribute through our journalism fund by </i><a href=\"https://project.tampabay.com/donate/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\"><i>clicking here</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Here’s what we found out about how real this potential data center could be."},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news/environment","parent_id":"/news","name":"Environment","description":"Environmental news in the Tampa Bay area and Florida, including red tide, manatees, panthers, bear hunts, pythons in the Everglades, climate change and more, from the Tampa Bay Times","_id":"/news/environment","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news"},"site":{"site_url":"/news/environment/","site_keywords":"Environment News","site_description":"Environmental news in the Tampa Bay area and Florida, including 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our free DayStarter newsletter","newsletter_id":"18","newsletter_blurb":"We’ll deliver the latest news and information you need to know every morning."},"inactive":false,"site_topper":{"site_logo_image":null},"name":"Environment","_id":"/news/environment","advertising":{"adbridg_kvp":{"News":"Environment"}},"ancestors":{"default":["/news"]},"order":{"default":2011}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},{"path":"/news/florida-politics","parent_id":"/news","name":"Florida Politics","description":"The Buzz on Florida Politics | Tampa Bay Times","_id":"/news/florida-politics","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/florida-politics"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Required reading for 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A Facebook post encouraging people to call their Pinellas county commissioners \"to say NO to the Data Center\" got nearly 3,000 reactions. A prominent local influencer has made five videos encouraging residents to stay vigilant about the \"alleged proposed Gandy data center.\" But is a data center actually coming to Gandy? We trace the source of the rumor. ","scheduling":{},"story_length":{"character_count_actual":5308,"inch_count_actual":32,"inch_count_planned":32,"word_count_actual":888,"line_count_actual":221}},"display_date":"2026-06-10T09:30:00Z","headlines":{"tablet":"","print":"","meta_title":"","native":"","web":"","mobile":"","basic":"Is a data center coming to Gandy Boulevard in Pinellas? We chased the rumor","table":""},"created_date":"2026-06-08T20:21:18.012Z","publish_date":"2026-06-11T12:50:28.616Z","_id":"EMLFSPAUCBDFRBST4NFDDPSXFU","website":"tbt","website_url":"/news/environment/2026/06/10/data-center-florida-gandy-pinellas-st-petersburg-petition/"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"JIZSS7NHSFFKNCZXQBRDYHZS3I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch took hits from all sides in the first mayoral debate of the year."},{"_id":"JXJFZLV5W5EQVH2KGD7MIGJDDI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Four of the five candidates looking to unseat the incumbent attacked him on hurricane preparedness and response, transparency and leadership Tuesday night in a debate hosted by the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP."},{"_id":"NM75S447XBG4RLVYHQJ3OHBADU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"On stage with Welch at a maxed-out President Barack Obama Main Library auditorium were former Florida Gov. and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, two-term City Council member Brandi Gabbard, former St. Petersburg NAACP branch President Maria Scruggs and former Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf."},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"copyright":"Tampa Bay Times","address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"27ed01f0120a2e42e130d7e2a8f020b9c609cbf40b56123c0ff9da959360a8fa"},"caption":"Candidate Kevin Batdorf, right, gestures as candidate Charlie Crist looks on Tuesday.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/UJ5W5MT5SNAH3JR7ESHQOC2GDI.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Hannah Walls","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":1631,"_id":"UJ5W5MT5SNAH3JR7ESHQOC2GDI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/UJ5W5MT5SNAH3JR7ESHQOC2GDI.JPG?auth=27ed01f0120a2e42e130d7e2a8f020b9c609cbf40b56123c0ff9da959360a8fa","iptc_source":"Tampa Bay Times","iptc_job_identifier":"600753440","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/UJ5W5MT5SNAH3JR7ESHQOC2GDI.JPG?auth=27ed01f0120a2e42e130d7e2a8f020b9c609cbf40b56123c0ff9da959360a8fa","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/UJ5W5MT5SNAH3JR7ESHQOC2GDI.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/UJ5W5MT5SNAH3JR7ESHQOC2GDI.JPG?auth=27ed01f0120a2e42e130d7e2a8f020b9c609cbf40b56123c0ff9da959360a8fa","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/UJ5W5MT5SNAH3JR7ESHQOC2GDI.JPG?auth=27ed01f0120a2e42e130d7e2a8f020b9c609cbf40b56123c0ff9da959360a8fa&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"436033_wall_07_spmayordebate.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Staff Photographer"},"created_date":"2026-06-10T02:44:08Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-10T02:51:28Z","slug":"436033_wall_07_spmayordebate","height":1095},{"_id":"7INKYTP3FBAHDO3K7EGHIIGH64","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I’m really going to push back on folks talking our city down, and of course they have to have something to run on, and they have to say how bad it is,” Welch said. “Our city is doing well two years after the most devastating storms that we have ever faced.”"},{"_id":"2BMDTJED5JD6VNEGPS3KA47UDA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Each candidate had two opportunities for a rebuttal, the most charged times of the evening. Welch and Crist used those chances on each other while Scruggs came out swinging against Welch. "},{"_id":"IHJ3BFJGTFG27L4QREB6OUI4X4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“While media would have you believe everything in St. Petersburg is beautiful, I contend it is not,” said Scruggs, who stood up for every answer. “There is a lot of work to do.”"},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"copyright":"Tampa Bay Times","address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"a3cde1a0d0ca15f5875eb28ebd2a28a7c1dbcce78af7341b7d9684b0eb46d119"},"caption":"Mayor Ken Welch speaks during the debate.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/SC7SYPH6FZEWPDPDLU3RKACKXQ.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Hannah Walls","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":1472,"_id":"SC7SYPH6FZEWPDPDLU3RKACKXQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SC7SYPH6FZEWPDPDLU3RKACKXQ.JPG?auth=a3cde1a0d0ca15f5875eb28ebd2a28a7c1dbcce78af7341b7d9684b0eb46d119","iptc_source":"Tampa Bay Times","iptc_job_identifier":"600753445","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/SC7SYPH6FZEWPDPDLU3RKACKXQ.JPG?auth=a3cde1a0d0ca15f5875eb28ebd2a28a7c1dbcce78af7341b7d9684b0eb46d119","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/SC7SYPH6FZEWPDPDLU3RKACKXQ.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SC7SYPH6FZEWPDPDLU3RKACKXQ.JPG?auth=a3cde1a0d0ca15f5875eb28ebd2a28a7c1dbcce78af7341b7d9684b0eb46d119","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/SC7SYPH6FZEWPDPDLU3RKACKXQ.JPG?auth=a3cde1a0d0ca15f5875eb28ebd2a28a7c1dbcce78af7341b7d9684b0eb46d119&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"436033_wall_12_spmayordebate.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Staff Photographer"},"created_date":"2026-06-10T02:44:38Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-10T02:51:28Z","slug":"436033_wall_12_spmayordebate","height":962},{"_id":"EAUYJAOYCVEQ7PBI5PNPYER5KA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Candidates criticized Welch for a lack of preparedness, communication and response following the hurricanes. "},{"_id":"JGUQO5YWYNDH3OC7NEFX2755XY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It looks like we weren’t prepared for a few of these hurricanes recently, and that’s a problem,” Crist said. “You deserve leadership that is prepared, that is ready, and will do the right thing, and will be at the emergency operations center when it’s necessary, and not leave it and go home.”"},{"_id":"3NAEY6ZUKFAY7JGZRHYADJD64M","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Welch <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2022/10/26/is-being-mayor-st-petersburg-floridas-fifth-largest-city-remote-job/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2022/10/26/is-being-mayor-st-petersburg-floridas-fifth-largest-city-remote-job/\">spent the night of Hurricane Ian at home in 2022</a>, nine months into his mayorship. He said Tuesday that the storm had changed direction, so he finished his shift and went home to check on family. A spokesperson for St. Petersburg police confirmed to the Tampa Bay Times in a text message hours after Hurricane Helene made landfall in 2024 that <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/09/27/st-petersburg-knew-least-2-years-northeast-sewage-plant-was-risk/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/09/27/st-petersburg-knew-least-2-years-northeast-sewage-plant-was-risk/\">Welch slept at home</a>. "},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"copyright":"Tampa Bay Times","address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"7b3b8bab1eac5bcbd409325ade0b40732bab69dff4a1d55c5add879f6e207940"},"caption":"Candidate Charlie Crist speaks during the debate.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/GCPY6BFBY5AGLPGKDZH5XYJX44.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Hannah Walls","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":1255,"_id":"GCPY6BFBY5AGLPGKDZH5XYJX44","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/GCPY6BFBY5AGLPGKDZH5XYJX44.JPG?auth=7b3b8bab1eac5bcbd409325ade0b40732bab69dff4a1d55c5add879f6e207940","iptc_source":"Tampa Bay Times","iptc_job_identifier":"600753442","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/GCPY6BFBY5AGLPGKDZH5XYJX44.JPG?auth=7b3b8bab1eac5bcbd409325ade0b40732bab69dff4a1d55c5add879f6e207940","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/GCPY6BFBY5AGLPGKDZH5XYJX44.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/GCPY6BFBY5AGLPGKDZH5XYJX44.JPG?auth=7b3b8bab1eac5bcbd409325ade0b40732bab69dff4a1d55c5add879f6e207940","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/GCPY6BFBY5AGLPGKDZH5XYJX44.JPG?auth=7b3b8bab1eac5bcbd409325ade0b40732bab69dff4a1d55c5add879f6e207940&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"436033_wall_09_spmayordebate.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Staff Photographer"},"created_date":"2026-06-10T02:44:18Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-10T02:51:28Z","slug":"436033_wall_09_spmayordebate","height":896},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"copyright":"Tampa Bay Times","address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"3d18c16d9de28ff397b08acf193c236a9ccc3fe2628d076f337ab175b550017e"},"caption":"Audience applaud during a debate between mayoral candidates.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/DBIYJM3GLNHSHOHKAQMDKYNNGA.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Hannah Walls","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":1822,"_id":"DBIYJM3GLNHSHOHKAQMDKYNNGA","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/DBIYJM3GLNHSHOHKAQMDKYNNGA.JPG?auth=3d18c16d9de28ff397b08acf193c236a9ccc3fe2628d076f337ab175b550017e","iptc_source":"Tampa Bay Times","iptc_job_identifier":"600753441","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/DBIYJM3GLNHSHOHKAQMDKYNNGA.JPG?auth=3d18c16d9de28ff397b08acf193c236a9ccc3fe2628d076f337ab175b550017e","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/DBIYJM3GLNHSHOHKAQMDKYNNGA.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/DBIYJM3GLNHSHOHKAQMDKYNNGA.JPG?auth=3d18c16d9de28ff397b08acf193c236a9ccc3fe2628d076f337ab175b550017e","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/DBIYJM3GLNHSHOHKAQMDKYNNGA.JPG?auth=3d18c16d9de28ff397b08acf193c236a9ccc3fe2628d076f337ab175b550017e&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"436033_wall_08_spmayordebate.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Staff Photographer"},"created_date":"2026-06-10T02:44:14Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-10T02:51:28Z","slug":"436033_wall_08_spmayordebate","height":1263},{"_id":"5ZK74PPBBRD6TJ6QY5TM4ARHZM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I just want Charlie to be more specific about how the response could be better,” Welch said. “You were not even in the state during these hurricanes, so what specifically are you talking about?”"},{"_id":"GJLKZO7WY5GBDHBUGR4TE7DJEA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The Times recently reported that Crist changed his voter registration to his fiancée Chelsea Grimes’ Minnesota address in April 2024 and was <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/10/charlie-crist-st-petersburg-mayor-ken-welch/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/10/charlie-crist-st-petersburg-mayor-ken-welch/\">out of harm’s way during the hurricanes</a>. Crist told the Times after the debate he was going back and forth between St. Petersburg and Minnesota."},{"_id":"RFXVCT7QE5CG3K3EXSHVFX75DM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Chelsea’s here and we were on Shore Acres, that’s just the truth, and that’s my rebuttal, and I’m disappointed in you, mayor,” Crist said. “Gotta be more candid with folks, and be more honest, and be more straightforward, and take care of places like Shore Acres and southside.”"},{"_id":"ZWZYKYXIJ5C2DBXGVSJKVHB35M","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Scruggs had several back-and-forth exchanges with Welch. She hit him on how the city handles business contracts, giving his administration an F on transparency on that issue. She said she recently filed an ethics complaint with the state over public records she received showing the city’s Education and Youth Opportunities Director communicating with a Tampa vendor who ended up getting a $750,000 contract."},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{},"auth":{"1":"fb512da4aa6e2a205ed77f93e2f6256e635a9a8377bc0c57ac04457a3c080cbf"},"caption":"Candidate Maria Scruggs is seen during the debate.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/3AVIPHZFMFHBFLK37MUXHMPN7Q.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{},"subtitle":"","width":1170,"_id":"3AVIPHZFMFHBFLK37MUXHMPN7Q","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/3AVIPHZFMFHBFLK37MUXHMPN7Q.JPG?auth=fb512da4aa6e2a205ed77f93e2f6256e635a9a8377bc0c57ac04457a3c080cbf","iptc_job_identifier":"600753439","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/3AVIPHZFMFHBFLK37MUXHMPN7Q.JPG?auth=fb512da4aa6e2a205ed77f93e2f6256e635a9a8377bc0c57ac04457a3c080cbf","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/3AVIPHZFMFHBFLK37MUXHMPN7Q.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/3AVIPHZFMFHBFLK37MUXHMPN7Q.JPG?auth=fb512da4aa6e2a205ed77f93e2f6256e635a9a8377bc0c57ac04457a3c080cbf","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/3AVIPHZFMFHBFLK37MUXHMPN7Q.JPG?auth=fb512da4aa6e2a205ed77f93e2f6256e635a9a8377bc0c57ac04457a3c080cbf&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"436033_wall_06_spmayordebate.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[]},"created_date":"2026-06-10T02:43:59Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-10T02:51:28Z","slug":"436033_wall_06_spmayordebate","height":870},{"_id":"XIBNI4HDGBGGLNEFB4KQMLDB4U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"A moderator asked Gabbard why voters should expect a different outcome for her as she <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/05/05/st-petersburg-mayor-election-brandi-gabbard-welch/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/05/05/st-petersburg-mayor-election-brandi-gabbard-welch/\">“consistently” voted in alignment with Welch</a>. Gabbard said what she saw after the 2024 storms changed her mind."},{"_id":"WAYTAGIMRRHDJDUMRGXXAQVG3Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I think that we need to get back on track,” she said. “We need somebody who is going to lead this city from a place of accountability and transparency, and I believe that I have the record to show and the business experience to show that I am the right person in this moment.”"},{"_id":"5BSPTU4XYJANBCQ5G777BU4VUM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Gabbard said she was proud to be known as the “Dump Duke” candidate in favor of the <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/06/04/duke-energy-florida-dump-vote-floyd-electric-bill/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/06/04/duke-energy-florida-dump-vote-floyd-electric-bill/\">council’s recent vote to move forward looking into severing ties with Duke Energy</a> and setting up a city-owned power utility."},{"_id":"PK2KYH7KYRGFHP5UPSKV4K4I3Y","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Welch, who worked for Florida Power, a predecessor to Duke, said he was “all for getting the numbers” on what it would take to acquire Duke’s assets, which could cost over a billion dollars. His administration, however, said it did not have a position on the feasibility study when asked Thursday by City Council chairperson Lisset Hanewicz."},{"_id":"MGHHLEJEXZG6LL2WXBNL6H3AMQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Batdorf received boos from the crowd to his response to a question about St. Petersburg Police Chief Tony Holloway signing an agreement that his department would work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"copyright":"Tampa Bay Times","address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"99599916ddf04e74d42509d3e4034c50b2d1e05cb842b400fdde4094ed1a50ac"},"caption":"Two-term St. Petersburg city council member and candidate for mayor Brandi Gabbard is seen during the debate.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/QNGP4MHIIJGQVMOYSAPSHV24FU.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Hannah Walls","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":1168,"_id":"QNGP4MHIIJGQVMOYSAPSHV24FU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/QNGP4MHIIJGQVMOYSAPSHV24FU.JPG?auth=99599916ddf04e74d42509d3e4034c50b2d1e05cb842b400fdde4094ed1a50ac","iptc_source":"Tampa Bay Times","iptc_job_identifier":"600753436","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/QNGP4MHIIJGQVMOYSAPSHV24FU.JPG?auth=99599916ddf04e74d42509d3e4034c50b2d1e05cb842b400fdde4094ed1a50ac","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-09T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/QNGP4MHIIJGQVMOYSAPSHV24FU.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/QNGP4MHIIJGQVMOYSAPSHV24FU.JPG?auth=99599916ddf04e74d42509d3e4034c50b2d1e05cb842b400fdde4094ed1a50ac","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/QNGP4MHIIJGQVMOYSAPSHV24FU.JPG?auth=99599916ddf04e74d42509d3e4034c50b2d1e05cb842b400fdde4094ed1a50ac&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"436033_wall_03_spmayordebate.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Staff Photographer"},"created_date":"2026-06-10T02:43:43Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-10T02:51:28Z","slug":"436033_wall_02_spmayordebate","height":831},{"_id":"2LD3NMZTFRCJJJB42IPTQK2UMM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I believe that our Police Department needs to provide safety for all of our residents,” Batdorf said, “and if that means helping with taking criminals out of our city, then they have to do their job.”"},{"_id":"EZOF5UR44JAAJK6E4XYZNQ33PQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"All candidates were asked to share a professional or leadership decision that was a mistake in hindsight. Only Welch gave a relevant answer: His decision to dole out $250,000 in bonuses to 17 top city officials for their work on the Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal."},{"_id":"2THQ4VDMVFG7BKAYK7U6IWAGQE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The bonuses ended up being ruled <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/08/22/mistake-bonuses-st-petersburg-employees-violated-law-city-says/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/08/22/mistake-bonuses-st-petersburg-employees-violated-law-city-says/\">illegal and had to be returned</a>. And the Rays ended up <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2025/03/20/how-rays-stadium-deal-fell-apart-sternberg-welch-timeline/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2025/03/20/how-rays-stadium-deal-fell-apart-sternberg-welch-timeline/\">backing out of approved agreements</a>."},{"_id":"MOLDR2S4H5D3XAGNDS2EHYYK7M","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“These folks put their heart and soul into a deal that was going to bring us $6.5 billion of economic input, jobs, housing, office, all those things that we’ve been working for for 40 years. If they were in the private sector, they would have been compensated with bonuses without a thought,” Welch said. “I should have waited until that was executed and the dirt was turned. I didn’t do that.”"},{"_id":"YHKEZXB2OBEINE6PHEX75J6VHU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large, also running for mayor, said he didn’t participate in the debate because of negative comments repeated on social media by Esther Sanni, president of the local NAACP branch, after he announced his candidacy. Large said he will participate in other debates."},{"_id":"4ILR3V42OFDXLJGIS6EHBVDIKA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Sanni said she did not make any recent comments, but Large pointed to comments she wrote on Creative Loafing Tampa’s Facebook page under a story about his candidacy. Back in 2023, she <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2023/08/10/st-petersburg-naacp-wants-fire-chief-out-firefighters-defend-him/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2023/08/10/st-petersburg-naacp-wants-fire-chief-out-firefighters-defend-him/\">called for him to be fired</a> following accusations that he made sexist, racist and homophobic remarks while serving as chief."},{"_id":"N46EGFIE4ZAWLGONWAEPPP4XYY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It speaks to who he is,” Sanni said, “if you want to run for mayor and be mayor of a city and you can’t put past relationships aside and show up for the community.”"},{"_id":"BM3OO2XRMZEGZGODESMSTAAJZI","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"center","type":"text","content":"<b>• • •</b>"},{"level":2,"_id":"MTKKNAEE6NFIRGKT3XMXN5NMDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage"},{"_id":"YCDQ2FAYFZA3BBZYFTAMLZOYBI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Congressional midterms:</b> <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/02/12/hakeem-jeffries-democrats-house-control-congress/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Can Democrats retake the US House? It could depend on Florida</a>"},{"_id":"HSDHM3Q2ZNC4HBHVN6ZR6F75HQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Voter issues: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/03/28/byron-donalds-james-fishback-iran-affordability-jeffrey-epstein/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">These 4 issues make Florida’s midterms a tougher slog for Republicans</a>"},{"_id":"37CLFNDETFG2NFRA46K7SVGVBU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Race for the Governor’s Mansion: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/01/21/governor-2026-donalds-collins-renner-fishback-desantis-endorsement-demings-jolly/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Is the Florida governor’s race set?</a>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"His challengers harped on hurricane preparedness and response, transparency and leadership."},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news/florida-politics/elections","parent_id":"/news/florida-politics","name":"Elections","description":"Elections","_id":"/news/florida-politics/elections","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news/florida-politics"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/florida-politics/elections"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Required reading for Floridians","newsletter_image":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MQKT3QD2BNEJVOCA4EFB42WHQU.JPG","newsletter_subheadline":"Subscribe to our free Florida in Focus newsletter","newsletter_id":"46","newsletter_blurb":"Get the biggest stories happening across the state every 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provide students with an extraordinary opportunity to learn from one of Florida’s most respected legal and public leaders,” New College President Richard Corcoran said in a statement."},{"_id":"LIOROT3Y5JDLPL6JYIG4PH3JAQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Rouson is <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/03/16/legislature-tampa-petersburg-rouson-house-senate-race/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/03/16/legislature-tampa-petersburg-rouson-house-senate-race/\">leaving office this year</a> because of term limits after serving 18 years in the House and Senate. He was head of the St. Petersburg NAACP for five years before that."},{"_id":"AWDYJTM4SZDLBFZPIUXY2S7K2I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I’ve given the public 23 years,” he told the Times/Herald. “I think I’ve done some good work within my areas of passion, and I’m excited for the next chapter.”"},{"_id":"KRUBIONLWJFDFJAXQGOLO65I7M","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Rouson, 70, said he was going to teach two classes each in the fall and spring semesters and an independent study in January. He said he was expecting about $100,000 in total for the work."},{"_id":"WLKCHKIRCZEVNIXDHEO5RQ7X34","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We’re still working out the fine details,” he said."},{"_id":"GHS4QPV63NFR5NGYBFXEC5CNUI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Rouson, a former prosecutor and trial lawyer, said leaving the Legislature will allow him more time to practice. He said he joined the Tampa Bay injury law firm Emerson Straw this year. He also plans to finish a book about his addiction and recovery from drugs and alcohol this year, he said."},{"_id":"YKTE77GM6VAXVIGO2NLMHHAHSU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The New College job came together after he ran into Corcoran at <a href=\"https://www.ncf.edu/news/new-college-of-florida-dedicates-lincoln-diaz-balart-freedom-park-to-honor-his-legacy-of-leadership-and-liberty/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ncf.edu/news/new-college-of-florida-dedicates-lincoln-diaz-balart-freedom-park-to-honor-his-legacy-of-leadership-and-liberty/\">an event</a> at the school in November, Rouson said. Corcoran was a Republican House speaker when Rouson, a Democrat, was in the chamber. In 2017, Corcoran appointed him to the Florida Constitution Revision Commission."},{"_id":"AXBMOZIC4FF3ZNLKUC2QULMCDY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"With the new job, Rouson will not be seeking another run for his old House seat, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/03/16/legislature-tampa-petersburg-rouson-house-senate-race/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/03/16/legislature-tampa-petersburg-rouson-house-senate-race/\">which he was considering</a> this year. Rep. Michele Rayner, a St. Petersburg Democrat, and House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa are running to replace him in the Senate. He said he had not decided who he would endorse."},{"_id":"AJ6VHPMIHFGWPFW7VRGKKT5EP4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It’s still early, and each has their strengths,” he said. “I’m probably going to do something, but just not yet. 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Rouson taking job at New College of Florida","table":""},"created_date":"2026-06-09T20:54:13.829Z","publish_date":"2026-06-09T22:07:42.856Z","_id":"UUPIF26S7ZBIRFKE5C4YN4G6B4","website":"tbt","website_url":"/news/florida-politics/2026/06/09/new-college-florida-rouson-legislature-corcoran-petersburg/"},{"content_elements":[{"_id":"IFD4DUOOZVEQTLXKO5ENMUYRKA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Hillsborough voters will soon decide whether to restructure the board that represents their county — one of the largest in the state. "},{"_id":"HYJXDJHM2JAING3HEJCBOMRHLI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"This week, Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/03/13/hillsborough-county-commissioners-florida-politics-desantis-election/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/03/13/hillsborough-county-commissioners-florida-politics-desantis-election/\">signed a bill</a> that proposes adding two seats to the seven-member Hillsborough County Commission and drawing new district borders. The decision will go to voters as a ballot referendum in November, when four commissioners are up for<b> </b>election. "},{"_id":"PBLAQIW6XFHRDOR7OXXW7C2TT4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"If approved, the changes would mark the first time the board has added representatives in more than four decades despite swift population growth. "},{"_id":"5AG6RLLZQJDXTBU7LANTSWFWKI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The bill, HB 4029, was first introduced in December by Republican representatives Michael Owen and Susan Valdés. It proposes expanding the commission from seven members to nine, and includes a clause that would grow the board to 11 seats if Hillsborough’s population reaches 2.5 million people. "},{"_id":"OQYSXUJKWBDVLLVA3TYG452UWI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The bill would also turn the board’s three countywide seats into single-member districts representing specific parts of the county. That means individual voters would pick one commissioner on election day as opposed to four — a majority —<b> </b>they can vote for under the current structure. "},{"_id":"4IUVKNT7LJDSVOACIQMHN4OFWA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Proponents say the bill will mean stronger representation for residents, as each commissioner would serve fewer constituents. Opponents, meanwhile, worry it could make the commission more provincial. "},{"_id":"ABXBNCO5LZBNPGLDCPS7EK73PA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Hillsborough’s sitting commissioners have mixed opinions on the proposed changes. "},{"_id":"FP4BOQPN4RECXOMUEOVUQVUIVI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Commissioner Chris Boles <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/03/03/should-hillsborough-redistrict-add-commissioners/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/03/03/should-hillsborough-redistrict-add-commissioners/\">told the Tampa Bay Times earlier this year</a> that the county’s charter — the governing document that the bill would amend — has “outgrown itself.” Commissioner Joshua Wostal agreed, and said that increasing the number of single-member districts would, in turn, increase accessibility and accountability. "},{"_id":"SFCZJQAEFBH6FNADD5Q43O5KLM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Commissioner Harry Cohen, meanwhile, said earlier this year, “I think there’s a place for countywide decision makers.” Cohen, a single-member district commissioner representing many of the county’s coastal communities, said he was not opposed to expanding the commission. "},{"_id":"VQBE33WTMFDW3EOHUCISSVUKP4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"J. Edwin Benton, a professor of political science and public administration at the University of South Florida, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/03/03/should-hillsborough-redistrict-add-commissioners/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/03/03/should-hillsborough-redistrict-add-commissioners/\">previously told the Tampa Bay Times</a> that he sees the need for an expanded board, as the county has seen significant population growth in recent decades. "},{"_id":"ZTMJVTBUIBD5TIW6T6ZE3GWHBM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But, he said, eliminating countywide seats could create “a game of competition between districts.” "},{"_id":"RYTVLN53JZF2NINOS5D6IZXWM4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The person who is elected at-large can afford to take a wider perspective and consider the entire county,” he told the Times. “If you make all the districts single-member, members of the commission will not necessarily take a countywide look.”"},{"_id":"GUQ6EAQVDRH2XM5Q7M3V2XJHXE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Also this week, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/06/09/hillsborough-schools-superintendents-job-will-go-ballot-this-fall/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/06/09/hillsborough-schools-superintendents-job-will-go-ballot-this-fall/\">DeSantis approved a bill</a> introduced by Owen that would switch the Hillsborough County’s schools superintendent from an appointed to an elected position. The measure will be added to the ballot and decided by voters this fall. "}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Voters will decide in November whether to redistrict and add commissioners to the board.  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"},{"_id":"UDWUIPHLQZCDHFE4TQ4RPI3M24","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We have seen both a decline in general inquiries and a decrease in the number of families moving forward in the adoption process,” Chief Executive Officer Terri Balliet wrote recently in an email to the Tampa Bay Times. She estimated about a 15% drop in potential adoptions since the law went into effect. "},{"_id":"2NND3QT2U5C53CNEUBAVYI2BDY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Historically, Balliet wrote, photos have been one of the best ways to recruit adoptive families. The images inspired an emotional connection."},{"_id":"ZUFWQMLC4ZG2HCKTNWJSITFE2A","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Brigette Schupay, who runs the <a href=\"https://adopthoaa.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Heart of Adoptions Alliance</a> and works with Heart Galleries throughout Florida, said inquiries to her offices have plummeted since the law went into effect."},{"_id":"K5SKP22H2JFYZDTELH5J3PHRZY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“At first,” she said, “we thought our website was broken.”"},{"_id":"EF7OPX3SCZDCTMVHX5Q6DY67CA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In 2023, her agency averaged 15 inquiries every month. So far this year, she said, they have only gotten 55."},{"_id":"34V533KHYJDCHFTRBD76WDMZLA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It’s shocking,” Schupay said. “I’ve seen so many kids get adopted into wonderful homes because their portraits were in the Heart Gallery, because of mall displays. Pictures make all the difference.”"},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"a5d556314b07f05e2dd5ab3044d4e2141de531c0021a0148c02db2f239167e86"},"caption":"Amanda is 10. She's caring and lively. She runs track, enjoys dancing, playing dress-up and singing to Disney movies. She made this “Heart Art” collage of things that make her happy: rainbows and unicorns. She is one of dozens of kids available for adoption through the Heart Gallery of Pinellas & Pasco.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Handouts","edit_url":"","source_type":"handout","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"4d6faf50-1a35-4bda-b3c5-1ecf3e31e917"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/NQM3HPIOWVCXZD77IFRVW6D44Y.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Courtesy of Heart Gallery of Pin","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":1080,"_id":"NQM3HPIOWVCXZD77IFRVW6D44Y","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/NQM3HPIOWVCXZD77IFRVW6D44Y.JPG?auth=a5d556314b07f05e2dd5ab3044d4e2141de531c0021a0148c02db2f239167e86","iptc_job_identifier":"600753024","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/NQM3HPIOWVCXZD77IFRVW6D44Y.JPG?auth=a5d556314b07f05e2dd5ab3044d4e2141de531c0021a0148c02db2f239167e86","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/NQM3HPIOWVCXZD77IFRVW6D44Y.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/NQM3HPIOWVCXZD77IFRVW6D44Y.JPG?auth=a5d556314b07f05e2dd5ab3044d4e2141de531c0021a0148c02db2f239167e86","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/NQM3HPIOWVCXZD77IFRVW6D44Y.JPG?auth=a5d556314b07f05e2dd5ab3044d4e2141de531c0021a0148c02db2f239167e86&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"xxxxxx_HO_5_fosterkidphotos copy.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Handout"},"created_date":"2026-06-08T14:23:55Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-09T20:06:39Z","slug":"xxxxxx_HO_fosterkidphotos","height":1350},{"_id":"4EZK7YPMU5FI7AO2CRWO4BF4G4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Former foster kids requested the restrictions on sharing their photos, said James Minter, director of advocacy for the <a href=\"https://selflesslovefoundation.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Selfless Love Foundation</a>. A national nonprofit dedicated to improving the child welfare system, the organization’s Jupiter office helped spearhead the legislation. "},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"dd88d45a963a673496549b912fdbd54362e31853872ddf9986b297f4d5a51279"},"caption":"James Minter is the director of advocacy for the Selfless Love Foundation. ","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Handouts","edit_url":"","source_type":"handout","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"4d6faf50-1a35-4bda-b3c5-1ecf3e31e917"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/X35IXMZEONDYLA4HISPBVD2XRI.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Courtesy of Heart Gallery of Tam","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":640,"_id":"X35IXMZEONDYLA4HISPBVD2XRI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/X35IXMZEONDYLA4HISPBVD2XRI.JPG?auth=dd88d45a963a673496549b912fdbd54362e31853872ddf9986b297f4d5a51279","iptc_job_identifier":"600753029","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/X35IXMZEONDYLA4HISPBVD2XRI.JPG?auth=dd88d45a963a673496549b912fdbd54362e31853872ddf9986b297f4d5a51279","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/X35IXMZEONDYLA4HISPBVD2XRI.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/X35IXMZEONDYLA4HISPBVD2XRI.JPG?auth=dd88d45a963a673496549b912fdbd54362e31853872ddf9986b297f4d5a51279","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/X35IXMZEONDYLA4HISPBVD2XRI.JPG?auth=dd88d45a963a673496549b912fdbd54362e31853872ddf9986b297f4d5a51279&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"xxxxxx_HO_9_fosterkidphotos.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Handout"},"created_date":"2026-06-08T14:34:40Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-09T20:06:39Z","alignment":"left","slug":"xxxxxx_HO_9_fosterkidphotos","height":960},{"_id":"QAHRHEC3BVDVJBFLTM5GRFG2ZU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"At a <a href=\"https://flchildren.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Florida Coalition for Children</a> conference in 2022, Minter said, former foster youth were asked: What should change in the system? "},{"_id":"NMHA7U36O5A6PAPUQ5R35MTEC4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Some had been adopted. Many had aged out without finding families. "},{"_id":"BNIWGQPL3NDBVIV5XQ57IBZDZY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Most said their top priority was to “close the pet shop.”"},{"_id":"FRFD4ORTBZDY3KMC3FSB5U5XLE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“They wanted control over their privacy,” Minter said. “They didn’t want their pictures and personal information plastered all over everywhere, for anyone to see.”"},{"_id":"RUEQSFJJSNGGDMZQHRIQN2D5I4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"One young woman said after classmates saw her photo on an adoption site, they bullied her. Others complained that even after they had aged out of foster care, their photos remained online."},{"_id":"YWCWAIP4TJDAFJ6LM3RBPMIOO4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The digital footprint is out there forever,” Minter said. "},{"_id":"HWZZAW2N5FBVXHJP6MILVWCDME","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Minter’s organization reached out to Republican state Rep. Dana Trabulsy to sponsor a bill in the House."},{"_id":"5WVCCRIODRGNTNIHNHFT3QJMX4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"It passed unanimously in both chambers."},{"_id":"776CT2ASIFBFDJ2WXEXIG4GZMA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Trabulsy didn’t return requests for comment about the law."},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"0699329ce9ea483d3e177a5314fd83ad3b338fa39458358cc650cea8409ad667"},"caption":"Isaiah, 13, seems shy at first. Once he feels comfortable, his humor bubbles out. He is motivated, hard-working, good at video games. His favorite meal: Neckbone, collards and cornbread. When creating art about what matters to him, he included a cross, Bible verse and dollar sign. He said he doesn’t care what type of parents he has. He just wants a home where he’s wanted.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Handouts","edit_url":"","source_type":"handout","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"4d6faf50-1a35-4bda-b3c5-1ecf3e31e917"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/42MKSDCVQBDI3OMP2PQUCUCQDA.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Courtesy of Heart Gallery of Pin","type":"author"}]},"width":1080,"_id":"42MKSDCVQBDI3OMP2PQUCUCQDA","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/42MKSDCVQBDI3OMP2PQUCUCQDA.JPG?auth=0699329ce9ea483d3e177a5314fd83ad3b338fa39458358cc650cea8409ad667","iptc_job_identifier":"600753025","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/42MKSDCVQBDI3OMP2PQUCUCQDA.JPG?auth=0699329ce9ea483d3e177a5314fd83ad3b338fa39458358cc650cea8409ad667","takenOn":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/42MKSDCVQBDI3OMP2PQUCUCQDA.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/42MKSDCVQBDI3OMP2PQUCUCQDA.JPG?auth=0699329ce9ea483d3e177a5314fd83ad3b338fa39458358cc650cea8409ad667","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/42MKSDCVQBDI3OMP2PQUCUCQDA.JPG?auth=0699329ce9ea483d3e177a5314fd83ad3b338fa39458358cc650cea8409ad667&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"xxxxxx_HO_6_fosterkidphotos copy.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Handout"},"created_date":"2026-06-08T14:24:00Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-09T20:06:39Z","slug":"xxxxxx_HO_fosterkidphotos","height":1350},{"_id":"H2EJ7GBIHJBXJGYY5J5PSIBLJU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Adoption advocates say they understand the reasoning behind the new law — and its intent. But they worry about the unintended consequences."},{"_id":"26PLCSNKK5FM5CLBOVSZIZ53W4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“This came as a surprise for all the Heart Galleries across the state,” said Mary Kinirons, who ran the Broward County Heart Gallery. “No one was consulted.”"},{"_id":"OTETVWRN2JHZZOZIM5APUX4TPU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"She and Matthew Straeb<b>, </b>who co-founded the Heart Gallery of America in 2008<b>,</b> met with legislators and representatives from Florida’s Department of Children and Families to alert them to the possible downsides after the law passed."},{"_id":"NOXPN66PZBEDNEQA5N6TQAAC3U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"They warned about the complicated maze people would have to navigate to see faces of children they might fall in love with."},{"_id":"SYKDU3ZOFRGLBLU4YDXWCZCAHA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In the first months after the law went into effect, Kinirons said, inquiries to her Broward Heart Gallery dropped by half. In December, she dissolved the 20-year-old nonprofit<b>.</b> She worries more of Florida’s dozen Heart Galleries might close."},{"_id":"VK7PFWI2CFDP3D7W5NHNMTNVQM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Straeb has been reaching out to the more than 70 Heart Galleries across the U.S. and Canada, warning them about what’s happening in Florida. "},{"_id":"ZWYQUFWWGRCRXPEL6BUBW7542U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It’s so frustrating,” he said. “They took something that had worked for 20 years and entirely eliminated that option.”"},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"6fea48d3d299c599eac0e8663eeeec683d39b90d6f34703358079c2ec5171ecc"},"caption":"Matthew Straeb co-founded the Heart Gallery of America in 2008 to help kids in foster care find permanent families.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Handouts","edit_url":"","source_type":"handout","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"4d6faf50-1a35-4bda-b3c5-1ecf3e31e917"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/CF4BO2IXY5EMPP4KEQLRJUIDYU.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Courtesy of Heart Gallery of Tam","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":900,"_id":"CF4BO2IXY5EMPP4KEQLRJUIDYU","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/CF4BO2IXY5EMPP4KEQLRJUIDYU.JPG?auth=6fea48d3d299c599eac0e8663eeeec683d39b90d6f34703358079c2ec5171ecc","iptc_job_identifier":"600753028","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/CF4BO2IXY5EMPP4KEQLRJUIDYU.JPG?auth=6fea48d3d299c599eac0e8663eeeec683d39b90d6f34703358079c2ec5171ecc","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-08T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/CF4BO2IXY5EMPP4KEQLRJUIDYU.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/CF4BO2IXY5EMPP4KEQLRJUIDYU.JPG?auth=6fea48d3d299c599eac0e8663eeeec683d39b90d6f34703358079c2ec5171ecc","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/CF4BO2IXY5EMPP4KEQLRJUIDYU.JPG?auth=6fea48d3d299c599eac0e8663eeeec683d39b90d6f34703358079c2ec5171ecc&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"xxxxxx_HO_8_fosterkidphotos.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Handout"},"created_date":"2026-06-08T14:34:36Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-09T20:06:39Z","alignment":"left","slug":"xxxxxx_HO_8_fosterkidphotos","height":1356},{"_id":"IZSPTAPYV5HVTOTN77WTM4ESWA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Some states, like Idaho, have cancelled their contracts for producing <a href=\"https://wednesdayschild.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Wednesday’s Child</a> TV segments promoting adoptable kids. Others are considering requiring agencies to substitute foster kids’ portraits with generic stock photos<b> — </b>or pictures generated by AI."},{"_id":"VW3DJMY3LNCONHYJS56H5YOJUQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Heart Gallery kids are often older, disabled or part of sibling groups, who are difficult to find families for<b>, </b>Straeb said."},{"_id":"2UUDNM6WLVAE5ODQIYRCVT55WE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Connie Going, who helped start the Pinellas Heart Gallery, now runs <a href=\"https://goingfamilies.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Going Adoption Agency</a>. "},{"_id":"TQ65FF6FDZEPPARSM5TDLR2ILA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Going and other adoption experts help families sign up for classes, schedule home studies and get approved to go behind the locked website to, ultimately, see children. They find grants to offset educational and adoption costs. Foster children often can be adopted for $500 or less, Going said. Private adoptions can cost up to $30,000."},{"_id":"HIPS7HYCUBDT5FZGRI5MN6BN7E","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Even after the state approves people to proceed with the adoption process, Going said, they still hit roadblocks."},{"_id":"JIYDZUPG55H5HO5N5HV5V2L3JU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Each Heart Gallery vets its own potential parents, so if you want to look at kids throughout Florida, you have to apply to a dozen different agencies. Home studies are only valid for a year, so if it takes longer than that to match with a child, you have to start over."},{"_id":"ZQIIDD5SYJCXBGUXBIL4AJOMAA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“People are giving up,” Going said. “Or going to other states.”"},{"copyright":"Tampa Bay Times","syndication":{"search":true,"external_distribution":true},"auth":{"1":"9e56d696e24ef3fae7c88ff9429c1b024e8997e464bf58303bf2c0dda9fc662c"},"vanity_credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD","type":"author"}]},"caption":"Connie Going, left, and her adopted son, Davion Only-Going visit at the home in April 2025. Going had known Davion while he was in foster care and now runs an adoption agency.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","licensable":true,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Douglas R. Clifford","type":"author","byline":"Douglas R. Clifford"}]},"creditIPTC":"Times","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/LYRFPPH6TRHQBPUXHWC4LJAUSI.JPG?auth=9e56d696e24ef3fae7c88ff9429c1b024e8997e464bf58303bf2c0dda9fc662c","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/LYRFPPH6TRHQBPUXHWC4LJAUSI.JPG?auth=9e56d696e24ef3fae7c88ff9429c1b024e8997e464bf58303bf2c0dda9fc662c","link":"","takenOn":"2025-04-09T20:27:34Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/LYRFPPH6TRHQBPUXHWC4LJAUSI.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/LYRFPPH6TRHQBPUXHWC4LJAUSI.JPG?auth=9e56d696e24ef3fae7c88ff9429c1b024e8997e464bf58303bf2c0dda9fc662c","ingestionMethod":"manual","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/LYRFPPH6TRHQBPUXHWC4LJAUSI.JPG?auth=9e56d696e24ef3fae7c88ff9429c1b024e8997e464bf58303bf2c0dda9fc662c&width=300","version":1,"usage_instructions":"licensing partner Zuma Press, licensing@zumapress.com or www.ZUMApress.com","originalName":"434331_CLIF_1_davion.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"template_id":465,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Staff Photographer"},"last_updated_date":"2025-04-22T20:49:31Z","slug":"434331_CLIF_1_davion","height":2000,"image_type":"photograph","owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"tbt"},"address":{"locality":"ST. PETERSBURG","region":"FL"},"distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/LYRFPPH6TRHQBPUXHWC4LJAUSI.JPG","subtitle":"","width":3000,"_id":"LYRFPPH6TRHQBPUXHWC4LJAUSI","created_date":"2025-04-09T20:57:20Z"},{"_id":"U7EH3HO2B5CIZPOCJUJDBL3IBY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"On the national site <a href=\"https://adoptuskids.org/_app/child/searchpResults.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">AdoptUSKids</a>, anyone can see portraits of foster children from states like Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana and read their bios. When you search for children in Florida, you see only their first names in big blue letters, adorned with images of bows and basketballs. "},{"_id":"AQ2ECBKWN5DVZJZ6FMXGIRBFFM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"On Florida’s <a href=\"https://adoptionexchange.myflfamilies.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Explore Adoption</a> site, the public can’t see anything. The “Child Search” tab leads you to login with an approved account. "},{"_id":"YSP7D4JVIJCRNEMXJOGQME4YSI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"If you are approved to see the kids’ portraits, the advocates said, many don’t match their brief bios. A boy who looks 6 is now listed as 16. “They’re supposed to update the photos every six months,” Going said. "},{"_id":"IXZWD45HGVDQPNTWEBWT2GPC5Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The state Department of Children and Families tracks adoptions by fiscal year. In 2023-24, its annual report said 3,936 children were adopted from Florida. In 2024-25 — the most recent data – 3,671 kids were adopted. That’s a 6.7% drop in the first year since the prohibition went into effect."},{"_id":"U7C4TO6T65GVVEDEQGZ3VBVZOM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"It’s too early, many adoption advocates said, to ascertain the law’s long-term effects."},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"e56771cfdae2ea64c49952ec08be52d08798ee9cc4a2cb283ea16df72daea051"},"vanity_credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Heart Gallery of Tampa","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Daniel Wallace   ","type":"author"}]},"caption":"This child, whose identity the state has withheld, needs a family who will appreciate her fiery spirit, care about her dreams, “make sure she never questions where she belongs,” her bio says. She’s one of dozens of children available for adoption through the Heart Gallery of Tampa.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Handouts","edit_url":"","source_type":"handout","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"4d6faf50-1a35-4bda-b3c5-1ecf3e31e917"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/CR7CRZ7W4ZDPPADXVNBHUHWGCQ.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Photo by Daniel Wallace","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":2048,"_id":"CR7CRZ7W4ZDPPADXVNBHUHWGCQ","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/CR7CRZ7W4ZDPPADXVNBHUHWGCQ.JPG?auth=e56771cfdae2ea64c49952ec08be52d08798ee9cc4a2cb283ea16df72daea051","iptc_job_identifier":"600753023","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/CR7CRZ7W4ZDPPADXVNBHUHWGCQ.JPG?auth=e56771cfdae2ea64c49952ec08be52d08798ee9cc4a2cb283ea16df72daea051","link":"","takenOn":"2019-02-22T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/CR7CRZ7W4ZDPPADXVNBHUHWGCQ.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/CR7CRZ7W4ZDPPADXVNBHUHWGCQ.JPG?auth=e56771cfdae2ea64c49952ec08be52d08798ee9cc4a2cb283ea16df72daea051","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/CR7CRZ7W4ZDPPADXVNBHUHWGCQ.JPG?auth=e56771cfdae2ea64c49952ec08be52d08798ee9cc4a2cb283ea16df72daea051&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"xxxxxx_HO_4_fosterkidphotos copy.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Handout"},"created_date":"2026-06-08T14:23:51Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-09T20:06:39Z","slug":"xxxxxx_HO_fosterkidphotos","height":1556},{"_id":"AHZGYP6PPJHMJAZVWJ6UCFBC6E","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The <a href=\"https://heartgallerytampa.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Heart Gallery of Tampa</a>, the oldest in Florida, has shifted its approach due to the new law."},{"_id":"ATARULFJCNG5LBC5MNTH7XDXAI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The organization’s <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/HeartGalleryTampa/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Facebook page </a>features portraits of the back of a curly-haired child playing piano, a boy holding a basketball to obscure his face and another kid hidden behind a comic book."},{"_id":"5ORFGFASZRFANPHUASQNS7NX6I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We had to figure out a plan and pivot,” said Lindsay Hermida, who runs the nonprofit. Besides making sure foster kids’ portraits are unidentifiable, staff now show success stories, photos of children who have been adopted. They have added more training and support for prospective parents. They hired a recruiter to reach out to people with approved home studies."},{"_id":"MUKN3QKZ5JAVRKV2VNPTBGAUFI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We’ve really evolved in how we operate,” Hermida said. “So we haven’t seen much of an impact from this new law. Yet.”"},{"_id":"W2TMOTB6VBGMHFPW4A3H5QZHYM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"RoseMarie Richardson, program director of the <a href=\"https://gulfcoastjfcs.org/heart-gallery-kids/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Heart Gallery of Pinellas &amp; Pasco</a>, also switched course. Her staff started having kids create “Heart Art,” drawings, paintings and collages that represent who they are or what they want. An artist from <a href=\"https://floridacraftart.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Florida CraftArt</a>, who grew up in foster care, helps the children use an array of mediums to tell their stories. One girl used pipe cleaners to build a bed. She’d never had a new one."},{"_id":"4VLXAA36GBAZLE345ZYDDM5MC4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"When the law went into effect, “initially, we saw a decline in inquiries,” said Richardson, whose group oversees 140 children. But now that the kids’ art is on the website, and in libraries, churches and galleries across the counties, interest has rebounded to earlier levels."},{"_id":"OFK3COEYPJHSFLTNIQ3OWFBWYY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Their art, she said, “is what’s tugging at people’s heartstrings now.” "},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"address":{"region":"FL"},"auth":{"1":"fa5a3b4ba80b47af7970eaa2493b302e357998961966df403ab89474926e3073"},"caption":"After a 2024 law prohibited foster kids’ portraits from being shared with the public, the Heart Gallery of Tampa started using photos that don’t identify them. 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Many didn’t have photos of themselves and loved getting dressed up. Older children always got to help choose which pictures went online or were hung in malls."},{"_id":"B2UAOSBLGVDSFE5KU3NTX7VJAI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“It made them feel seen,” Straeb said. “It gave them agency, the chance to market themselves.”"},{"_id":"IHY254JFHFHBBLDRZHDPGO2O5I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The new legislation doesn’t allow kids to “opt in” and let their photos be used. But some foster youth are talking about ultimately adding that provision, Minter said, and they can still choose to put images on their own social media."},{"_id":"E6J3WPFMIFG7TBHI3AXVTLXZTU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Tonya Ruble-Richter, president of <a href=\"https://ever-forward.org/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">EverForward</a>, runs three group homes across Tampa Bay. The new law “sounds like a good idea,” she said. “But when you look at the effects, it’s really gray.”"},{"_id":"JBERHLZE4FF5XKGZXL6GYBR7PQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Of course, foster kids should have a right to privacy, she said. “But the bigger goal is to get them somewhere safe permanently. In the hierarchy of needs, what’s more important?”"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Two years after the state banned public photos of foster kids, adoption advocates try to balance publicity with privacy."},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/news/florida","parent_id":"/news","name":"Florida","description":"Latest Florida news from the Associated Press.","_id":"/news/florida","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/florida"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Required reading for Floridians","newsletter_image":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MQKT3QD2BNEJVOCA4EFB42WHQU.JPG","newsletter_subheadline":"Subscribe to our free Florida in Focus newsletter","newsletter_id":"46","newsletter_blurb":"Get the biggest stories happening across the state every Wednesday."},"site":{"site_url":"/news/florida/","site_keywords":"Latest Florida news from the Associated Press.","site_description":"Latest Florida news from the Associated Press.","site_title":"Florida"},"inactive":false,"site_topper":{"site_logo_image":null},"name":"Florida","_id":"/news/florida","advertising":{"adbridg_kvp":{"News":"Florida"}},"ancestors":{"default":["/news"]},"order":{"default":2012}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},"sites":[{"path":"/news/florida","parent_id":"/news","name":"Florida","description":"Latest Florida news from the Associated Press.","_id":"/news/florida","additional_properties":{"original":{"promo":{"house_promo_link":null,"house_promo_disable":"false","house_promo_image":null},"parent":{"default":"/news"},"_admin":{"alias_ids":["/news/florida"]},"newsletters":{"newsletter_article":"true","newsletter_section_front":"true","newsletter_headline":"Required reading for Floridians","newsletter_image":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/MQKT3QD2BNEJVOCA4EFB42WHQU.JPG","newsletter_subheadline":"Subscribe to our free Florida in Focus newsletter","newsletter_id":"46","newsletter_blurb":"Get the biggest stories happening across the state every Wednesday."},"site":{"site_url":"/news/florida/","site_keywords":"Latest Florida news from the Associated Press.","site_description":"Latest Florida news from the Associated Press.","site_title":"Florida"},"inactive":false,"site_topper":{"site_logo_image":null},"name":"Florida","_id":"/news/florida","advertising":{"adbridg_kvp":{"News":"Florida"}},"ancestors":{"default":["/news"]},"order":{"default":2012}}},"type":"site","version":"0.5.8"},{"path":"/culture/kids-family","parent_id":"/culture","name":"Kids & Family","description":"Scope out fun things to do with kids, family-friendly events and children's events close to home and throughout Tampa Bay. 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"},{"_id":"53WUWIRI7NHFTD3NASJHJX6FFI","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"In a <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2026/06/02/tampa-sports-authority-raymond-james-stadium-rays-ballpark/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2026/06/02/tampa-sports-authority-raymond-james-stadium-rays-ballpark/\">letter sent last Friday to County Commission Chair Ken Hagan</a>, Patrick Manteiga, the Sports Authority’s chairperson, noted that Raymond James will soon need public funding that could rival the Rays’ near billion-dollar public request."},{"_id":"OIDNTHUAZRDXHBALXOHJNEKDTE","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"The Sports Authority, Manteiga wrote, previously provided Hillsborough with “a projected need of over $500 million in capital repairs” for Raymond James “just to maintain the facility in its current condition,” not renovate or improve it. "},{"_id":"X6OII3OEWVDRBCEI6DH657RI74","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Last month, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2026/05/26/raymond-james-stadium-renovations-tampa-bay-buccaneers/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/bucs/2026/05/26/raymond-james-stadium-renovations-tampa-bay-buccaneers/\">the Tampa Bay Times reported</a> the Bucs are seeking a $1 billion renovation to Raymond James and have floated paying one-third of the cost, while the public covers the other two-thirds. The Bucs’ deadline to renew and extend the term of their lease, according to Sports Authority documents, is on or before Jan. 31, 2027."},{"_id":"IZ5KKO5PUJDD3JSRWIEMPG2G7Y","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“It is in all of our best interests to ensure that (Raymond James Stadium) remains a world-class venue, and we continue to meet all the NFL standards identified within our use agreement,” Manteiga wrote."},{"_id":"ML6FQAGBUNERBHQNOFQBPCDXNE","type":"raw_html","content":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.documentcloud.org/documents/28220506-2026-06-05-letter-to-county/?embed=1\" width=\"612\" height=\"792\" style=\"border: 1px solid #D8DEE2; border-radius: 0.5rem; width: 100%; height: 100%; aspect-ratio: 612 / 792\" allow=\"fullscreen\"></iframe>"},{"_id":"RLRJSZC4ZZCQJORCRJG3N4QEMI","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Manteiga’s message is the result of a <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2026/06/02/tampa-sports-authority-raymond-james-stadium-rays-ballpark/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/2026/06/02/tampa-sports-authority-raymond-james-stadium-rays-ballpark/\">Sports Authority vote last Tuesday</a> to send letters to the Hillsborough County Commission and Tampa City Council specifying that allocating public funds for Raymond James should take precedence over funding for the Rays."},{"_id":"DAW77CGIFZGKPHVHMBBCY6HEHM","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“I think that we should let the county know that we’re greatly concerned,” board member Tony Muniz, who made the motion for the letter, said last week. “There’s only so (many) dollars that we have out there, and that we need to take care of our current tenants.”"},{"_id":"FDPZEWW5RZDQFCDXTFPPPPUUCE","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Muniz and Manteiga, as well as board members Andy Scaglione and C. Dennis Carlton Jr., are the four county appointees serving on the 11-member Sports Authority board. "},{"_id":"4IU6GM3XQBCB7CYCJXCDQ27O6E","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Last week, they seemed to draw the ire of Commissioner Christine Miller, who <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/06/03/rays-stadium-hillsborough-tampa-sports-authority/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2026/06/03/rays-stadium-hillsborough-tampa-sports-authority/\">asked the county attorney’s office to advise the board</a> on how to remove a Hillsborough-appointed member of the Sports Authority."},{"_id":"46JIXDGRQVA6HFSNS6LXC5YEF4","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“Appointees take an oath to the Tampa Sports Authority, not a sports team,” Miller said in an emailed statement last week. “I wanted to know the process for the day an appointee forgets the difference. Asking how a door works isn’t the same as deciding to walk through it — but it’s good to know before you need it. My question was meant to remind everybody what the mission of the Authority should be.”"},{"owner":{"id":"tbt"},"copyright":"Tampa Bay Times,  licensing@zumapress.com","address":{"locality":"TAMPA","region":"FLORIDA"},"auth":{"1":"23a2cab195a203d6e08e3f2396baf67a7a5035f9617dc51995a26bfe7b976ca2"},"caption":"In a letter sent last Friday to County Commission Chair Ken Hagan, Patrick Manteiga, the Sports Authority’s chairperson, pictured, noted that Raymond James Stadium will soon need public funding that could rival the Rays’ near billion-dollar public request.","source":{"system":"photo center","name":"Tampa Bay Times","edit_url":"","source_type":"staff","additional_properties":{"editor":"photo center"}},"taxonomy":{"associated_tasks":[]},"type":"image","distributor":{"mode":"reference","reference_id":"d332c6a3-8c2f-4fce-9507-0fdc0e6cdd96"},"version":"0.10.9","url":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/QKHZGL6WINE3JET2WACYOUWORI.JPG","licensable":false,"credits":{"affiliation":[{"name":"Times","type":"author"}],"by":[{"name":"Douglas R. Clifford","type":"author"}]},"subtitle":"","width":5654,"_id":"QKHZGL6WINE3JET2WACYOUWORI","additional_properties":{"fullSizeResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/QKHZGL6WINE3JET2WACYOUWORI.JPG?auth=23a2cab195a203d6e08e3f2396baf67a7a5035f9617dc51995a26bfe7b976ca2","iptc_source":"www.tampabay.com, licensing@zuma","iptc_job_identifier":"600751433","proxyUrl":"/resizer/v2/QKHZGL6WINE3JET2WACYOUWORI.JPG?auth=23a2cab195a203d6e08e3f2396baf67a7a5035f9617dc51995a26bfe7b976ca2","link":"","takenOn":"2026-06-02T00:00:00Z","originalUrl":"https://cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/QKHZGL6WINE3JET2WACYOUWORI.JPG","published":true,"resizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/QKHZGL6WINE3JET2WACYOUWORI.JPG?auth=23a2cab195a203d6e08e3f2396baf67a7a5035f9617dc51995a26bfe7b976ca2","thumbnailResizeUrl":"/resizer/v2/QKHZGL6WINE3JET2WACYOUWORI.JPG?auth=23a2cab195a203d6e08e3f2396baf67a7a5035f9617dc51995a26bfe7b976ca2&width=300","version":2,"originalName":"435984_CLIF_2_SportsAuthority.JPG","mime_type":"image/jpeg","alt_text":"","restricted":false,"galleries":[],"iptc_title":"Staff Photographer"},"created_date":"2026-06-02T21:06:02Z","last_updated_date":"2026-06-09T19:09:11Z","slug":"435984_CLIF_2_SportsAuthority","height":3850},{"_id":"CRH46T6TMJDOFCZL3H63T7J7QY","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Miller was appointed to the County Commission in 2024 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is a vocal proponent of the Rays proposal and received a $250,000 donation to his presidential campaign from Patrick Zalupski, the principal owner of the Rays."},{"_id":"CECZV7XW3ZFT5LOCP3BUGP7C5M","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"Hagan, a member of the Sports Authority himself, has maintained that brokering a deal with the Rays would not in any way hinder funding for the football stadium."},{"_id":"ZSKZYOLVL5FLFIVZ3A7YUBTPSU","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"“I want to be crystal clear that this board and administration values our partnership with our sports teams, but more importantly, our commitment to them has not changed or been reduced,” <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2026/04/16/tampa-bay-rays-stadium-hillsborough-county/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2026/04/16/tampa-bay-rays-stadium-hillsborough-county/\">Hagan said at a county workshop in April</a>."},{"_id":"VGZSLNK5YBEZZKBRUBIMOFMDCM","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"left","type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/20/tampa-bay-rays-hillsborough-county-stadium-mlb-babby-hagan/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/20/tampa-bay-rays-hillsborough-county-stadium-mlb-babby-hagan/\">Hillsborough</a> and <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/21/tampa-bay-rays-tampa-city-council-stadium-vote-memorandum-of-understanding/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2026/05/21/tampa-bay-rays-tampa-city-council-stadium-vote-memorandum-of-understanding/\">Tampa</a> both approved a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with the Rays last month, which outlines a $976 million public contribution toward the cost of the stadium, with $796 million coming from the county and $180 million from the city."},{"_id":"5I6ERR6R4NEHZGUEUK5Y3SG54U","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"center","type":"text","content":"• • •"},{"_id":"PUEY3QQMNZEKJFKIEOXB6JQI74","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/newsletters/sports-today/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sign up for our Sports Today newsletter</a> to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida."},{"_id":"LBGRYVRGCNDNPG4SVFDIXWVGQM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Every weekday, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/podcasts/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/podcasts/\">tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast</a> to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports."},{"_id":"2SKCW53SF5B4JF7IPZ25OOPI24","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on <a href=\"https://twitter.com/TBTimes_Sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">X</a> and <a href=\"http://www.facebook.com/TampaBayTimesSports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook</a>."}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"The board voted last Tuesday to send letters to the Hillsborough County Commission and Tampa City Council."},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/sports/bucs","parent_id":"/sports","name":"Bucs","description":"Get the latest football news, scores and analysis for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the NFL from the Tampa Bay 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Ron DeSantis on Monday <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/06/09/elected-or-appointed-hillsborough-superintendent-job-desantis-hands/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/06/09/elected-or-appointed-hillsborough-superintendent-job-desantis-hands/\">signed HB 4027</a>, which will put the measure on the ballot for referendum this fall. "},{"_id":"VQOH4RAQ65AERBTPHG55VULOCM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The bill was introduced by state Rep. Michael Owen, R-Apollo Beach, who pitched it as a way to create more accountability and give voters a bigger say in the position. "},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"5YWV5BNHXNF7ZMG2VS5RD7NN6Y","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781022375941-tc2cklqnu","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"Bill to make Hillsborough superintendent an elected role clears Senate"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/03/11/bill-make-hillsborough-superintendent-an-elected-role-clears-senate/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"53NVVD3RMNCQXEVOCYBUQFLCW4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The move followed a year in which Hillsborough County’s superintendent, Van Ayres, <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2025/08/11/under-state-threats-hillsborough-pulls-transgender-youtubers-memoir/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2025/08/11/under-state-threats-hillsborough-pulls-transgender-youtubers-memoir/\">faced scrutiny</a> from outgoing Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas and the State Board of Education over book removals. "},{"_id":"JRGDRCLVBRFD3NDBTT75LVTBEU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The bill received widespread criticism from education leaders, who believe the bill will inject politics and outside money into the role. "},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"HTJUT6JKRBDZBPFRY5HRVX7OW4","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781023306356-4juy8awve","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"Pasco's superintendent is endorsing school board candidates. Why now?"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/06/04/pascos-superintendent-is-endorsing-school-board-candidates-why-now/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"GJ2GIN5XMFHAREH4XJHZGD5ZOQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"In March, the Hillsborough County school board extended the superintendent’s contract and expressed concerns over making the position elected. Currently, the superintendent is hired and can be fired by the school board. "},{"_id":"BUO3MHJ2JJAUVAMRRGIOP5PVLI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"At a Tiger Bay forum, all school board candidates present <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/03/20/bill-gates-book-bans-politics-hillsborough-school-board-field-weighs/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/03/20/bill-gates-book-bans-politics-hillsborough-school-board-field-weighs/\">agreed on one thing</a>: that the position should stay appointed and remain an educator instead of a politician. "},{"_id":"VNI4DPDGGNDHVKUBSFV7DB5Y2Y","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Florida is the only state other than Alabama with districts that elect superintendents. "},{"_id":"H223EUU26RHRPF2V4LESBAJRMY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Hillsborough County used to elect superintendents, but <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1994/01/10/hillsborough-educator-raymond-o-shelton/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1994/01/10/hillsborough-educator-raymond-o-shelton/\">appointed its first superintendent</a> in 1967, after its elected superintendent was convicted of <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2001/09/28/ex-coach-at-the-center-of-school-name-debate/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2001/09/28/ex-coach-at-the-center-of-school-name-debate/\">embezzlement charges</a> of using school property for personal gains. That decision was later overturned because of perjury from a district employee, but the memory left questions of what could happen if the district’s top position in charge of major contracts and hires was influenced by outside money and politics. "},{"_id":"FASTCHQWFRB7XLICON3OW4TPTE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"School board member Nadia Combs questioned why none of Florida’s other large districts, including Miami-Dade, Orange, Broward or Pinellas counties, elect their superintendents. "},{"_id":"N5HPJ2XLIBHZBGSVSG34JSJLUI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Accountability, she said, already exists in the general public’s ability to elect seven school board members who are able to fire a superintendent immediately if they do not meet expectations. "},{"_id":"FDKX2COJVRDGHGAOI2VKPYRINY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Why would you do this in the seventh largest district in the nation?” she said. “It’s not about the kids, it’s about special interests.” "},{"_id":"RSOAVJLPGFARFBM53S7KK42AZA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Board member Lynn Gray said the current superintendent’s track record speaks for itself, and she believes voters’ support of millage rates to support schools have shown support of how the district is being led."},{"_id":"CNVPS6AVXZAPNKAR5V5ZYWV444","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We’ve got higher graduation rates from Van Ayres,” she said. “We’ve got higher test scores from Van Ayres. The state rates will be released in July, and I know already those will be higher than last year. We want to keep it that way.”"},{"_id":"RNKN5PHMUFEYZJVR4GYJDN76BA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":""},{"_id":"3PERCK2ZG5CEDDTALYDJXQ25IA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<i>The Tampa Bay Times Education Hub reports on Florida’s schools and universities and the students they serve. You can contribute to the hub through our journalism fund by </i><a href=\"https://secure.tampabay.com/forms/journalismfund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://secure.tampabay.com/forms/journalismfund\"><i>clicking here</i></a><i>.</i>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"Gov. 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I joined the Times in 2016 after earning a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Is there an issue relating to education in Hillsborough County that you think people should know about? 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He distilled the debacle into a tragic thesis: “They have destroyed a rare haven for gentle nerds.”"},{"_id":"4VUQKNLIOFAZZIVERHV353RQGM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"From one gentle nerd to another, indeed. Oliver, who has called Gov. Ron DeSantis “<a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M81-GM0mTc4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">business Fred Flintstone</a>,” loves to <a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiHTjUH5X-M\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">rag on Florida</a> with good reason. Though I personally volunteer to come on the show and defend Floridians who have skin thicker than a frozen iguana in the bed of a Chevy Baja, it won’t make a difference: Our state’s comic potential flows like the Gulf of America."},{"_id":"52F7JZSWOJDWRHNVIJYZ7B7YE4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Florida is a prime target for Oliver’s free-wheeling format, which leaves room for longer, weedier takes. You try blending analysis of merit-based scholarships and genitalia jokes in a 20-second bit. You can’t!"},{"_id":"QKZ64KMHTFFQLMK7KSOUIMEZS4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"If the folks at “Last Week Tonight” enjoyed roasting New College, they’re going to adore these irresistibly corrupt stories from Florida."},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"46FZGJYEF5BGLJSN62JH5GUWGY","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1781014866342-gzb182s4h","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"John Oliver hosts late night segment on New College of Florida"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2026/06/08/john-oliver-hosts-late-night-segment-new-college-florida/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"level":2,"_id":"2R5HTCRQAVDP3ANTPH3V4KS4XA","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Environmental scandals"},{"_id":"VINXEPDZRRF35GO5FEZLI4TUHE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Floridians are feral about their love of the state’s natural splendor, so it’s a wonder why DeSantis keeps playing poker with protected lands. Take your pick of astonishing <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2025/05/17/florida-land-swap-deal-guana-desantis-lawmaker-opposition/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2025/05/17/florida-land-swap-deal-guana-desantis-lawmaker-opposition/\">stories</a>. How about the smelly $83.3 million purchase of a crappy <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2025/10/03/destin-land-purchase-desantis-norriego-guidry/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2025/10/03/destin-land-purchase-desantis-norriego-guidry/\">slice of land in Destin</a>? Or the clandestine scheme to build golf courses, hotels and pickleball courts across wild <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/topics/state-parks/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/topics/state-parks/\">state parks</a>?"},{"_id":"Y6574S2KKJDAXPHMGIQEUYVEIA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Speaking of the latter, a <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2026/02/26/gaddis-whistleblower-state-parks-florida-scandal-desantis/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">whistleblower claimed</a> he learned of the plans via, yes, a Post-It note. Furthermore, he said a supervisor made him hide evidence in a digital folder titled “DirectTV Subscription Info.” This story writes its own jokes, a Pepperidge Farm gift basket stocked full of cheese."},{"level":2,"_id":"IFH7OERNGFAV5LZBTN5VSRGSOE","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Hope Florida"},{"_id":"LCLQLWT2EBF6DLENNIU5IUWTPE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Here we have a scandal even bigger than the one involving, <i>shudder</i>, pickleball. In this melee, the administration <a href=\"https://project.tampabay.com/hope-florida/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://project.tampabay.com/hope-florida/\">diverted millions</a> of public dollars from the poor and sick to pay for lawyers, consultants and ads. The financial sleight of hand was designed to defeat amendments that would have opened access to abortion and recreational marijuana, causes DeSantis and friends didn’t like."},{"_id":"JOTPHFCPVVDNRNZFHAVAKRV5I4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"It’s a thick one. Oliver would need at least 20 minutes to delve into <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2025/04/25/hope-florida-explained-what-happened-medicaid-desantis/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2025/04/25/hope-florida-explained-what-happened-medicaid-desantis/\">the minutiae</a> of this slippery case, from the <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/04/08/desantis-casey-hope-charity-legislature-legal-welfare/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/04/08/desantis-casey-hope-charity-legislature-legal-welfare/\">nonprofit element</a> to the Casey DeSantis of it all. But imagine the TV potential of our host connecting red strings on a corkboard in the manner of a true crime sleuth living in an abandoned shed."},{"level":2,"_id":"G36UMVEVERFNNO5MGZOQD2UAXI","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"James Uthmeier"},{"_id":"NCNOY6UMO5AWRB23Z3C5PKRSIU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Last Week Tonight” could sustain a whole show with Florida’s attorney general, Billy Zane to the state’s “Titanic.”"},{"_id":"DLG5HQWENVGEJDYUXPYTOYSXRY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Uthmeier, who is running to <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/17/tampa-james-uthmeier-hope-florida-uf-trump-ice-tiger-bay-club/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/04/17/tampa-james-uthmeier-hope-florida-uf-trump-ice-tiger-bay-club/\">keep his appointed position</a>, is connected to the Hope Florida scandal. At least one Republican colleague has <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/02/19/james-uthmeier-attorney-general-desantis-hope-florida-republicans/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/02/19/james-uthmeier-attorney-general-desantis-hope-florida-republicans/\">accused him</a> of fraud and money laundering. He’s credited with <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2025/06/20/florida-attorney-general-uthmeier-suggests-immigration-detention-center-everglades/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2025/06/20/florida-attorney-general-uthmeier-suggests-immigration-detention-center-everglades/\">suggesting</a> the idea for failed Everglades detainee camp <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2026/05/15/alligator-alcatraz-closing-florida-desantis-uthmeier/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2026/05/15/alligator-alcatraz-closing-florida-desantis-uthmeier/\">Alligator Alcatraz</a>; he starred in a promotional video for it alongside metal riffs last heard on a free karaoke app."},{"_id":"6PHI72LWAZDLTLDT3FW6O7VBBU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"He loves to invite himself to proverbial parties, sending <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/02/19/james-uthmeier-attorney-general-desantis-hope-florida-republicans/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/02/19/james-uthmeier-attorney-general-desantis-hope-florida-republicans/\">threatening letters</a> all over the state invoking culture buzzwords. He waded into a routine parental rights case in which everyone was minding their own business, spinning a deeply cynical view of <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/05/08/florida-uthmeier-attorney-general-surrogacy-ivf-abortion-law/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/05/08/florida-uthmeier-attorney-general-surrogacy-ivf-abortion-law/\">surrogacy as slavery</a>. Oh, and he’s being paid $100,000 for <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2026/02/20/james-uthmeier-uf-teaching-job-pay-florida/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/viewpoints/2026/02/20/james-uthmeier-uf-teaching-job-pay-florida/\">a side job</a> teaching at the University of Florida for two hours per week. Two is not a typo. Do your worst, Oliver."},{"level":2,"_id":"5KPYWLEWSVAWDO5NDX5WAOL3TU","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Mermaids"},{"_id":"7VELTZSAHNA5XNKPITSGQLJDEA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"OK, let’s lighten up before we need cardiac intervention. Oliver should make haste to our balmy paradise and wiggle into a mermaid tail. Our reporter <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/history/2025/08/27/weeki-wachee-springs-mermaid-florida-travel-state-park/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/history/2025/08/27/weeki-wachee-springs-mermaid-florida-travel-state-park/\">did so at Weeki Wachee</a> in a feat of physics that almost ended her. But, you know, she’s fine! It’s time for the friendly Brit to butter up his lower-body and sink into more delicious Sunshine State ephemera. Florida has so much to offer a program like his."},{"level":2,"_id":"247FL3V6LFBOXAZBPWFVYX22FY","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Get Stephanie’s newsletter"},{"_id":"BDDNSVGKCNDELHI7DR5NMGUUCM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"For weekly bonus content and a look inside columns by Stephanie Hayes, sign up for the <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/newsletters/stephinitely/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">free Stephinitely newsletter</a>."}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"We have scandals for days!"},"description":{"basic":""},"source":{"system":"composer","name":"tbt","source_type":"staff"},"taxonomy":{"primary_site":{"path":"/viewpoints","parent_id":"/","name":"Viewpoints","description":"The Viewpoints channel features Tampa Bay Times newspaper editorials, letters to the editor and 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Crist, who in 2021 endorsed Welch for mayor, is now running to replace him."},{"_id":"GSNEXKBHHBCIHK6ESQFF3PQ4OA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“Black political influence is being chipped away by the Supreme Court, the redrawing of congressional districts and allies like Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Charlie,” Pritchett said. He was referring to Wasserman Schultz’s decision to run for one of Florida’s remaining majority-Black congressional districts following a recent Supreme Court decision that limits how states can use race when drawing political boundaries. "},{"_id":"ULK4ANVVHJCGRD6FRR5XGHDFWQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“We don’t know why he has chosen to return and challenge the mayor, but for a man who has built his career with the votes of Black and brown voters, it is curious and disappointing,” Pritchett said."},{"_id":"U34OZS3HXRAONO74HX2ZHCIBNU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Reached by phone Monday, Crist said he did not have a comment."},{"_id":"62U2BHJYY5F6TPNPYLFEYW7APM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Crist’s endorsements from faith leaders include Bishop Manuel Sykes; Rev. Frank Peterman Jr., who served as the state’s Department of Juvenile Justice secretary under Crist; and Rev. Basha Jordan Jr. The latter is the grandson of Elder Jordan, the formerly enslaved man who built the Manhattan Casino and once owned the land that became the Gas Plant neighborhood and later Tropicana Field."},{"_id":"VHVYMFKOYVDJDCM5Q4FIN5LMWM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"St. Petersburg’s mayoral candidates are rolling out endorsements from local faith leaders ahead of a crowded primary election Aug. 18. The St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP is hosting the first mayoral debate of the year Tuesday evening."},{"_id":"IELU2EWUIBF5LF6H4DSCCO6VI4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Welch was flanked Monday by the Rev. Louis Murphy, who is in the group working to <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2025/12/11/tangerine-plaza-grocery-store-city-council-vote/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2025/12/11/tangerine-plaza-grocery-store-city-council-vote/\">redevelop Tangerine Plaza, a city-owned strip mall that was home to the area’s only grocer</a>;  Princess Hemingway Watkins, pastor; the Rev. Clarence Williams; the Rev. Katurah Jenkins-Hall; Imam Askia Muhammad Aquil; Imam Abduls Karim Ali and Abdul-Salaam Hameed. All said they supported Welch for his mayoral run in 2021."},{"_id":"44DCPK3E6JCFPBVUGL7LOUZDWM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“I‘m grateful and thankful that he has performed as well as he has, given a 100-year hurricane that no one can plan for after two others,” Williams said. “I believe, because he has worked so hard, so diligently, and because this is a defining moment for our community, that he not only deserves a second term, he deserves our support.”"},{"_id":"SFKTCU3UBZE37DGWJYD7HUJCNQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Maria Scruggs, a past president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP, provided a list of endorsements to the Tampa Bay Times. They include Rev. Markus-Derrick White, Rev. Oscar Banks, Rev. Mike Hawkins, Rev. Darrel Davis, Rev. Bobby McDonald and Rev. Roger Stroman Jr."},{"_id":"TGYJH26B3ZEI7KSWAOML3LZXVM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Former St. Petersburg Fire Rescue Chief Jim Large, who is running for mayor, said he earned the endorsement of Karalynne Brubaker of Positive Impact Ministries. Positive Impact has held food banks in the Tangerine Plaza parking lot since 2020 and <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/03/21/two-groups-make-offers-st-petersburgs-tangerine-plaza/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2024/03/21/two-groups-make-offers-st-petersburgs-tangerine-plaza/\">made an offer to purchase Tangerine Plaza</a>."},{"_id":"MUXDFKXF3RBW3OSV3FXEVV5TOQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Large said he is not attending Tuesday’s mayoral debate because Esther Sanni, president of the NAACP branch, repeated negative comments about him on social media after he announced he was running for mayor. She <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2023/08/10/st-petersburg-naacp-wants-fire-chief-out-firefighters-defend-him/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2023/08/10/st-petersburg-naacp-wants-fire-chief-out-firefighters-defend-him/\">called for him to be fired in 2023</a> following accusations that he made sexist, racist and homophobic remarks<b> </b>while serving as chief."},{"_id":"I6GDWOUAX5AZLHSEBLL7W2GPPM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Large said he will participate in other debates."},{"_id":"7WTAAGB4GNAXRFOLTYDWGMOXCY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Mayoral candidate and two-term City Council member Brandi Gabbard did not respond to a call and text seeking comment. Former Shore Acres Civic Association President Kevin Batdorf, also running for mayor, said he was not actively seeking endorsements from the faith community."},{"_id":"LE6E77EFLFHOXM6DFQ2CQSCNJA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<i>Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify why Large is not participating in Tuesday’s debate.</i>"},{"_id":"BM3OO2XRMZEGZGODESMSTAAJZI","additional_properties":{},"alignment":"center","type":"text","content":"<b>• • •</b>"},{"level":2,"_id":"MTKKNAEE6NFIRGKT3XMXN5NMDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"header","content":"Tampa Bay Times Election Coverage"},{"_id":"YCDQ2FAYFZA3BBZYFTAMLZOYBI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Congressional midterms:</b> <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/02/12/hakeem-jeffries-democrats-house-control-congress/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Can Democrats retake the US House? It could depend on Florida</a>"},{"_id":"HSDHM3Q2ZNC4HBHVN6ZR6F75HQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Voter issues: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/03/28/byron-donalds-james-fishback-iran-affordability-jeffrey-epstein/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">These 4 issues make Florida’s midterms a tougher slog for Republicans</a>"},{"_id":"37CLFNDETFG2NFRA46K7SVGVBU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<b>Race for the Governor’s Mansion: </b><a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/01/21/governor-2026-donalds-collins-renner-fishback-desantis-endorsement-demings-jolly/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\">Is the Florida governor’s race set?</a>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"St. Petersburg’s mayoral candidates are rolling out endorsements from local faith 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Annette Taddeo, a Miami Democrat, is getting in the race for chief financial officer, she formally announced Monday."},{"_id":"7BVALLJ2LBHXTAK3BMOKNT4TTE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"She’ll take on incumbent Republican <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/07/16/desantis-blaise-ingoglia-cfo-florida-gruters-trump-2026/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/07/16/desantis-blaise-ingoglia-cfo-florida-gruters-trump-2026/\">Blaise Ingoglia</a>, who was appointed to the role last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis, replacing Jimmy Patronis, who left the seat for a U.S. House seat."},{"_id":"WKUOWG3FRJACXMNFIPO5BVZDXU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The Cabinet position has oversight of insurance and financial regulation agencies and manages the state government’s checkbook. The CFO is also the state fire marshal. Taddeo said she’ll focus on lowering property insurance rates and other costs hitting residents by taking a more aggressive oversight approach to the industry."},{"_id":"GJMO26HL3ZHTTK7JZ7N7U5QN5Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“The job of the CFO is to be the watchdog, not the lapdog for the governor,” Taddeo told the News Service of Florida."},{"_id":"TEFBCHNWFNASHKAP35BSHBPXYE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Taddeo, 59, is no stranger to campaigning in Florida. She was <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/a-closer-look-at-annette-taddeo-charlie-crists-running-mate/2189185/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/a-closer-look-at-annette-taddeo-charlie-crists-running-mate/2189185/\">Charlie Crist’s pick as lieutenant governor</a> during his unsuccessful bid for governor in 2014. She first ran for Congress for a South Florida U.S. House seat in 2008 but lost. In 2017, she won a state Senate special election and served in the chamber until 2022, when she <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/06/06/state-sen-annette-taddeo-drops-her-bid-for-governor-will-run-for-congress/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/06/06/state-sen-annette-taddeo-drops-her-bid-for-governor-will-run-for-congress/\">ran for Congress</a> again but lost to U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Miami. In 2024, she ran for Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts but lost to Juan Fernandez-Barquin, a Republican former state House member."},{"_id":"2A23TU2KEFAG7BXUJF2WZTWKOY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The Colombian-born Taddeo moved to the U.S. in the 1980s and founded a Spanish-language translation business before getting involved with Democratic politics in Miami."},{"_id":"YC5HVPKVOVH5NNVZDI53I6JD5U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The campaigns for CFO and the other Cabinet positions, attorney general and agriculture commissioner, can often fly under the radar as the governor’s race garners most of the attention of media and voters, but Taddeo believes she has momentum at the start of the race."},{"_id":"ATXROCL7ZJGXTLMEFEHPOLLWSA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"She pointed to a poll commissioned by Ruth’s List, a group that backs female candidates in support of abortion rights, showing her ahead of Ingoglia 39.2% to 37.6%. The poll of 1,828 likely voters, conducted April 23-30 and released last month, also showed her 18 points ahead among no-party affiliation voters."},{"_id":"EHXEHPV2FFGDVPDXD6MEJHDDCU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“NPAs will decide this race, and they’ve been breaking our way,” Taddeo said."},{"_id":"J4HXGQHZE5DH7JKP43UBBGMTGQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"But before taking on Ingoglia in the general election, Taddeo will first have to win the Democratic primary. <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/21/anna-paulina-luna-redistricting-earle-ford-leela-gray-st-petersburg-democrat/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/elections/2026/05/21/anna-paulina-luna-redistricting-earle-ford-leela-gray-st-petersburg-democrat/\">Earle Ford</a> dropped out of the race for Congressional District 13 last month to enter the CFO race and will compete with Taddeo for the Democratic nomination."},{"_id":"BWVOQQKBT5FLFA4L5YERNL7NLY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Meanwhile, Ingoglia, a former state senator himself who also served in the state House, picked up the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Tampa, on Monday."},{"_id":"K765EAC3ONBNREUQMYS2IZZIBQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“CFO Blaise Ingoglia doesn’t just talk, he delivers. He is exposing waste, enhancing transparency, and fighting for the taxpayers to make Florida affordable,” Lee said in a released statement. "},{"_id":"L3LDAQ7IMNC3REQ6V7ZOA5MGFE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Since taking office last July, Ingoglia has toured the state,<a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/01/28/ingoglia-st-petersburg-doge-fafo-wasteful-spending/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/st-petersburg/2026/01/28/ingoglia-st-petersburg-doge-fafo-wasteful-spending/\"> slamming select local governments</a> for “overspending” <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/09/24/hillsborough-overspent-by-279-million-florida-cfo-says/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2025/09/24/hillsborough-overspent-by-279-million-florida-cfo-says/\">based on</a> tax collections they received compared to what they received in 2019."},{"_id":"OQFJ7H75CFEC7PTZQIC54TXWVY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Ingoglia has slammed city and county officials for overtaxing property owners as inflation and other costs have pinched residents. He’s backing Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal to boost the homestead exemption to $250,000 over two years. The measure will appear <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/06/02/florida-property-tax-exemption-desantis-amendment-legislature/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/06/02/florida-property-tax-exemption-desantis-amendment-legislature/\">before voters on the November ballot</a>."},{"subtype":"custom_embed_interstitial_link","_id":"Z5FCFENSORBF5GODPPWY7KUDWA","embed":{"id":"interstitial-link-1780946141501-rk97nrwmd","config":{"additional_properties":{"interstitial_type":"related"},"content":"Floridians pay for CFO Ingoglia’s rides, security detail at sporting events"},"url":"https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2026/05/23/ingoglia-cfo-security-protection-cost/"},"type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"DAJ74ENAABDCBDOA4PTSATVQGI","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Taddeo said she backs auditing local governments and rooting out wasteful spending, but took issue with Ingoglia’s approach and the property tax cut ballot measure, suggesting cities and counties will make up the cuts through fees and other taxes."},{"_id":"HAMKTI4YCFBB7IGBMWP3WLZTLA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“They’re not being truthful in the sense, you still may be out of pocket in other ways to be able to pay for the schools, the library, the firefighters, the police — all the things that are necessary to run a government,” Taddeo said."},{"_id":"YMXLNSL4DRFJVONMPFGPNGNEMY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"<i>By Gray Rohrer, News Service of Florida</i>"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"She hopes to challenge Republican incumbent Blaise Ingoglia, who was appointed to the position by Gov. 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Now, a business group is suing the city of Tampa<b> </b>over it. "},{"_id":"UPESGXXGXBF6JEHUVJ3FC2CN5Y","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The SoHo Business Alliance filed a lawsuit last week accusing the city of withholding public records tied to the South Howard Avenue project. "},{"_id":"7CQNBN64EFH6LEI3DDPKLZB2UU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Proponents say that even short bursts of rain turn their streets into rivers. But a group of business owners have fought the project for months, raising questions about cost, traffic and street closures. "},{"_id":"SB55IBGAMRC53DND4K5V7GM7YE","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The group alleged in a news release that the city “is intentionally delaying the production of critical project documents to prevent public scrutiny before the Tampa City Council votes on the project’s future later this year.” Council members are expected to vote on whether to proceed with construction later this summer. "},{"_id":"ORAUAUATJRE43H7SGFFJA5VTCU","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring the release of of records that the group says it requested in February, including external and internal communications, cost estimates, flood models and engineering contracts. The group says it has paid thousands of dollars in up-front costs associated with the requests. "},{"_id":"VH4QPGARERHC5P2O7SHFQ4RKNY","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The cost of the project has quietly ballooned from $65 million to nearly $100 million. The lawsuit said it is “expected to impose years of major construction activity, traffic disruption, and business interruption on South Howard Avenue businesses.” "},{"_id":"MTYW2FZBGBF3JH76VEB5JBZD7Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The city, it says, “has a direct institutional interest in delaying the production of the requested public records until after the Tampa City Council has formulated and voted on its public policy position.” "},{"_id":"FBTPZJCYFVFW7ANM6LWCQBHG4I","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"City spokesperson Adam Smith declined to comment on pending litigation."},{"_id":"3LBN5K4F2VFJHDQYOGFZDXJZPA","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"The proposed plan involves adding a culvert<b> </b>and pipes along stretches of West Swann and South Howard avenues to address persistent flooding in Parkland Estates, Palma Ceia Pines and surrounding neighborhoods. The City Council <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2024/11/21/city-council-approves-flood-relief-south-tampa-neighborhood/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/tampa/2024/11/21/city-council-approves-flood-relief-south-tampa-neighborhood/\">approved an initial contract</a> with Kimmins Contracting Corp. in a 5-2 vote in 2024. "},{"_id":"Z74MCM5R3BBSHJC3AZYDE5NKIM","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Questions about funding have swirled around the project for months as the scale and scope have changed. "},{"_id":"DGLU3GSX5RENHLB5MYO4O35N5Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Dennis Rogero, the city’s chief financial officer, said at a meeting in January that the City Council had already approved tens of millions of dollars. That includes $8.4 million from a stormwater fee assessed on taxpayers, a $10 million Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant, $10 million in bonds and $21 million transferred from another city fund. "},{"_id":"B6ND4YJKBFGZLH6JD4O4Q5B4B4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"That leaves a $50 million gap that, Rogero said, the city could try to cover with other state and federal grants. The city could also seek money from the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, Rogero said, or pull from the renewal of the county’s <a href=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2025/02/03/hillsborough-voted-extend-its-sales-tax-15-years-heres-whats-planned/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.tampabay.com/news/2025/02/03/hillsborough-voted-extend-its-sales-tax-15-years-heres-whats-planned/\">Community Investment Tax</a>, a half-percent sales tax that pays for major public construction projects. "},{"_id":"7QERU2NC2VCRDNXMG6ZUH3F3I4","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"Some residents, meanwhile, say the fear of flooding outweighs questions about cost or traffic. "},{"_id":"2TKU67XT7VHP7FOTODS2SHQV7U","additional_properties":{},"type":"text","content":"“If this project gets stopped, there is no project waiting in the wings,” Parkland Estates resident Steve Gerrish said at a City Council meeting earlier this year. “We cannot physically, mentally, emotionally withstand more flooding.”"}],"subheadlines":{"basic":"The SoHo Business Alliance accused the city of withholding records tied to a divisive $100 million project. 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