Although there’s not even an election officially scheduled yet, Tampa attorney Luis Viera has won a key endorsement already in the four-person race to succeed the departing Lisa Montelione in the Tampa City Council District 7 seat. It comes from Congresswoman Kathy Castor.
“As an active member of our Tampa community, including work in the City of Tampa Civil Service Board, with the Tampa Hispanic Bar Association and with his Autism Foundation, Lawyers Autism Awareness Foundation, he has proven to be a strong advocate for our community and a fighter for those that need a clearer voice in our community, something that I strive to do everyday in the halls of Congress,” Castor said in a statement issued out by the Viera campaign.
“Luis Viera will be a strong and effective partner for me, for the city of Tampa, and for my North Tampa neighbors, and I am proud to endorse him.”
Veira said he was honored to get the endorsement, calling Castor a “wonderful and vibrant leader and one of the most respected voices in Congress on matters close to the hart of working families.”
It would definitely appear to be a big get for Viera, who is running against three other men in the north Tampa district. None of the four men have ever ran for local office.
Currently, the seat is held by Montelione, who has already announced that she will be stepping down before her term ends in 2019 to run in the Democratic primary for the House District 63 seat this year. She is expected to officially submit her resign to run letter to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections within the next few days. Once that’s received, SOE Craig Latimer will declare a date for the election.
Businessman Cyril Spiro, former Tampa Police officer Orlando Gudes and newspaper editorial assistant and writer Gene Siudut are also in the contest. None offered any comment at the time of this posting about Castor’s endorsement.
