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25 Most Powerful Politicians in Tampa Bay - page 3

#14 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Bob Gualtieri

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As the Treasurer of the Florida Sheriffs Association, Bob Gualtieri has become a ubiquitous presence in recent years in Tallahassee during the legislative session, advocating for or against bills involving law enforcement. First selected as Pinellas County Sheriff in 2011, Gualtieri survived an intense battle for the job against former sheriff Everett Rice in 2012, before easily winning reelection last fall. He’s been frequently in the news this year when it comes to immigration issues. For years, Gualtieri has push…

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#15 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Janet Long

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Janet Long, the feisty Pinellas County Commissioner, has taken the lead on the commission in trying to get regional transit talks revived in the Tampa Bay area. Long was re-elected to another four-year term last year, after riding the wave of the anti-fluoride sentiment which brought down Pinellas Republicans Neil Brickfield and Nancy Bostock (to Charlie Justice) in 2012. Dubbed ‘the straight talk express’ by consultant Barry Edwards for her frank talk, she told Mayor Rick Kriseman earlier this year…

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#16 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Gus Bilirakis

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Tarpon Springs Rep. Gus Bilirakis earned props even from of his most zealous Democratic Party critics when he held three well-publicized town hall meetings in early 2017, where he steadfastly defended his opposition to the Affordable Care Act while acknowledging at the time that his GOP House colleagues didn’t have a replacement bill teed up to support. The day before the House voted on the American Health Care Act 2.0 in early May, a spokesperson said he was undecided as…

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#17 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Ken Hagan

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Ken Hagan, the longest-serving Hillsborough County Commissioner (going on 15 years), announced last month that he’ll attempt to stay in the job by running in District 2 next year. That ended the somewhat far-flung speculation (promoted by Hagan himself) that the Carrollwood Republican was considering a move to Tampa to run for mayor in 2019. Hagan is all about bringing sports to Hillsborough County — he stays the point man in the region in working on bringing the Tampa Bay…

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#18 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Dennis Ross

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Dennis Ross, initially elected in 2010 to Florida’s 15th Congressional District that had been held by Adam Putnam, thumped Jim Lange, his Democratic rival last fall, 58 to 42 percent. As the senior GOP deputy House majority whip, Ross has mostly been a steadfast backer of President Donald Trump and spoke out enthusiastically upon the successful passage of the American Health Care Act in early May. “After seven long years, Americans across Florida and the entire nation can breathe a…

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#19 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Janet Cruz

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The first Latina House Minority Leader in the history of the Florida Legislature, Tampa Democrat Janet Cruz is perhaps at the maximum level of her power in the 2017 session, the first in her two-year stint. Originally elected in a tightly contested special election in her overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning district in January 2010, Cruz has impressed friends and colleagues at her ascendance in Tallahassee. Although there have been reports about her considering a run against Dana Young next year in the…

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#20 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Bernie McCabe

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Bernie McCabe, the 69-year-old Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney, had originally said that 2016 would be his swansong in office, but opted for one more four-year term last year, where he was unopposed in his reelection bid. When Aramis Ayala, his Central Florida counterpart, stunningly announced earlier this year that she would no longer pursue the death penalty in the capital cases that stood before her, McCabe emphatically said he did not agree with her decision.  “I think if you’re going to…

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