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25 Most Powerful Politicians in Tampa Bay - page 9

#4 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Jeff Brandes

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If Rand Paul is the most interesting man in politics (as he was labeled last fall by Time magazine), then Jeff Brandes is definitely on the short list for the most interesting lawmaker in Tallahassee. Though he skews right (sometimes extreme right, as when he was the only state senator who opposed the Joe Negron “hybrid” proposal on Medicaid expansion in 2013), he’s also got a strong libertarian bent that distinguishes himself from the majority of his GOP brethren. He…

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#5 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Kathy Castor

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The four-term congresswoman who represents Tampa and parts of St. Petersburg had a good year in 2014. Not only did she win re-election without drawing an opponent, but her behind-the-scenes effort working with President Obama on normalizing relations with Cuba reached fruition with the president’s dramatic announcement last December that the two nations would resume diplomatic efforts. Kathy Castor has championed health care issues since being elected, and she’s been front and center in getting the word out for eligible…

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#6 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Tom Lee

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The 53-year-old Brandon-based homebuilder moves up one notch from his 2014 ranking, in part because of his status as chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee for the next two legislative sessions. Tom Lee initially served in the Senate from 1996-2006, serving as Senate president for those last two years before an unsuccessful run for chief financial officer against Alex Sink in 2006. He returned to Tallahassee in the Senate in 2012, and in 2014 worked double duty on the…

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#7 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Dana Young

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When Rick Scott unceremoniously dumped Jennifer Carroll two years ago, speculation immediately surfaced that Dana Young would be a logical successor as Scott approached a re-election year. That didn’t happen, of course, but this South Tampa-based Republican has skillfully worked her way through House Leadership since she took the open seat over Democrat Stacy Frank in 2010, the last time she’s had to sweat out an election. Currently the reigning House majority leader, she now ranks as “one of the…

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#8 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians — Jack Latvala

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His reputation as a power broker of sorts took a hit last year, when his favored candidate to succeed the late U.S. Rep. Bill Young, Kathleen Peters, failed to make it out of a GOP primary. But he remains an influential figure in the Florida Senate and with his considerable legislative experience, he hasn’t given up hope of becoming Senate president in 2017. Jack Latvala has championed the burgeoning craft beer industry’s growth in Pinellas County, and last December (once again) introduced…

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

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis took over his northern Tampa Bay 12th Congressional District after his father Mike stepped down in 2006, and has wasted little time establishing himself as a regional pillar ever since. Although an electoral favorite that year because of his prominent last name, Bilirakis withstood a strong challenge by Democrat Phyllis Busansky. His victory came in the same anti-incumbent wave election that saw the GOP lose 30 seats to Democrats. In January, Bilirakis announced that he would…

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#10 on list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians – Bob Gualtieri

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Although the Pinellas County sheriff declined the opportunity to run for higher office when the CD 13 seat become open in late 2013, Bob Gualtieri displayed major political skills in 2014. As the legislative chair of the Florida Sheriffs Association, his profile rose dramatically, as he became the face and voice of the FSA in opposing Amendment Two, the 2014 medical marijuana ballot initiative. “So I think this whole advocacy by the proponents is really subterfuge for general recreational legalization,”…

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