County Elections Update

Hillsborough County Commission District 1

According to the Supervisor of Elections website Republican candidate Eddye Bexley has withdrawn from the race.

Also according to that website, today Republican Brad Swanson has joined the race. Until very recently, Swanson was a Vice President of Public Affairs at the Tampa Chamber of Commerce. It is unclear to me what political experience Brad brings to the job or whether he is another political neophyte like Republican Gary Santti.

Facing Swanson and Republican Rose Ferlita, Santti might as well drop out.

The sole Democrat running is Deborah Cope.

Hillsborough County Commission District 3
In yesterday's Tampa Tribune it was reported that Bernadine White-King is withdrawing from the race because she would be in violation of the Hatch Act that bars partisan political activity by federal employees. "White-King works for Hillsborough County, managing a summer meals program for underprivileged children. Because the program is funded by federal grants that she administers, she said, the law applies to her." According to the Office of Special Counsel " The Hatch Act applies to executive branch state and local employees who are principally employed in connection with programs financed in whole or in part by loans or grants made by the United States or a federal agency."

This leaves Democrat Kevin White running only against Republican Ken Anthony.

Ken Anthony is a State Farm Insurance Agent and according to Ernest Hooper " Anthony has been a quiet but visible force in the community, working hard behind the scenes for the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs and the Black Heritage Festival."

Prior posts on the races
Hillsborough County Commission Election Races Fundraising
Hillsborough Republicans eat their young
Rose Runs