TAMPA – When Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in Tampa this week that he would be appointing State Sen. Blaise Ingoglia to be the new CFO, he put Tampa Bay further at the center of state politics.
The backstory:
“It’s kind of amazing that all that political policy brain power is centrally located, but it’s great because we all benefit from that,” said Ingoglia.
At one time, Florida power was born in Miami and radiated north.
President Barack Obama won the state twice by running up the score in Florida’s southeast counties.
Marco Rubio fueled his candidacies there as well.
But as Florida’s population grew by more than 40 percent since 2000, the source of power changed.
What they’re saying:
“When we were a purple swing state years ago, half-Democrat, half-Republican, they were having some fierce battles there and I think that’s where a lot of people cut their teeth,” said Ingoglia.
Republican political consultant Anthony Pedicini points out that a majority of Hillsborough County voters have supported the eventual president in 13 of the last 15 elections.
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“The diversity of the county matches the entire country, the demographics of the country; urban, suburban, rural, it’s all within the county,” said Pedicini. “So this has been a bellwether. You can make the argument since the 60s.”
Thus, power follows, because those who win support here are likely to have their pulse on what even larger swaths of people want.
Look Closer:
And that footprint is growing, with a top Democratic candidate for governor jumping into the 2026 race, Former Rep. David Jolly from St. Pete.
State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, of Tampa, led the Democratic party in the state house the last few terms.
“It’s one of the fastest growing parts of the state and parts of the country,” she said, “and that has to mean something, right, the diversity that we have here being reflective of the community.”
Pedicini also points out that legislators from Clearwater and Plant City are budget chairs in the state house and senate, meaning that its easier to get money flowing back to the community.
What’s next:
To possibly add another, DeSantis is considering Tampa State Sen. Jay Collins to be his new lieutenant governor.
The Source: FOX 13 reporter Evan Axelbank gathered the information for this story.
