The Tampa Bay Young Republicans surveyed and hosted a forum for all candidates to Tampa’s Special Election. We surveyed 500+ members and these were the results. We’ve included a full analysis of the field at the link below.

Election Dates: Sept 4-7th, Voting Day Sept 9th.

Information on how to vote: https://www.votehillsborough.gov/ELECTIONS/2025-City-of-Tampa-Special-Municipal-Election

Candidates receiving votes in order:

1. Elvis Piggott
   • Elvis, a member of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans, won our straw poll and would be a great representation for young people on the Tampa City Council. His time as a pastor in the district gives him deep ties to the community and we feel that he understands how to balance the desires of the constituents with the evolving growth in Tampa.
2. Audette Bruce
   • Audette formerly worked as a political aide to Representatives Jackie Toledo, Traci Koster, and Berny Jacques. In her time in the legislature, some of the legislation she worked on included combatting human trafficking, reducing costs of prescription drugs, protecting our children’s online information and enforcing school speed zone laws. She will bring a much needed diversity of thought to the council.
3. Alison Hewitt
   • With over 24 years of experience in economic development, government affairs, and public policy, Alison would bring a powerful record of leadership to the City Council. Appointed by Governor Jeb Bush, managed a $25.6M budget, she launched 20 revitalization projects statewide, and delivered $5M directly to District 5. She helped secure $28M to transform East Tampa’s Belmont Heights Estates into a vibrant, mixed-income community. As Chair of the East Tampa CRA Economic Development Subcommittee, Alison has championed job creation, small business growth, and investment in underserved neighborhoods.
4. Juawana Colbert
   • Juawana is also a proud grandmother, a real estate entrepreneur, a former advisory committee member for economic development, and a current member of the Tampa Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. She is running for City Council to bring her experience, empathy, and commitment to getting real results to every block of District 5.
5. Ariel Amirah Danley
   • Ariel Amirah Danley is the daughter of the late Councilwoman Gwendolyn Henderson, who formerly received the endorsement of the TBYR as a Democrat. A native of Tampa and a lifelong servant-leader, Ariel is running for City Council in District 5, but from a calling to continue the work her mother began.

Remaining candidates that received votes:

• Tom DeGeorge
  • We actually love the idea of a bar owner getting on the City Council that too often acts harshly against local business owners.
• Melony Williams
  • The only Republican running that did not bother to return our survey or attend our forum. We don’t think she’s taking this seriously. Pass.

Candidates who failed to receive any votes:

• Thomas Scott
  • The former County Commissioner who was sued multiple times during his tenure, including corruption allegations for funding his own church with County funds should not receive any consideration from voters. The fact that Tampa politicos such as Bob Buckhorn are actively promoting him, should be of concern for everyone.
• Albert Cooke
  • We don’t feel that he has the temperament to work with all stakeholders in the city on local issues. Hard pass.
• Darrell Dudney
  • Didn’t make enough of an impact to get attention or formulate an opinion.
• Fran Tate
  • Seems like a sweet old lady. Would assume she is not totally in touch with the growing needs of our younger demographics.
• Carroll West
  • While we applaud the former head of Tampa PRIDE for showing up to our event and answering most of our questions, he’s probably not the best representation of this district.
• Naya Young
  • Large concerns about her $250k in school loans and decision making ability for our budget- Including past support for defunding the police. We question her motives- you’re best to choose another candidate here.
    

The post Tampa City Council District 5 Special Election appeared first on TBYR.

Please join us for a TBYR Conservative Women’s wine tasting and candle-making event at Vino Ghvino 21 on Sunday, June 29th at 1pm! 

We will have a relaxing and creative afternoon to socialize with like-minded conservative women and craft your own unique, non-toxic candles and tasting luxury wine from the country of Georgia! 

Limited spots are available so please RSVP as soon as possible! 

RSVP here:

https://connect.intuit.com/portal/app/CommerceNetwork/view/scs-v1-b9adfee053c4425b8981c099f46920b973a5a4dcfc25484abcdcfd5a324469a20a9070cdb3d942d8aa2dd785c6309f08?locale=EN_US

Date: June 29th at 1pm

Location: Vino Ghvino 21

(1717 S 50th St, Tampa FL)

Cost: $55 per person (Includes wine tasting, candle making, and charcuterie

Both Vino Ghvino 21 and Wellness by G.S. are proud Conservative women owned businesses.  

Vino Ghvino 21 is happy to host us for a fun afternoon of tasting and learning about the 8,000 year old tradition of Georgian wine making. They have 21 different labels of rare, exotic and historic wines. All of their wines are natural, organic and sulfite free.

Wellness by G.S. creates unique, non-toxic candles and melts, hosting the Scents and Sips events for candle-making, as well as curated event planning for retreats, weddings, girls nights, etc.

The post Women’s Wine and Candle Making Night Out appeared first on TBYR.

TBYR Members will need to purchase a ticket through this website HERE. We suggest getting a Silver ticket minimum to partake in the gala and parliament tour. You will ultimately be responsible for travel and lodging, but we will coordinate an itinerary to make travel easy. This event is for TBYR Members only, so make sure your membership is up to date.

During the event you will get to interact with international political leaders from across the world as well as El Salvador’s government leaders who will be hosting us.

Agenda:

TBYR Members will need to purchase a ticket through this website HERE. If you are planning on attending or have questions please reach out via text or email to our Executive Director, Jake Hoffman at President@tbyr.com to confirm you’re on the list.

Itinerary (Unofficial)

Flight Options

Tampa -> San Salvador (American Airlines AA774)

Wed Nov 20 8:05am to 12:20pm Return Monday Nov 25th 3:06pm-11:58pm

Thurs Nov 21 7:00am to 12:20pm Return Monday Nov 25th 3:06pm-11:58pm

Miami -> San Salvador (American Airlines AA1751)

Thurs Nov 21 10:20am-12:20pm Return Monday Nov 25th 1:20pm-5:00pm

Hotel – Intercontinental San Salvador ($143/Night) Book HERE

OR With enough interest, TBYR will book a large Airbnb home nearby. Please Message us.

The post TBYR Goes to El Salvador appeared first on TBYR.

Potential Bias – Results skew based on TBYR members’ positive bias for Republican candidates who are members of the organization or interact with the organization personally. However, all candidates listed have been invited on several occasions over many years to meet members and attend events. Candidate write-ups are opinions of the authors of the study and do not reflect official positions.***

For Press, comments, questions please email President@tbyr.com

Click This Link For Early Voting Website With Locations:

https://www.wusf.org/politics-issues/2024-10-18/early-voting-tampa-bay-area-where-to-cast-ballots-2024

Question 1: As things stand today (7/31/2024), ignoring who you WANT to win, which party do you THINK will win the Presidential election in 2024?

Republicans: 84.55%

Democrats: 15.45%

Question 2: What is the biggest issue facing the country & Floridians today? Rank from most important to least.

Question 3: Which of these options most closely describes your political philosophy?

MAGA: 37.40%

Traditional/Fiscal Conservative: 23.58%

Libertarian: 17.07%

Religious Conservative: 15.45%

Moderate: 6.50%

Question 4: Do you believe the Democrats will try to “steal” the election in 2024?

YES: 90.24%

NO: 9.76%

Question 8: Which Candidate do you prefer for Hillsborough State Attorney?

Suzy Lopez (R) (Incumbent): 100%

Andrew Warren (D) 0%

Elizabeth Martinez Strauss (D) 0%

TBYR Board Opinion: The most consequential race in Hillsborough County this cycle is for State Attorney. Will we return to Andrew Warren, a George Soros funded prosecutor removed by DeSantis, or will we be a County of law and order under Suzy Lopez? While the media would like to focus on how she arrived at the position, it is irrelevant now. Suzy Lopez is an excellent State Attorney that has stepped into a position with a ton of pressure and handled it with poise and grace. Andrew Warren could not muster a single vote from the 556 surveys we sent out for a reason.

Question 10: Which Candide do you prefer for State House D67? (New Tampa

Rico Smith (R): 95.12

Fentrice Driskell (D) (Incumbent): 1.63%

TBYR Board Opinion: Fentrice Driskell is the current sitting Minority Leader in the FL State House. She is a dishonest, virtue signaling mouthpiece for the liberal agenda in Florida. Our best chance to unseat her is with Rico Smith, an air force veteran and young Republican candidate.

Question 11: Which Candidate do you prefer for Hillsborough Clerk of Courts?

Victor Crist (R): 95.12%

Cindy Stuart (D) (Incumbent): 0%

TBYR Board Opinion: While serving in the FL Senate, Victor Crist spearheaded innovative reforms, crafted budgets, and served on numerous committees, councils, and commissions dealing with Florida’s Courts, Clerks, and Justice matters. He chaired the Joint Committee/Task Force responsible for developing the plan and legislation to implement the revision of the Florida Constitution that required the transition of all local Courts and Clerks to a unified, state-funded system. He is significantly more qualified than his primary opponent and the current incumbent to fill this overlooked role leading to him dominating our member poll by 95%.

Question 12: Which Candidate do you prefer for Hillsborough Property Appraiser?

John Ballance (R): 97.56%

Bob Henriquez (D) (Incumbent): 2.44%

TBYR Board Opinion: Only 2% of  young Republicans want to see Bob Henriquez return as our property appraiser. We need a Republican in the office.

Question 13: Which Candidate do you prefer for Hillsborough County Commission D2?

Ken Hagan (R): 83.74%

Patricia Altagracia Alonzo (D): 0%

TBYR Board Opinion: Ken Hagan has been a stalwart member of our County Commission for a long time. His primary challenger as well as his general opponent have no business bothering to run against a solid public servant. Hagan by 80%

Question 14: Which Candidate do you prefer for Hillsborough County Commission D4?

Christine Miller (R): 95.93%

Jonathan T. Chavez (D) 0.81%

Nicole Payne (D): 0%

Matthew Taylor (NPA) 0%

TBYR Board Opinion: Governor DeSantis made the right call appointing Christine Miller to the County Commission in District 4. She is an excellent leader that will do great things on the Commission. We’re not sure why any other candidates are bothering to challenge her in this race and aren’t to be taken seriously.

Question 15: Which Candidate do you prefer for Hillsborough County Commission D6?

Chris Boles (R): 99.2%

Sean Shaw (D): 0.81%

Question 19: Which Candidate do you prefer for Hillsborough School Board D7?

Karen Bendorf (R): 100%

Lynn Gray (D) (Incumbent): 0%

TBYR Board Opinion: Karen Bendorf is the clear choice in this race. We need to remove Lynn Gray from the school board.

Question 23: Where do you stand on FL Ballot Amendment 1? (Changes School Board races from non-partisan to partisan on ballots) Read full amendments here (https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_2024_ballot_measures)

Yes: 86.99%

No: 13.01%

TBYR Board Opinion: As we mentioned before, the School Board has never truly been a non-partisan position. One of the main reasons people rely on groups like ours every two years is for telling the public who the Republican is for these unlabeled races. Finally, we can end the confusion, and let people know on the ballot which candidates are being backed by which party.

TBYR overwhelmingly supports voting Yes on this Amendment.

Question 24: Where do you stand on FL Ballot Amendment 2? (Establishes State Constitutional right to hunt and fish) Read full amendments here (https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_2024_ballot_measures)

Yes: 98.37%

No: 1.63%

TBYR Board Opinion: We probably don’t need to put our thumb on this one, we expect it to pass overwhelmingly, but there are States that have tried to put restrictions on fishing and hunting. Amendment 2 enshrines it in our State constitution just in case, God Forbid, we have a liberal Governor that tries to infringe on it. TBYR Recommends voting Yes on Amendment 2.

Question 25: Where do you stand on FL Ballot Amendment 3? (Legalizes Recreational Marijuana, not requiring medical licenses) Read full amendments here (https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_2024_ballot_measures)

Yes: 61.79%

No: 38.21%

TBYR Board Opinion: We wouldn’t be  the “Not Your Grandfarthers’ GOP” club if we didn’t break with the GOP’s official stance on at least one issue. The argument against recreational marijuana in Florida is not what it is being made out to be by our beloved Governor. The current landscape is not that of the 1960’s. We currently have legalized and unregulated marijuana in every one of the 10,000+  smoke shops across the State as well as over 1 million medical marijuana patients. It’s here and it’s not going anywhere. Despite what they say at the moment, the Florida legislature can interpret this amendment if it passes, where they will most likely put heavy restrictions on public use similar to tobacco. You can still get a DUI and you won’t be able to bring 20 joints to school. TBYR recommends you vote ‘Yes’ on Amendment 3.

Question 26: Where do you stand on FL Ballot Amendment 4? (Constitutional Right To An Abortion. Amendment states “before fetal viability”.) (https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_2024_ballot_measures)

No: 78.05%

Yes: 21.95%

TBYR Board Opinion: This is one issue that seems to cross all generations of Republicans. Our polling shows that 78% of our members support keeping the abortion law at 6 weeks and preventing this radical amendment from being put in the State Constitution. TBYR recommends voting No on Amendment 4.

Question 27: Where do you stand on FL Ballot Amendment 5? (Provides for an annual inflation adjustment for the value of the homestead property tax exemption) Read full amendments here (https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_2024_ballot_measures)

Yes: 95.12%

No: 4.88%

TBYR Board Opinion: Bidenflation has been horrific and we like tax breaks. That’s why 95% of our members support adjusting homestead exemptions to yearly inflation. TBYR recommends voting Yes on Amendment 5.

Question 28: Where do you stand on FL Ballot Amendment 6? (Repeal a constitutional provision providing for public campaign financing for candidates who agree to spending limits) Read full amendments here (https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_2024_ballot_measures)

Yes: 91.87%

No: 8.13%

TBYR Board Opinion: In 2022, 100’s of millions of dollars were spent on the FL Governor’s race. They don’t need public funds for any of it. TBYR Recommends voting Yes on Amendment 6.

For any questions or comments please email President@tbyr.com

The post 2024 Election Straw Poll Results appeared first on TBYR.

Key Points:

1. Ban weather modification projects in the State of Florida.
2. Hold private companies and government bodies legally liable for adverse health effects of weather modification projects.
3. Create a regulatory framework allowing for public transparency of any federal or military weather modification projects taking place within the State of Florida or our shores before they occur.

Bill Considerations:

1. WHEREAS, We call for the prohibition of hazardous activities related to weather modification. Including, but not limited to, Cloud seeding, solar radiation modification (SRM), stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), Hurricane and tropical cyclone alteration, Electromagnetic weather modification, Ionospheric Heating, and mosquito control intended aerial insecticides.States like Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Illinois have enacted laws explicitly prohibiting harmful weather modification activities, including cloud seeding and solar radiation management, to prevent environmental degradation and protect public welfare​ (Zero Geoengineering)​​ (trackbill.com)​​ (Tennessee Conservative)​ (Electromagnetic Weather Modification) (Ionospheric Heating: HAARP)
2. WHEREAS, There is comprehensive regulation on weather modification: Many states, such as Texas, California, and North Dakota, have established comprehensive regulatory frameworks that require licensing and permits for weather modification activities to ensure environmental safety and public health​ (Zero Geoengineering)​​ (Zero Geoengineering)​​ (Tennessee Conservative)​​ (LegiScan)​.
3. WHEREAS, the legal accountability of both private enterprises and governmental bodies engaging in the contamination of public environments and shared spaces is mandated.
4. WHEREAS, we have a history of injecting dangerous chemicals into our atmosphere to alter hurricanes and tropical cyclones. (Project Stormfury)

Talking Points:

1. The ongoing projects across the United States related to weather modification are no secret, nor a conspiracy theory. In fact there are entire websites dedicated to sharing information about ongoing projects. (Weather Modification Association)
2. The chemicals injected into public spaces are documented to have adverse effects on public health. Contamination occurs in the air, farms, and in our water supply. (FIU Report) (Cloud Seeding Gone Wrong)
3. The White House has created entire reports detailing the consideration of solar radiation modification. (The White House)
4. Weather experiments often backfire causing secondary unintended weather patterns.
5. Dubai just flooded their city last month due to cloud seeding; in the desert. (WIRED)

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