La Gaceta Newspaper

REPUBLICAN PRIMARY

U.S. Senate
We believe incumbent Rick Scott is the worst U.S. senator Florida has produced. His idea to sunset Social Security every five years is just one of a slew of bad ideas that have come out of his mouth. The first thing he did as governor was reject federal money that would have built a bullet train between Tampa and Orlando. What a stupid move.
Keith Gross is a Trumper, attorney and businessman who has self-funded his campaign. He ran as a Democrat in Georgia 16 years ago and was kicked off the ballot by the courts for not being a resident for the required time.
John S. Columbus wants to work more collaboratively with other members of the Senate, which is opposite of Scott, who has pledged to not vote for any nominee or measure offered by Joe Biden or the Democrats.
He has conservation as his top priority. He wants to improve the Affordable Care Act, preserve election integrity and expand literature and critical thinking in our schools.
La Gaceta endorses John S. Columbus for the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

U.S. Congress
District 14
Ehsan Joarder, Neelam Taneja Perry, John Peters and Robert “Rocky” Rochford are vying for Republican votes to challenge Congresswoman Kathy Castor in the fall.
The field is weak and no one has distinguished themselves from the group. Perry has some problems, being charged with trafficking painkillers and keeping suitcases of cash in her home. Out of the remaining three, we prefer Ehsan Joarder, who wants to bring collaboration, bipartisanship and integrity to Congress.
La Gaceta endorses Ehsan Joarder in the Republican primary for Congress District 14.

District 15
Incumbent Laurel Lee is being challenged by Jennifer Barbosa and James Judge. Barbosa is an on-again-off-again Florida resident who wants to end voting by mail except for the military, deport all illegal aliens and reduce involvement in overseas conflicts. Judge is running because he answered Donald Trump’s call and wants to return “America to her foundational roots of limited government and biblical values.”
The class act of this race is Laurel Lee. She’s been a judge, secretary of state and is serving her first term in Congress. She supports the Republican platform and has worked hard to stay connected with her district. We see her at more events than we do the rest of the delegation. She matches up well with her mostly conservative district.
La Gaceta endorses Laurel Lee for the Republican primary for Congress District 15

District 16
Incumbent Vern Buchanan is being challenged by Eddie Speir. Speir is a businessman who owns a Christian School in Bradenton and was appointed to the New College Board of Trustees by Governor Ronald DeSantis but was not confirmed by the Florida Senate.
Speir is trying to show he is more conservative than nine-term Congressman Buchanan. Buchanan’s seniority is a benefit to his district, as he is the vice chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. He’s got a business background and represents his conservative district well.
La Gaceta endorses Vern Buchanan in the Republican primary for Congress District 16.

Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller
Victor Crist and Melony Williams are vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent Cindy Stuart.
Crist is the clear choice over Williams. He is knowledgeable of the workings of the clerk’s office due to his time in the Legislature, where he chaired committees that oversaw the budget for the Florida justice system and helped reform the court system.
He also understands the relationship between the clerk and county government, having served as a county commissioner.
He believes he can more effectively lobby for better funding for the clerk’s office in Tallahassee and that he can expand services and reduce costs.
La Gaceta endorses Victor Crist in the Republican primary for Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller.

Hillsborough County Commission
District 2
Melissa Nordbeck is challenging incumbent County Commissioner Ken Hagan, who has been on the Commission since 2002.
Nordbeck has some great ideas to create a balance of power between residents and developers. She wants to make it easier for citizens to voice their opposition to development and provide more notice to residents when developments are asking for land use changes or variances. She is a passionate advocate for more transparency in the process. She also wants to protect the dwindling rural areas of her district, which covers much of the northern area of the county.
Ken Hagan is the Commission’s senior member. The Commission has two first timers and will get two more. He is often the swing vote and occasionally sides with Democrats on important issues. He has saved county residents from some bad votes from his Republican peers. His two decades of perspective on County government is helpful and taught him potholes aren’t Republican or Democrat. His experience and leadership make him our choice.
La Gaceta endorses Ken Hagan in the Republican primary for County Commission District 2.

District 4
County Commissioner Christine Miller, who was just appointed to the job by Governor Ronald DeSantis, is being challenged by Cody Powell.
Powell advertises that he is “PRO-GOD, PRO-TRUMP.” His top issue is to “Ban woke books from schools and libraries and stop the transgender indoctrination.” We were hoping the Commission could fill some potholes.
After you get past the religious fervor and the false narrative, Mr. Powell has a good understanding of county government and planning. He has served on the Planning Commission, Hillsborough Transportation Board, Hillsborough Affordable Housing Board and the list goes on.
Christine Miller is the president and CEO of the Plant City Chamber of Commerce and understands the needs of the East Hillsborough business community. She wants to invest in better infrastructure, keep taxes low, control growth and preserve our agricultural lands and green spaces. Miller is smart, seems open to listen to diverse opinions and is personable.
La Gaceta endorses Christine Miller in the Republican Primary for County Commission District 4.

DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

U.S. Senate
Four Democrats are vying to take on Republican U.S. Senator Rick Scott. They are Stanley Campbell, Rod Joseph, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Brian Rush.
Mucarsel-Powell is the Democratic Party favorite, but we don’t find her candidacy that exciting. She is a one-term congresswoman from South Florida who was born in Ecuador.
She’s worked for nonprofits and as an administrator for Florida International University.
Joseph and Rush haven’t got their campaigns off the ground.
Our pick is Stanley Campbell. His background as a successful businessman, inventor and Navy pilot makes him a better match against Scott. He is a smart man who has an in-depth knowledge of the health care business, IT and AI, which is great knowledge to bring to Congress and would separate him from many of his colleagues if he were elected.
He’s financed much of his own campaign so far and his wealth could help him go farther. Campbell is strong on Democratic issues, including strengthening and expanding Medicare, a woman’s right to choose, protecting Social Security, funding public education and making sure our courts and justice system are fair.
La Gaceta endorses Stanley Campbell for the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.

U.S. Congress
District 16
Jan Schneider has run for this seat in 2024, 2022, 2018 and 2016. She is an attorney with an impressive resume and education.
Her opponent is Trent Miller, who is also an attorney and is a committed Democrat who helped start the Lakewood Ranch Democrat club. Both candidates are good on Democratic issues.
La Gaceta endorses Jan Schneider in the Democratic primary for District 16.

RACES FOR ALL VOTERS

County Court Judge
Group 11
Linette “Starr” Brookins ran for judge in 2018 and 2022. This is her third try. Christine Edwards is running for the first time. The seat is open; there is no incumbent.
Brookins is a senior trial attorney for Allstate and a hearing officer dealing with licenses for taxis. She has also worked as a public defender. She says she would be a judge who is respectful, down the earth and would avoid embarrassing the attorneys in front of their clients.
Edwards manages her own firm and practices criminal defense, family law and civil litigation. She also serves the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel and is a court-appointed counsel for Marchman Act court, where she works with individuals who suffer with drug abuse and mental health disorders. Her caseload for Marchman is 300, which has given her experience in handling a high volume of work and keeps her in the courtroom every week. She also volunteers for the Innocence Project.
We feel Edwards is best prepared to handle a busy docket and help people who appear in her court.
La Gaceta endorses Christine Edwards for County Judge Group 11.

Group 21
This race features two dynamic candidates, Dionne “Dee” Jones and the incumbent Judge Matt Smith.
Jones had a successful career in insurance defense and decided to try education. While practicing, she earned her PhD in higher education leadership from USF. She then served on USF’s faculty as the co-director of the Law and Medicines Scholarly Concentration program, and taught leadership. She is very involved in the community and serves as the vice president of the George Edgecomb Bar Association, which is one of many organizations in which she provides leadership.
We’re going to stick with the incumbent but hope Jones runs again
County Judge Matt Smith is a U.S. Air Force veteran who worked at the State Prosecutors Office and then for the State Attorneys in Leon and Hillsborough Counties. He was appointed by the governor to county judge in 2021 and has presided over Dependency Drug Treatment Court, Title IV Child Support Division, Animal Court and County Civil Division V.
He is hardworking and proved his ability to handle a busy docket. He has shown he is fair and has good judicial temperament.
La Gaceta endorses Judge Matt Smith for County Judge Group 21.

School Board
District 1
Incumbent Nadia Combs is being challenged by Layla Collins and Julie Magill.
Magill is a general contractor, real estate investor and broker. She is passionate about making government more transparent and responsive to taxpayers but doesn’t seem to be passionate about public schools or well informed on current school policies or issues. She has bought into the story that public schools are indoctrinating kids and that pornography sits on every other bookshelf in the media centers.
Layla Collins is a U.S. Army veteran who served her country from 1994 to 2014. She is married to State Senator Jay Collins. Her many contributions read as if she is running for the State Senate. That’s because the PACs and people who support her are mostly doing so to gain and keep favor with her husband. She is who the governor is backing to take out Nadia Combs.
She has avoided public forums and we were unable to meet with her. She is presenting her campaign as if it has a moderate agenda, but it’s a Moms for Liberty agenda and she is part of the DeSantis efforts to direct more tax money to private and charter schools.
School Board member Nadia Combs is an unapologetic advocate for public schools and the children they serve. The Tampa Bay Times wrote in its endorsement of Combs this week, “Nadia Combs is one of the best Hillsborough School Board members to have served in decades. She is student focused, open and accountable, moderate and forward-looking …” That is high praise and well-deserved.
Combs is a fighter for her teachers and school staff and is unafraid to support the tax millage increase for their pay increase. She knows that in our schools, which serve low-income areas, keeping well-trained, fulltime teachers is becoming impossible as we face a teacher shortage and Hillsborough County teachers are being poached by surrounding counties that can pay more. She supports closing underpopulated schools so that limited resources can be better spent. She is smart, strong and holds the administration accountable.
La Gaceta endorses Nadia Combs for School Board District 1.

District 3
Incumbent Jessica Vaughn is being challenged by Myosha Powell.
Myosha Powell doesn’t want the activism in the New York school systems to happen here in Tampa, according to her website. She doesn’t have any children and seems to be running on a slate of Republican/Moms for Liberty candidates who are challenging incumbents that haven’t bowed to the crazies who want to ban all the books that hint at gay lifestyles and show that not all families are the 1950s’ version. She has lived here since 2005. We were unsuccessful in contacting her for an interview.
Jessica Vaughn is seeking her second term. During her first term, she has been a passionate advocate for public schools and the parents and students they serve. She pushes for equity and equality in our schools and stays focused on improving student achievement. She is especially proud of spearheading the effort to bring the first Montessori program to Essrig Elementary.
She is a strong supporter of the tax referendum to bring in more revenue to raise teacher pay.
La Gaceta endorses Jessica Vaughn for School Board District 3

District 5
Incumbent Henry “Shake” Washington is being challenged by Elvis Piggott, Kenneth Gay and a write-in candidate.
Elvis Piggott feels that since he is young, he can relate to today’s youth and that it will be an advantage in finding ways to address the behavior problems and absenteeism that is occurring in our inner-city schools in District 5.
Kenneth Gay is a 39-year educator who understands some of the problems from a teacher’s perspective but does not offer any solutions. He knows the lack of parental engagement in District 3 schools is a problem but only offers to continue the same strategies to reach out to parents. These strategies aren’t working.
Neither Piggott nor Gay support the tax referendum to enhance teacher pay but don’t have any real answers on where the money to remain competitive with other counties is going to come from.
Henry “Shake” Washington is a retired 42-year educator who rose through the ranks of Hillsborough County schools as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, area director and Area IV superintendent. He completed his first term as a School Board member and wants to continue on the Board. He is a supporter of the tax for additional teacher pay and was shocked that the County Commission took the opportunity away from voters to better support their schools.
He knows the district needs to work harder to inform the public of its successes, its failures and to make a convincing argument that more money is needed, and that it will be spent well.
Washington knows the district and the community better than his opponents and is an effective advocate for more resources for his district.
La Gaceta endorses Henry “Shake” Washington for School Board District 5.

District 7
Incumbent Lynn Gray is being challenged by Karen Bendorf, Johnny Bush and Jen Flebotte. This is the only countywide School Board race.
Gray and Bush support sending a referendum to the voters to increase millage so that teachers get an extra $6,000 and support staff get an extra $3,000. This tax has been passed by surrounding counties and they can now pay their teachers more than Hillsborough. That puts us at a disadvantage. Flebotte and Bendorf don’t support the tax. Bendorf didn’t respond to our outreach for an interview. She appears to be the DeSantis candidate and if you read between the lines, seems to be a big supporter of charter schools and private school vouchers. We want more passion for public schools.
Flebotte is an architectural engineer who attended local public schools. She is well informed and wants the district’s budget to be more transparent – so do we. She is involved in the community.
Johnny Bush is a lifelong educator who served as a principal at Plant and Robinson high schools. He is retired but volunteers at Jefferson High School. He is a passionate advocate for public education and wants to improve the classroom experience for students and teachers. He would be a strong voice on a School Board but would need a little time to acclimate from leading a school to driving policy for a school district.
Lynn Gray is the best choice. She is very knowledgeable of the district’s successes and failures. She has institutional knowledge and wants to fix long-festering problems, such as having staff who are better qualified for their jobs, i.e. construction and real estate. The next few years are going to be tough and we need someone who is ready to continue the fight today.
La Gaceta endorses Lynn Gray for School Board District 7.