Voter guide 2024: What's on your Hillsborough, Pinellas ballots

Voting in Florida

• You can register to vote, update your address or change your party affiliation online or by mail through Oct. 7.
• Mail-in ballot requests are due Oct. 24. The deadline to return a filled-out ballot is 7pm on Election Day. Request a mail ballot through the Hillsborough or Pinellas elections supervisor.

U.S. Senate: Rick Scott vs. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell

• Sen. Rick Scott faces a challenge from former Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D), who was urged to enter the race by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic-aligned groups.
• Scott — who earlier this year mounted a longshot bid for Senate Republican leader — is a frequent critic of federal government spending and a hardliner on border security. He served two terms as governor, from 2011 to 2019.
• Mucarsel-Powell is the first Hispanic woman ever nominated by the Florida Democratic Party for a statewide office. She describes herself as a battle-tested leader who is more in touch with the needs of Floridians than her opponent.
• Florida Democrats are eager to tie Scott to Florida's near-total abortion ban as he tries to soften his stance on the issue. Scott said in April that he would prefer to see a 15-week ban in Florida with exceptions for "rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother."
• Scott and Republicans have targeted Mucarsel-Powell's views on immigration, including her vote for a 2019 bill offering legal status to some undocumented immigrants.

Go deeper:

• Senate Democrats prepare Florida and Texas offensives
• National Democrats invest in 10 states, including Florida Senate race
• Rick Scott dials up election denialism
• Rick Scott challenger launches radio ad blitz to reach Latino voters

Amendment 4: Abortion rights

• Amendment 4 would enshrine abortion access in the Florida Constitution. The language calls for access to the procedure before fetal viability — typically about 24 weeks of pregnancy, the same standard once allowed under Roe v. Wade.
• It would therefore abolish a six-week abortion ban that went into effect in May and would largely return Florida's abortion landscape to where it was before the Supreme Court overturned Roe in June 2022.
• Gov. Ron DeSantis has gone all-in against the amendment, using public resources to investigate petition signers and publish a website with debunked criticisms of the measure.

• Alongside Amendment 4, ballots will include language known as a financial impact statement that warns approval may lead to lawsuits, state-funded abortions and hinder revenue growth.
• Amendment supporters unsuccessfully challenged the wording and have criticized the drafting process as another use of public resources to sow doubt about the ballot initiative.

Go deeper:

• Florida abortion ballot initiative hits threshold for state Supreme Court review
• Florida high court clears way for six-week abortion ban, OKs ballot measure
• As Florida abortion ban disrupts care, activists push ballot initiative
• DeSantis goes all-in against Florida's abortion rights amendment
• DeSantis defends abortion amendment probe as police question voters' signatures
• DeSantis administration cites rejected signatures to justify abortion amendment probe

Amendment 3: Recreational marijuana

• Amendment 3 would legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 years and older. Medical marijuana is already legal in Florida.
• The ballot referendum would limit personal possession to three ounces of plant or five grams of concentrate.
• It would also allow licensed facilities to grow and sell marijuana.

Go deeper:

• Lawmakers join Amendment 3 supporters in challenging DeSantis' weed-smell warning
• Recreational marijuana legalization will be on Florida ballots this November, court rules

Amendment 1: Partisan school board elections

• School Boards have become increasingly political in recent years. DeSantis became the first governor to endorse school board candidates in 2022.
• If passed, Amendment 1 would require candidates to disclose their party affiliation when running for office, undoing a 1998 amendment making school board races nonpartisan.
• Supporters of the change say it gives voters more transparency and information about who they're voting for.
• Critics say the move would further politicize education across the state.

Amendments need 60% voter approval to pass.

Go deeper: The other amendments, including a property tax tweak

CD13: Anna Paulina Luna (R) vs. Whitney Fox (D)

• Whitney Fox, a former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, emerged from a pool of five Democratic candidates in the August primary to challenge incumbent Anna Paulina Luna.
• Luna, a Donald Trump ally and member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, was elected in 2022, just after the DeSantis administration redrew District 13 to carve out the liberal enclave of St. Petersburg. The seat was previously held by Democrat Charlie Crist.
• Abortion has become an issue in the race. Fox is a vocal supporter of Amendment 4, while Luna has been silent on her stance, telling Politico that her opinion "doesn't really matter."
• It's among the most competitive congressional races in Florida. The district is one of just two in the Sunshine State identified as potentially flippable by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Cook Political Report projects a Luna victory.

CD15: Laurel Lee (R) vs. Pat Kemp (D)

• U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee faces Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp for Florida's 15th congressional district, which spans parts of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. Republicans have held the seat since 1995. Still, the Tampa Bay Times lists it as "potentially vulnerable."
• Lee was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. Before that, she served as Florida's secretary of state and as a circuit judge in Hillsborough County. She made waves last year when she endorsed DeSantis over Trump for president.
• Kemp was elected to the Hillsborough Commission in 2016. She served as chair of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party and as an aide to U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor when she served on the board. Kemp is term-limited in November.

Hillsborough state attorney: Suzy Lopez (R) vs. Andrew Warren (D)

• Andrew Warren was elected state attorney in an upset in 2016 and re-elected in 2020, but was suspended in 2022 by Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cited Warren's pledges not to prosecute cases involving abortion or gender-affirming care for minors.
• DeSantis appointed Suzy Lopez, a judge in Hillsborough, to replace Warren. Meanwhile, Warren sued seeking his reinstatement; the litigation is still pending but federal courts have ruled that DeSantis violated his First Amendment rights.
• The suspension is a core issue in the campaign. Warren argues it was illegal and politically motivated; per WTSP, Lopez argues Warren's policies deprioritizing certain low-level offenses amounted to failing to do his job.
• As WTSP reports, both can correctly claim that crime in Hillsborough declined while they were in office, though that trend extends beyond either of their tenures.

Hillsborough Commission: Sean Shaw (D) vs. Chris Boles (GOP)

• Former state Rep. Sean Shaw faces firefighter Chris Boles in the race for Kemp's countywide seat, which could determine whether Democrats lose more ground (and relevance) on the commission.
• Shaw is a graduate of Princeton University and the University of Florida Law School. He served one term in the state House and is the son of Florida's first African-American chief justice of the state Supreme Court, per the Tampa Bay Times.

• Boles served as a battalion chief at Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. He graduated from Columbia Southern University. Boles scored endorsements from Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister and Commissioner Ken Hagan, among others.
• Shaw holds a slight fundraising edge, while Boles leads in spending.

Hillsborough County School Board: Lynn Gray vs. Karen Bendorf

• Incumbent Lynn Gray received 35% of the vote in August — more than the field of candidates vying for her countywide seat, but not enough to notch a win. She faces Karen Bendorf in a runoff election, who captured 30% of the vote.
• Gray was elected to the school board in 2016 and later served as its chair in 2021. She worked as a teacher and instructional leader for 26 years in Hillsborough County.
• Bendorf's campaign website lists "empowering parents," improving literacy and fiscal responsibility as her top priorities. She spent the past 13 years as a public school teacher in Hillsborough County.
• Gray has outraised and outspent Bendorf.

Hillsborough tax referenda

Hillsborough County voters will weigh in on more than abortion access and recreational marijuana this November, with local tax referenda put forth by the commission and the school board.

Half-cent tax: This tax, which financed everything from ZooTampa at Lowry Park to Raymond James Stadium, expires in two years unless voters approve a 15-year extension.

• Should voters approve, the half-cent tax would generate hundreds of millions each year to fund the infrastructure needed to support the county's booming population.

Schools tax: Hillsborough's sprawling school district fought tooth and nail to put forth a referendum that asks voters to approve a property tax hike that would give it the means to raise teacher salaries.

Go deeper:

• Tax referendum OK'd for Hillsborough ballots but commission vows to fight on
• What Hillsborough's half-cent tax could fund

St. Petersburg Council

Seats representing districts 3, 5 and 7 are up for election. While each district represents a different part of the city, all three races are open to all St. Petersburg voters.

District 3: This race in Northeast St. Pete pits 3 Daughters brewery CEO Mike Harting against Pete Boland, the owner of three downtown restaurants including The Galley. The two business owners were neck-and-neck in the primary for District 3.

District 5: Real estate broker and entrepreneur Torrie Jasuwan is taking on incumbent Deborah Figgs-Sanders to represents South St. Pete neighborhoods such as Lake Maggiore Shores, Lakewood Estates and Pinellas Point.

• Figgs-Sanders, an ally of Mayor Ken Welch, voted in favor of the Tampa Bay Rays stadium redevelopment plan and played a major role in vetting the community benefits of the deal, including affordable housing. Jasuwan hasn't said much publicly about the plan.

District 7: Wengay "Newt" Newton, a former City Council member and Democratic state representative, faces Corey Givens Jr., a Baptist minister who is making his third run for local office. The winner would represent the Childs Park, Jordan Park and Bayview neighborhoods.

Go deeper:

• Rays stadium plan wins long-awaited approval by St. Pete City Council
• St. Petersburg, Hillsborough elections: Primaries set November showdowns

Pinellas County School Board: Katie Blaxberg vs. Stacy Geier

• Business owner Stacy Geier is the last remaining Pinellas School Board candidate backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the conservative parental rights group Moms for Liberty.
• Katie Blaxberg, a former legislative aide and registered Republican, has positioned herself as the more moderate candidate, drawing from her own experience being attacked online by activists aligned with Moms for Liberty, per the Associated Press.
• The winner will represent District 5, which covers Largo, Clearwater, Indian Shores and Indian Rocks Beach.

Go deeper:

• Hillsborough, Pinellas elections are set. Here are 5 takeaways
• Candidates backed by DeSantis, Dems face off for Tampa Bay school board seats
• DeSantis-backed Tampa Bay school board candidates fall short in primary election

Pinellas schools tax referendum

• Pinellas County School Board members are asking voters to renew a property tax that would help fund higher pay for teachers; art, music and reading programs; and more.
• Residents have paid the tax for the last 20 years, but this renewal asks voters to fund it at double the current rate. A "yes" vote would up the rate to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed, taxable value.
• Calls for higher teacher pay hit a fever pitch last year amid cost-of-living increases across the Tampa Bay area, per the Tampa Bay Times.
• "At that particular point in time, we didn't have the resources to do it. But we listened," School Board member Carol Cook said. "This was a way we could accomplish that."

Go deeper:

• Tampa Bay teachers can't afford to live close to school
• Florida's parental rights movement's power dwindles