Live election results for Tampa Bay
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Tampa Bay voters head to the polls Tuesday for the 2024 general election.
Why it matters: Along with races that could shift power on Capitol Hill, in Tallahassee and on local boards and councils, voters will decide whether to enshrine abortion rights in Florida's Constitution.
- Approval of Amendment 4 would allow abortions up to fetal viability, overturning Florida's six-week ban — with massive implications for reproductive health care in the South.
The big picture: Florida has lost its battleground status in recent years but the abortion amendment — and Amendment 3, which would legalize recreational marijuana — are expected to fuel turnout among younger and progressive voters.
- The Florida Democratic Party under chair Nikki Fried has gone all-in on this election, hoping to prove that the party — which has been bleeding voters and legislative seats — is still viable.
Case in point: Democrats are holding out hope for an upset in Florida's U.S. Senate race, which pits incumbent GOP Sen. Rick Scott against former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
- With polls showing Scott's lead in the low single digits, national Democrats have invested in the race as they seek alternate paths to maintaining their Senate majority.
Follow the money: Both amendment campaigns have seen big spending on advertising.
- The group behind Amendment 4, Floridians Protecting Freedom, and Democrat-aligned groups have outspent opposition groups $55.5 million to about $22 million this year, per AdImpact.
- Smart and Safe Florida, the group behind Amendment 3, has spent about $88 million on advertising, dwarfing the roughly $22 million spent by the Florida GOP and the opposition group known as No on 3.
Zoom in: Key seats are up for grabs in Tampa Bay, from the region's congressional and legislative representation to local commission and school board seats. Here are some we'll be watching:
- U.S. House District 13: GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna — a Trump ally and House Freedom Caucus member — faces a strong challenge from Whitney Fox, a former communications director for the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority. Democrats view the seat as flippable.
- Hillsborough state attorney: Andrew Warren, who was ousted from this post by Gov. Ron DeSantis, is seeking to reclaim it from his governor-appointed replacement, former judge Suzy Lopez.
- Hillsborough commission: Former Democratic state Rep. Sean Shaw faces firefighter Chris Boles, a Republican, in the race for a countywide seat, with the commission's conservative tilt at stake.
- Pinellas school board: Business owner Stacy Geier, who's backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the conservative group Moms for Liberty, faces Katie Blaxberg, a former GOP legislative aide who has positioned herself as the more-moderate candidate.
Go deeper: Read our full voter guide