A third candidate has filed to run for Hillsborough County School Board, District 2.
Brittany Lyssy, a Hillsborough County mother, lawyer and public policy professional, is running to succeed incumbent Stacy Hahn, who is leaving office to run for Hillsborough County Commission.
Lyssy announced her campaign Tuesday, pledging a strong commitment to students, families, educators and taxpayers, while vowing to strengthen academic excellence.
“I’m running for School Board because I’m a mom, first and foremost,” Lyssy said. “The decisions made by the School Board today will shape the classrooms my children and thousands of others will sit in tomorrow. Our families deserve School Board leadership that keeps the focus where it belongs: on learning, strong literacy and academic fundamentals, and schools that work with parents to help every child succeed.”
Lyssy joins Daniela Simic and Chris Taylor, both of whom filed to run last month, in vying for the seat.
Lyssy is a University of Florida graduate and Stetson University College of Law alumna. She currently works as a Tampa lawyer and serves on the City of Tampa Citizens Advisory Budget and Finance Committee, where she reviews fiscal issues and long-term financial planning for the city.
Her legal career has also given her some experience at the crossroads of education policy, through work as staff counsel and communications director for the Leadership Institute’s School Board Leaders Program where she worked with School Board members nationwide on policy analysis, ethics and governance.
Lyssy is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy at Liberty University, a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, though she lives in Hillsborough County with her husband, Doug, and their children.
Lyssy is a past President of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans club, though the School Board race is nonpartisan. She also previously worked as a campaign coordinator for Layla Collins‘ failed 2024 bid against incumbent Nadia Combs. Collins is the wife of Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and is now a member of the Florida Board of Education appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Lyssy’s campaign platform includes fiscal accountability and responsible budgeting, while prioritizing classrooms, supporting teachers, strengthening literacy, improving parental involvement and ensuring safe schools.
“I’m running to bring a parent’s perspective, a policy professional’s discipline, and a commitment to accountability to the school board,” Lyssy said. “I’m ready to do the work, ask the hard questions, and make decisions that put students first every time.”