In the vast state of Florida, there’s always an election around the corner. With that comes maneuvering for position and a battle between those who have power and those who seek it.
On top of that, the 2026 Regular Session provided yet another complicated and prolonged budget fight — just like last year — and this year’s battle is ongoing.
Since several of the Session’s budget chiefs hail from Tampa Bay, it may not be surprising that their names will land somewhere on this list. Area lawmakers have also taken leading roles in education and disaster preparedness and response, an issue of particular importance to the hurricane-battered Tampa Bay region.
There are also an abundance of issues at home for local officials to navigate, including the Hillsborough stadium deal with the Rays, the redevelopment of St. Pete’s Historic Gas Plant District and the ongoing affordability crisis that City Councils and Mayors throughout the region are working tirelessly to mitigate.
With dozens of elected officials across the region, each plays a significant role. All deserve recognition, and they all have a unique version of local power and influence.
But while 2026 offered us many candidates to choose from, only 25 of the most powerful can make the cut, joined by a handful of honorable mentions.
So, who wields the clout? And who’s gutsy enough to flout it?
For our annual list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians, Florida Politics collected lists from the Sunshine Skyway to the Strawberry Festival grounds and beyond, consulting with leaders, lobbyists and politicos, each an expert on wielding influence.
And, as always, a special thanks to RSA Consulting Group, the sponsor of this year’s rankings.
As for methodology, we define the Tampa Bay region as Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco, but can also include Hernando, Polk or Sarasota if the politicians from those counties impact either Pinellas or Hillsborough.
We define a politician as being in office or actively running for office.
Being first on a panelist’s list earned the politician 25 points; second, 24; and so on, with being listed 25th earning one point. Points are added and, voilà, we have a list.
We also want to thank our experienced and knowledgeable panelists, who were essential to developing the 2026 list: Vinik Family Office Chief of Staff Christina Barker; Mercury Public Affairs Managing Director Ashley Bauman; Michael Corcoran and Matt Blair of Corcoran Partners; former Sen. Jeff Brandes; Stephanie Cardozo of The Southern Group; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick managing partner Ron Christaldi; political consultant/strategist Barry Edwards; Vicidial Group President Matt Florell; Sunrise Consulting Group President Shawn Foster; businessman Michael Griffin; St. Pete Catalyst Publisher Joe Hamilton; Clay Hollis of Tucker/Hall; Natalie King of RSA Consulting Group; Moffitt Cancer Center VP of Public Affairs and Communications Merritt Martin; political consultant Chris Mitchell; Mike Moore of The Southern Group; RSA President and CEO Ron Pierce; Tucker/Hall CEO Darren Richards; political consultant Jim Rimes; political consultant Preston Rudie of Catalyst Communications Group; TECO Vice President of State and Regional Affairs Stephanie Smith; lobbyist Alan Suskey of Shumaker Advisors; and Michelle and Peter Schorsch, publishers of Florida Politics.
Please visit each post, which will run this afternoon through Friday. Links to our explainers of who won (and why they made this year’s list) will appear below. Check back frequently throughout the week and feel free to give feedback — what we got right (or wrong!).
And now, welcome to Florida Politics 2026 list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians:
