‘He has always had our backs’: Tampa PBA back Bob Buckhorn for Tampa Mayor

Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn has earned support from the Tampa Police Benevolent Association (PBA) in his bid to again serve the city of Tampa as its Mayor.

The PBA supports law enforcement members, with a mission to promote social, charitable and educational activities. It also works to prevent unfair labor practices and to maintain positive working conditions for members, along with conducting collective bargaining on behalf of its members.

The PBA cited Buckhorn’s record of supporting law enforcement and public safety in its endorsement.

“There aren’t many active or retired Tampa cops that don’t have a story about Bob Buckhorn backing them up on a call or assisting in a potentially dangerous situation. It could be the middle of the night or in the pouring rain and he would stop, get out to make sure that they were safe. He has always had our backs and we have his,” PBA President Brandon Barclay said.

“As Mayor, he listened to the officers on the street, provided the resources they needed and built a state-of-the-art firearms training facility where officers could prepare for real-life situations. His leadership helped reduce Tampa’s crime rate by more than 40%. We know Bob will continue investing in the people, training and technology officers need to meet Tampa’s future public-safety challenges. We trust his leadership and are proud to endorse him for Mayor.”

Buckhorn’s public safety agenda includes supporting law enforcement recruitment and retention; investing in innovative technology to improve emergency response and crime prevention; strengthening community policing initiatives; expanding partnerships that address youth violence and mental health; improving traffic safety; and ensuring Tampa’s Police and Fire Departments remain among the best-equipped and best-trained in the nation.

During his tenure as Mayor for two terms spanning eight years, Buckhorn oversaw a new $5.4 million police firearms training facility with nearly 60 shooting lanes, classrooms and a configurable training area where officers could train under realistic scenarios.

“Nothing matters more than keeping Tampa’s families and neighborhoods safe, and I am honored to have the support of the officers who put their lives on the line for our city every day,” Buckhorn said. “When I was Mayor, we worked together to reduce crime by more than 40% and built the modern training facility our officers needed. Tampa is changing, and our public-safety strategy must keep pace. As Mayor, I will make sure our officers have the staffing, training, equipment, technology and support they need to protect every neighborhood and keep Tampa safe for the next generation.”

The PBA endorsement adds to public safety support the former Mayor already secured, including earlier this month from the Tampa Bay Area Police Chiefs Association and from Tampa Firefighters Union Local 754 last month.

Buckhorn is running to succeed incumbent Jane Castor, who is leaving office due to term limits. Buckhorn was her predecessor, having served two terms from 2011 until 2019.

He’s the early front-runner in what is shaping up to be a crowded race. Also running are Tampa City Council Members Bill Carlson and Lynn Hurtak and nine other lesser-known candidates.

So far though, Buckhorn has dominated the field in key metrics, including polling and fundraising.

A recent poll put Buckhorn just outside majority support, with 49% supporting him. The poll put Buckhorn 30 percentage points ahead of his closest opponent, Carlson, who posted just 19% support. Hurtak and Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez — the latter of whom hasn’t announced he’s running, but is considering it — each polled at 13% support. The poll also included candidates Taryn Sabia and Gary Hartfield, at 4% and 3%, respectively.

Buckhorn also has a huge funding advantage, with more than $2.1 million raised to his affiliated political committee, Friends of Bob Buckhorn. Carlson, Buckhorn’s likely top competition, has raised just over $45,000 to his political committee, Friends of Bill Carlson. Both totals are as of July 17, the most recent date for which reports are available.