Politics
With cash on hand exceeding $300K, Harry Cohen is sending would-be rivals a message
If anyone is considering challenging the so-far unopposed Harry Cohen for Hillsborough County Commission, they might start to reconsider.
Cohen, a Democrat representing District 1 on the County Commission, has always been a prolific fundraiser. The fourth quarter of 2025 was no different, with more than $56,000 banked for his campaign over the three-month period ending Dec. 31. The haul brings his total 2026 campaign total to more than $80,000.
His committee, Hillsborough Together, didn’t post any fundraising activity in the fourth quarter, but after raising $105,000 in the third quarter of 2025, the account is flush with nearly $240,000 on hand.
“I am truly humbled by the level of support my campaign has received,” Cohen said. “I am very committed to the work — the actual day-to-day delivery of public services: whether it is repaying roads or funding key public safety and infrastructure improvements, it is a constant focus on maintaining and improving our quality of life. I work to build consensus and get things done. Effectiveness is the best campaign.”
Cohen’s latest fundraising haul included 117 contributions, averaging about $480 each.
He received $1,000 each from, among others, the local Teamsters union; the political committee supporting the local firefighters union; the Tampa Police Benevolent Association; the Tampa Bay chapter of real estate development association NAIOP; waste hauling company Waste Management; the political committee supporting Tampa General Hospital; the political committee supporting Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers; the Akerman law firm; U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor; former University of South Florida President Betty Castor; and prominent Tampa lawyer Ron Christaldi.
Cohen officially kicked off his campaign in October, with a standing-room-only event at Pane Rustica including three Tampa Mayors: current Mayor Jane Castor and former Mayors Bob Buckhorn and Sandy Freedman, the latter of whom also contributed $1,000 to Cohen’s campaign in the fourth quarter.
Cohen is one of only two Democrats on the Hillsborough County Commission. He was first elected to the Commission in 2020, replacing former Commissioner Sandy Murman, a Republican. Prior to his service on the Commission, Cohen served two terms on the Tampa City Council. He ran for Tampa Mayor in 2019, finishing third before now-Mayor Jane Castor went on to defeat the late David Straz overwhelmingly in a runoff election.
Cohen landed at No. 23 on Florida Politics’ list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians last year. Cohen must navigate the complexities of governing amid a GOP supermajority, a task that is particularly challenging considering he once served from the majority.
Cohen survived his 2022 re-election bid — just two years after his successful election, which flipped a seat from red to blue — in a cycle that was the political version of Game of Thrones’ red wedding. He won by less than a percentage point, a razor-thin victory that looked like a landslide compared to two of Cohen’s Democratic colleagues. Former Commissioner Mariella Smith lost her seat by nearly 6 percentage points, while former Commissioner Kimberly Overman lost hers by about 5 percentage points.
Politics
Senate panel advances bill to strengthen Tax Collector oversight of commercial driving schools
‘We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society.’
A proposal meant to crack down on fraudulent commercial driver’s license activity at DMV sites zipped through its first Senate committee with unanimous support.
Members of the Senate Transportation Committee advanced the measure (SB 584) by Miami Springs Republican Sen. Bryan Ávila, who said there’s a rising trend in Miami-Dade of people lying about being licensed to drive commercial vehicles.
Ávila said Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez approached him about the problem, which could spread to other parts of the state, if it hasn’t already.
“The goal here, Senators, is to protect the integrity of driver licensing processes, deter fraud and support compliant driving schools without altering curriculum testing standards or a statewide eligibility criteria,” he said.
“This is an effort to make sure we can cover all our bases through cooperation and through collaboration with our Tax Collector.”
If approved, the legislation would authorize the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to formally delegate enforcement authority over commercial driving schools to county Tax Collectors through interagency agreements.
Under those agreements, Tax Collectors could bar driving school operators from Tax Collector Offices, investigate fraud or practices undermining license integrity, require license verification and inspect driving school premises for legal compliance
“We want to make sure that when they’re out on the road, they’re not going to be a menace to society,” Ávila previously told Florida Politics while discussing his 2026 legislative priorities. “We want everyone that is driving any truck or vehicle on our roadways to be absolutely qualified and licensed to be driving.”
Barney Bishop of the Florida Smart Justice Alliance and Carlos San Jose of Corcoran Partners signaled support for the measure, which will next go to the Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development.
A House twin of the bill (HB 953) by Miami Republican Rep. Omar Blanco awaits committee referrals.
Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ fundraising is lagging behind U.S. Rep. David Jolly’s in the race for the Democratic Primary for Governor.
Demings raised about $225,000 in addition to $104,000 from his political committee Moving Florida Forward, campaign finance reports show.
The latest campaign fundraising report covers the fourth quarter of 2025.
In comparison to Demings’ $330,000, Jolly brought in more than $1 million in the final three months of 2025.
Jolly raised about $649,000 in addition to his political committee Florida 2026 collecting about $412,000, records showed.
Demings officially jumped into the race Nov. 6, a timing he acknowledged as a handicap during the start of the holiday season.
“Despite those challenges, we raised a respectable $330,000. I look forward to expanding our fundraising and support during the first quarter of the year and thereafter,” Demings said in a statement, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Demings said he was “excited about the momentum we’ve achieved.”
Whoever wins the Democratic nod faces a long fight against the better-funded Republicans.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is leading Republicans in polls, raised $13.1 million raised during the fourth quarter of the year between his campaign account and the Friends of Byron Donalds political committee. Donalds amassed a war chest of more than $45 million in 2025.
Demings, the former Orange County Sheriff and Orlando City Police Chief, has led Orange County government since he won election in 2018.
“This is not a right or left moment, but a right or wrong moment in our history. The power of the people is greater than the people in power,” Demings said during his campaign launch in November in Orlando. “We’re tired of toxic and divisive politics. If you vote for me, it’s a vote for a new style of leadership. It’s a vote for change. It’s a vote for democracy.”
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