Clearwater City Council member Lina Teixeira will not seek a second term in office, she announced on Facebook, citing a desire to “focus on my family at this challenging time.” She did not elaborate on what she meant by “challenging time.”

“I’m deeply grateful for the trust you placed in me and proud of the work we accomplished together. Thank you to my colleagues, city staff, and this incredible community for the support and kindness you’ve shown me,” she wrote

First elected in 2022, the artist and gallery owner defeated Aaron Smith-Levin after a race filled with drama. Smith-Levin is a former Church of Scientology member who defected and became a vocal critic, but also found himself with some drunken run-ins with the law along the way, which Teixeira used as campaign fodder against him.

After her victory, she replaced former Clearwater City Council member Hoyt Hamilton on the dais.

Teixeira is the only non-Republican currently serving on Clearwater City Council. She is a registered independent.

But that could change, with political circles already whispering about a potential front-runner to replace her. Sam Wilson, who currently serves as the District Director for Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, said he’s seriously considering a bid. He has worked with Luna in various roles since mid-2022, first as a scheduler and later as a District Field and Legislative Coordinator. He was promoted to District Director in November 2024.

Prior to his work with Luna, Wilson served as an intern for several federal officials, including for U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Gus Bilirakis in Florida. Prior to that, he interned with then-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. He also previously served as an intern research liaison with the group Citizens Defending Freedom, according to his Linkedin bio.

Sources tell Florida Politics Wilson will likely be the front-runner if he runs.

In a Facebook post Friday, Wilson hinted at a possible announcement next month.

“The momentum is building, and February is shaping up to be an incredibly busy month ahead with key developments on the horizon. Stay tuned for more updates, exciting things are coming,” he wrote, adding an American flag emoji.

In a conversation with Florida Politics, Wilson, a member of Generation Z, said he has received encouragement from Clearwater residents eager for a fresh perspective.

“My generation wants to be engaged,” he said, adding that if he runs and is elected, he would utilize social media to ensure residents are informed of what’s going on in their city.

“I feel like a lot of times issues come up in our City Council, whether it be dealing with the Church of Scientology or Duke Energy; you just really don’t know where your Council members stand unless there is a work session or a City Council meeting,” he continued, adding that residents with whom he has spoken to “often feel they’re not in the loop.”

His top priorities, should he run, would be addressing affordability issues in the city and ensuring transparency in city business.

In his Facebook post, Wilson said he has been “approached by many residents in Clearwater to run for local office.”

“I’ve listened to your concerns and ideas. Now, more than ever, our city Council needs strong leadership laser-focused on making Clearwater more affordable, by cutting property taxes to ease the burden on homeowners and families, while preserving the unique charm, character, and coastal vibe that makes our community special,” he wrote.

Speaking with Florida Politics, he added that he would work to ensure continued momentum on revitalizing downtown Clearwater.

If he runs, and is elected, Wilson has the opportunity to turn City Council entirely red. Teixeira represents Seat 5 on the Council. Seat 4 is also up for election this year. Incumbent David Allbritton is also not seeking re-election.

Candidates cannot officially file for the 2026 race until Feb. 19.

Florida TaxWatch is bulking up its leadership and research bench.

The independent, nonpartisan government watchdog just announced four hires as former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp begins his tenure as President and CEO. The hires add operational, economic modeling and event-planning capacity to the Tallahassee organization.

Ray Monteleone, President of Paladin Global Partners and a longtime Florida TaxWatch Board member, will serve as Chief Operating Officer.

The group also hired Garrett Gouveia as a research economist, named Florida State University graduate student Rylan Clark as a Florida TaxWatch Research Fellow, and brought on Samantha Castaline, who previously worked for the organization as a consultant, as a full-time event marketing specialist.

Kottkamp said in a statement that Monteleone’s experience will help Florida TaxWatch “continue to lead the way with timely, accurate and insightful research” on issues affecting Florida.

“His depth and breadth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our organization as we continue to lead the way with timely, accurate and insightful research into issues impacting the nation’s third largest state,” he said.

Kottkamp also pointed to the research additions as a boost to Florida TaxWatch’s data-driven work, saying Gouveia will help analyze and expand the group’s data and that Clark will support its research output.

Castaline’s move into a full-time role, Kottkamp continued, positions the organization well in growing its events footprint and statewide initiatives.

He also teased more staffing announcements as Florida TaxWatch aims to expand its reach.

“Stay tuned,” he said.

Monteleone is a CPA and consulting executive whose background includes strategic management, mergers and acquisitions, compensation consulting and executive mentoring, with clients spanning health care, technology, manufacturing, education, financial institutions and nonprofits.

His civic and professional involvement includes Leadership Florida, multiple advisory and audit roles, and past leadership in Broward County education and civic organizations.

Gouveia, from West Palm Beach, is tasked with building economic models and contributing research on forces shaping Florida’s economy. A Florida State University graduate, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in applied economics and has worked with tools including Python, SAS, Power BI and SQL.

His prior research includes work on education economics and environmental policy, including an award-winning master’s project examining the economic fallout from the oyster industry collapse in Apalachicola.

Castaline, a communications specialist and former event manager for cannabis giant Trulieve, will manage Florida TaxWatch’s events calendar and help develop new statewide initiatives.

Conservative firebrand Joshua Wostal will face opposition this year in his re-election campaign for Hillsborough County Commission, District 7.

Aileen Rodriguez, a former regional director for former Republican U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, has filed paperwork to run. Rodriguez, a Democrat, is so far the only candidate challenging Wostal.

Rodriguez is a career public relations expert, having run her own PR firm, AR Public Affairs and Strategic Solutions, since 2009. She also worked from 2014 to 2017 as a senior manager of executive affairs for the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.

Prior to that, she served as marketing communications director for the Helios Education Foundation and Communications Director for the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the Republican National Convention.

Rodriguez was previously registered as a Republican but changed her political affiliation in 2019, saying the GOP left her and no longer reflected her values as a Christian.

In her campaign announcement late Thursday, Rodriguez alluded to Wostal’s controversial, often combative management style from the dais.

“I see an opportunity to bring common sense and decency to our County Commission. The incumbent has consistently demonstrated an inability to engage in our political process in a civil manner,” she said. “I am running to serve everyone in Hillsborough County, regardless of political affiliation, and bring local government back to the people of Hillsborough County whose voices are drowned out by special interests.”

Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, and raised in the Tampa Bay area. Her campaign will focus largely on the affordability crisis that is plaguing not just Hillsborough County residents, but those throughout the region, state and nation.

“While some folks pretend to care about protecting the wallets of our residents, I will listen to constituents, and work with public and private partners to find real solutions that reduce everyday costs,” Rodriguez said.

“Citizens need our County Commission to be focused on investing in affordable housing, childcare, and public transportation. These are the financial stressors families are facing every day. I look forward to being a genuine champion for the people of Hillsborough County and providing the considerate, dedicated, and empathetic servant leadership our residents deserve.”

Rodriguez also said she would prioritize infrastructure spending and expanded transportation options to break gridlock in Hillsborough County, calling such moves “common sense.”

District 7 is elected countywide, where Republicans hold a voter registration advantage with nearly 292,000 voters compared to nearly 273,000 Democrats. With another more than 217,000 independent voters, Rodriguez’s experience as both a Republican and Democrat could help bridge the voter registration gap by enticing moderate voters.

That could be especially true in a Midterm Election year expected to favor Democrats amid frustration with federal policies under the Donald Trump administration and GOP trifecta in Washington.

Historically, the party in power in the White House suffers losses in Midterm years, and this year is not expected to be any different. But it’s worth noting that in the last Midterm cycle, in 2022, Republicans overperformed in Florida even as they underperformed elsewhere in the nation.

That was also the same year the Hillsborough County Commission flipped red, with the defeat of two incumbent Democrats, shifting the board from a 5-2 Democratic advantage to a 4-3 Republican majority. Wostal was first elected that year, defeating incumbent Democrat Kimberly Overman with more than 52% of the vote despite being significantly underfunded.

The GOP grew that advantage further in 2024, and the board now has just two Democratic members.

Wostal immediately ruffled feathers after his election in 2022 by leading efforts to delay a property tax referendum to boost teacher pay, which ultimately received broad support when it passed in 2024. Wostal had pushed successfully to move the referendum from the 2024 ballot — a Presidential Election year with higher voter turnout — to 2026. The Hillsborough County School District sued, and ultimately won, putting the measure before voters in 2024 as originally intended.

Some took to calling him “Hostile Wostal,” according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Wostal also once spoke out against a longtime county health care tax that serves the poor.

As of the end of 2025, Wostal had already raised more than $108,000 for his race, with only about $1,000 of that spent. Because she only just filed to run, Rodriguez has not yet reported any fundraising.

Two Democrats had previously filed to challenge Wostal: former state Rep. Adam Hattersley and Mark Nash, who has sought office unsuccessfully before. Both have since withdrawn from the race.