Aileen Rodriguez rolls out trove of institutional backing in Hillsborough Commission bid

Hillsborough County Commission candidate Aileen Rodriguez is announcing several new endorsements from local and statewide organizations.

Rodriguez’s endorsements include the Democratic Disability Caucus of Florida; the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Florida; the Equality Florida PAC; Florida Rising; the Florida Sentinel Bulletin; the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA); Muslims for Democracy and Fairness; Teamsters Local 79; and Transit Now Tampa Bay.

“I am so honored to see the broad coalition of our campaign continue to expand each and every day. The citizens of Hillsborough County are diverse but speaking loudly with one voice: it’s time to bring civility, decency, and empathy back to Hillsborough County Commission District 7,” Rodriguez said.

The groups largely align with Democratic candidates, making the nods a boon to Rodriguez as she faces fellow Democrat Cindy Stuart in the Aug. 18 Primary. The winner of the Democratic Primary will go on to challenge incumbent Republican Commissioner Joshua Wostal.

Rodriguez had been unopposed in the Primary until early June, when Stuart, a former School Board member and previous Hillsborough County Clerk of Court, entered the race just 11 days before the qualifying deadline. Stuart’s entrance into the race set up a competitive Primary for the seat.

Following Stuart’s entrance, several prominent local Democrats reaffirmed support for Rodriguez, including U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, state Sen. Darryl Rouson, Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, state Reps. Dianne Hart-Lowman and Michele Rayner, a majority of Hillsborough School Board and Tampa City Council members, multiple judges, and organizations such as Ruth’s List Florida, the West Central Florida Labor Council, Operating Engineers Local 487 and United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1625.

Rodriguez also has support from retired Judge E.J. Salcines, “one of Tampa’s most respected civic leaders and a longtime champion of the Hispanic community,” according to the Rodriguez campaign.

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.

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.

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.

As of July 17, Rodriguez led Stuart significantly in fundraising, with more than $67,000. As of the same point, Stuart had raised less than $24,000. Both retain just under $12,000. Wostal has far outraised both Democrats, with nearly $170,000 raised and nearly $76,000 on hand.