No. 21 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Kathleen Peters

Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters has come a long way since her days in the House, where she first established herself as a fierce advocate for whatever she believed to be right, regardless of whether other members of her party agreed.

Now a senior member of the Pinellas County Commission, Peters’ leadership may not look as boisterous. But it’s quiet, confident and effective, and it helped land her at No. 21 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians. It’s the same rank she had two years ago, but two spots down from her ranking on the list last year.

“I have known Kathleen Peters for a long time and have consistently respected her dedication, professionalism, and commitment to serving her community. She is a fighter who stands strong for the people she represents,” GOP political consultant Shawn Foster said.

Peters is now seeking her second re-election campaign since first securing a spot on the County Commission in 2018. And in a testament to her political staying power — as much as the current GOP dominance in Pinellas County and elsewhere in Florida — it doesn’t look like she’ll have much competition in earning another term.

Peters has drawn a challenger this year. But her opponent, Democrat David Glenn Jr., appears unlikely to gain much traction. Peters will have significant resources to defend her seat, with $126,000 raised for her official campaign and $24,500 for her affiliated political committee, Florida Speaks. Glenn, meanwhile, has raised just $3,400. Both totals are as of the end of March.

And Peters’ advantages go beyond cash. She also benefits from a voter registration advantage — there are 23,000 more Republicans in District 6 than Democrats, a 25-percentage-point advantage — and strong institutional support. Hosts for her campaign kickoff late last year included a who’s who of GOP politicians supporting the Republican incumbent.

The list included, among others, Pinellas County Commission colleagues Dave Eggers, Chris Latvala, Chris Scherer and Brian Scott; Sens. Nick DiCeglie and Ed Hooper; Reps. Linda Chaney and Berny Jacques; Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri; Pinellas County Tax Collector Adam Ross; Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector; former House Speaker Chris Sprowls; former Sen. Jack Latvala; former St. Petersburg City Council members Robert Blackmon and Ed Montanari.

At that time, Peters had not yet had an opponent.

Peters served in the House from 2012 until 2018. Prior to that, she was the Mayor of South Pasadena. She left the Legislature before term limits required it, arguing the chamber had become hyperpartisan.

She now serves on a Commission with a GOP supermajority, with just one Democrat sharing the dais.

Peters established herself early on as a champion for mental health, an issue that easily transcended partisan politics and earned Peters a place as a lawmaker who did what was right, not just politically expedient. She continues this year to work on behalf of behavioral health access reform to the Opioid Abatement Funding Advisory Board and advocated for moving forward with a new behavioral health urgent care center.

Peters also led the push to develop and implement the Care About Me program in Pinellas County, which allows residents to call or text a receiving center to receive a screening and assessment and schedule an appointment with a provider at the appropriate level of care.

Now, she continues to assert her independence even with the political majority, pushing vociferously for beach nourishment, a critical issue for coastal residents, and one that became particularly prevalent in the aftermath of the back-to-back hurricanes in 2024 that brought devastation to many communities along the Gulf Coast.

In that capacity, Peters serves on the boards for Tampa Bay Water, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and on the Department of Environmental Protection’s Tampa Bay Aquatic Preserve Management Plan. She’s also a strong advocate for the UF/IFAS Extension program the county jointly funds with the University of Florida.

Peters led a delegation of local officials to Washington to fight for beach nourishment needed after the devastating 2024 hurricane season. Her visit followed Peters’ additional efforts to restore federally funded beach nourishment along Pinellas County’s Gulf Coast. That includes multiple discussions with both the former and current Presidents, as well as a letter to President Donald Trump in February that was sent with the support of the entire County Commission.

“Since her election to the Pinellas County Commission, Kathleen has led the charge on critical issues. From consistently lowering our property taxes, to the managing recovery from back-to-back hurricanes, to securing resources for overdue beach nourishment projects, Commissioner Peters delivers. She is a problem solver and builds coalitions to get the important work done—I trust she’ll be on this list for years to come. I’m honored to call her a friend,” said Brian Aungst Jr., a shareholder with Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen.

And on mental health, Peters has pushed for reforms that connect residents with care while reducing the strain on emergency rooms, law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

“Kathleen Peters leads with both heart and purpose, and that’s evident in everything she does for Pinellas County. She has an incredible ability to stay connected and accessible to residents, always making people feel heard and valued. Whether she’s championing behavioral health initiatives, supporting economic growth, or advocating for our world-class beaches and tourism industry, her passion for this community is unmistakable. Kathleen’s leadership continues to make a meaningful difference across the Tampa Bay region, and we are all better for it,” said Anita Berry, Senior Government Consultant with the firm Johnston & Stewart Government Strategies.

Even before the Commission went red in 2022, Peters was successful in gathering consensus for tax cuts, something even more relevant in today’s political climate as the Gov. Ron DeSantis administration pushes to eliminate property taxes.

She has been pushing since her first year on the Commission to reduce millage rates as property values continue to rise. Since then, the Commission has reduced millage rates four out of the last five years, representing a savings to local property owners of more than $100 million. Last year, the Commission lowered the millage rate to its lowest level since 1990.

“Kathleen Peters has continued to lead with a strong focus on the fundamentals of local government — public safety, infrastructure and behavioral health. That kind of disciplined county leadership has real statewide value, especially as Florida communities work through growth and quality-of-life pressures,” said Melody Arnold, the Senior Director of Government and Community Affairs for RSA Consulting.

Ana Cruz, Managing Partner with Ballard Partners’ Tampa Bay practice and Partner in the firm’s D.C. practice, also showered praise.

“Kathleen Peters is a results-driven leader who understands that real progress comes from collaboration and follow-through. She has built strong relationships across all levels of government to deliver for Pinellas County, and sets a high standard of leadership for her colleagues,” she said.

“Kathleen is a force on the issues that matter most. From beach nourishment efforts that protect our coastline and economy to her advocacy on behavioral health reforms, she is deeply committed to meeting residents where they are. Combined with her role in leading efforts to reduce property taxes—helping return more than $100 million in value to taxpayers over the last few years—Kathleen consistently puts people first and governs with both purpose and integrity.”

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As for methodology, the Tampa Bay region is defined as Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, with Hernando, Polk and Sarasota included when their elected officials impact Pinellas or Hillsborough.

A politician is defined as someone currently in office or actively running for office.

Panelists ranked their Top 25, with a first-place vote earning 25 points, second place earning 24, and so on down to 1 point for 25th. Those totals were combined to produce the final 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.