Republicans Pledge Support for Buckhorn

TAMPA — Although he hasn’t officially filed for office, former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn says he wants to be mayor again. “We’re in,” said Buckhorn, “I’m fully in game mode.”

Buckhorn, first elected to public office in 1995, has been running an unofficial campaign since at least Spring of this year. Exactly 30 years after his first electoral victory, Buckhorn’s political committee, Friends of Bob Buckhorn, raised $1 million in a single quarter this fall, signaling serious intent to become mayor again.

In an extensive interview with Florida Politics, Buckhorn pitched a second go as Tampa’s top executive by suggesting our community still has room for more growth and development. “You look at expanding the scope and the scale,” he said after riffing on the possibility of a Rays stadium, “with the real estate largely funded by private developers but with the county and the city and the state making appropriate investments, I think it could happen.”

When speaking about local issues like transportation, congestion, and housing, Buckhorn worried that they could undercut growth if left unaddressed. “It’s a supply and demand issue,” he said.

Initial responses from local Republicans have been glowing.

“I am a Republican, would definitely vote for Bob, over what this city has now,” wrote local voter Eric Herget, apparently referencing current Mayor and former Police Chief Jane Castor.

Perhaps more meaningful than words has been the money prominent Republicans have poured into Buckhorn’s coffers. Of the $1 million Buckhorn’s PC has raised so far, nearly a third comes from just three contributors. Jay Feaster, Charles Garber, and Thomas Pepin, all Republicans, gave $100,000 each to Buckhorn’s project. They gave through their businesses, Tampa Bay Entertainment Properties, 702 Garber Investments, and Tapper Ventures, respectively.

Buckhorn’s donor list is rounded out by other Tampa Republicans like Blake Casper and Stuart Lasher, who gave $25,000 each.

Still, “I’m a Democrat, and I’m proud to be a Democrat,” said Buckhorn. But he emphasized that he can work with anybody.

39% of active voters in the City of Tampa are Democrats, giving them an 8 point edge over Republicans at 31%. Democrats have also historically overperformed in city elections. In 2023, 54% of all voters in the city election were Democrats, while only 31% were Republicans, a 23 point gap. In 2019, a similar 53% of voters were Democrats and 32% were Republicans. How Buckhorn’s play for Republicans will go over with the city’s Democratic voting majority remains to be seen.