In alignment with the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Vision 2026 plan, local candidate interviews were conducted and filmed to inform voters on where candidates stand on issues important to the Tampa Bay business community. Each candidate who qualified with one of the Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections office received an invitation to participate in the 2022 Candidate Interviews.
The Tampa Bay Chamber started the Candidate Interview Series in 2018 with candidates in Hillsborough County. In 2020, in alignment with the Chamber’s new regional outlook, they opened the Candidate Interviews for the primary election to all three counties.
Candidates in the following races participated:
- Candidates for Hillsborough County Commission District 7:
Commissioner Kimberley Overman
Joshua Wostal
Moderated by Matt Blair, Corcoran Partners
- Topics included: Public/Private Partnerships, Equity, Transportation, Baseball as Economic Development, Housing
- Candidates for Florida House District 65:
Jen McDonald
Karen Gonzales Pittman
Moderated by Melanie Brown, Co-Chair of the Chamber’s Policy Advisory Committee
- Topics included: Home Rule, Property Insurance, Housing, School Funding, Business Climate
- Candidates for Florida Senate District 18:
Representative Nick DiCeglie
Eunic Ortiz
Moderated by Rebecca Arends, Co-Chair of the Chamber’s Policy Council
- Topics include: Home Rule, Property Insurance, Housing, School Funding, Business Climate
- Candidates for Florida Senate District 21:
Senator Ed Hooper
Amaro Líonheart
Moderated by Rebecca Arends, Co-Chair of the Chamber’s Policy Council
- Topics included: Home Rule, Property Insurance, Housing, School Funding, Business Climate
- Candidates for Pinellas County School Board District 6:
Brian Martin
Stephanie Meyer
Moderated by Matt Blair, Corcoran Partners
- Topics included: Superintendent Relations, School/Business Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Students with Disabilities, Equity, Technology, Staff Recruitment
- Candidates for U.S. Congress - District 13:
Eric Lynn
Moderated by Nicholas Glover, Tampa Bay Chamber’s Vice President of Advocacy
- Topics include: Workforce Development, Civil Discourse, Bipartisanship, Housing, Inflation, Chamber Involvement, Business Climate
The candidate interviews covered jobs, home rule, transportation, equity, housing, economic development, the budget, healthcare, technology, and other critical issues for each of the specific races.
Several interviews were also scheduled and planned for last week but were cancelled due to Hurricane Ian. Any interviews that are able to be rescheduled will be added to the candidate interview page linked below.
The Tampa Bay Chamber is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates. The videos were edited for production quality only and candidates’ responses were not altered. To view the videos, please visit: https://www.tampabaychamber.com/pages/candidate-interviews/