Hillsborough County election results on Tuesday showed Harry Cohen leading Jackie Toledo with about 56% of the vote as precincts were still being counted. Democrats also held leads in several Hillsborough County Commission races while a charter amendment to add two seats to the seven-member commission was narrowly passing.
By 7:54 p.m., 75% of precinct results had been reported. That count left Cohen, Gwen Myers and Aileen Rodriguez ahead in their races, while Neil Manimala was leading Stacy Hahn with about 55% of the vote and Myers was ahead of Luiz Garcia with about 73%.
Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers
Cohen’s lead over Toledo came as the commission’s two Democratic incumbents held commanding margins. Myers was ahead of Garcia by about 73% as of 7:50 p.m., and Cohen’s race put him ahead of Toledo with about 56% at 7:52 p.m.
Toledo had said she ran because residents deserve results, not excuses. Cohen’s focus included public safety and finishing projects from his time on the commission, including around the proposed Rays stadium, which he supports.
Neil Manimala in the District 5 countywide race
Manimala was leading Stacy Hahn with about 55% of the vote at 7:52 p.m. The 36-year-old urologist said he was running to fix broken politics and improve transportation.
That race mattered because the countywide contests helped determine whether the board would stay in Democratic hands. The lone Republican up for reelection was trailing by a sizeable margin, while the Democrat running for an open countywide seat was also leading.
Charter amendment and County Commission
The charter amendment had about 51% support as of 7:54 p.m. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in June that added the question, which would require each commissioner to be elected from new districts representing geographic portions of the county and would eliminate countywide representatives.
If it passes, voters would choose one commissioner instead of a majority of those on the board, and the commission would expand by two seats. That would be the first expansion in 40 years, even as the board could remain a Democratic majority if the election-night leads hold.
The unresolved issue is whether the charter amendment can keep its narrow edge once all precincts are counted.
