Tampa Bay voters show preference for ballot measures, pass tax referendums
Writer: Andrea Teran
November 2024 — In the 2024 election, the Tampa Bay area echoed a statewide trend in Florida, delivering significant victories for Republican candidates in both local and national races. The results in this crucial swing region demonstrated voter priorities in education funding, local governance, and legislative representation.
President-elect Donald Trump achieved a decisive win across all counties in the Tampa Bay area, reflecting Florida’s broader preference for his return to the White House. Trump captured 56.1% of the statewide vote against Vice President Kamala Harris’s 43%, and he led in key counties within Tampa Bay, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco. Hillsborough County, typically seen as more competitive, saw Trump narrowly winning with 50.9% of the vote. In traditionally Republican counties like Pasco and Polk, his margins were much stronger, exceeding 60% in each.
Florida voters weighed in on two high-profile ballot measures in 2024: Amendment 4, which sought to establish a right to abortion before fetal viability, and Amendment 3, proposing the legalization of recreational marijuana. Both measures received majority support — 57.2% for abortion rights and 55.9% for marijuana legalization — but fell short of Florida’s 60% threshold required for constitutional amendments. In Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, voters showed strong support, with 60.8% and 63.6% favoring abortion rights, respectively, and similar backing for marijuana legalization. Meanwhile, Pasco showed moderate support, with 55.3% approving abortion rights, while Polk was more evenly split, with just over half supporting the measure.
In Florida’s 13th Congressional District, incumbent Republican Anna Paulina Luna retained her seat in a closely watched contest with Democrat Whitney Fox. This victory helped maintain the GOP’s stronghold on Tampa Bay’s representation in Congress, aligning with wins by other Republican incumbents in neighboring districts, such as Greg Steube in Sarasota County and Vern Buchanan in Manatee County.
The Tampa Bay area’s state legislative races followed a similar pattern, with Republican incumbents and candidates securing victories across multiple districts. In State Senate District 11, Republican Blaise Ingoglia maintained his seat with nearly 70% of the vote, defeating Democrat Marilyn Holleran. In the Florida House, incumbent Jennifer Canady retained District 50 with 62.6% of the vote, while Adam Anderson held District 57 with 58.8%. A few Democratic incumbents, such as Lindsay Cross in District 60, managed to retain their seats, but overall, Republican victories shaped the region’s legislative representation.
In addition to candidate races, Tampa Bay voters passed several tax referendums to support education and community infrastructure. In Hillsborough County, residents approved a dual tax measure to renew the Community Investment Tax, ensuring funding for schools, infrastructure, and public safety. Sarasota and Manatee counties similarly extended school funding referendums, highlighting bipartisan support for education, even amid broader conservative gains.
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