Mitch Perry
The Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee on Monday voted to allocate $1,500 to Tampa City Council candidate Guido Maniscalco in his bid to capture the District 6 City Council seat. The money will go for canvassing and phone banking.
The 30-year-old Maniscalco is running against civil engineer Jackie Toledo in the March 24 runoff election. Early voting began Monday and continues until Sunday in the district, which consists of West Tampa, Seminole Heights, and parts of South Tampa.
Ione Townsend, vice chair of the Hillsborough Democratic Executive Committee, said the party had originally agreed to allocate $2,000 for Maniscalco’s campaign, and it was thought that only $500 of that original allotment had been spent. Although one Democrat expressed concern about setting a precedent, the measure was easily approved on a 24-2 vote.
Referring to the fact that the party has struggled to be relevant in the past, former Hillsborough DEC Chairman Michael van Hoek stood up in the meeting to support the precedent, saying that the motion to provide money to the Maniscalco campaign “would allow us to to be relevant towards our candidate.”
The Tampa municipal elections are officially nonpartisan affairs, but Democrats in Hillsborough and across the state have taken pride in that the current city council is made up exclusively of seven Democrats, and they’d like to keep it that way. Maniscalco is a Democrat running against Toledo, a Republican.
The Democrats then voted to use the remaining hour in their monthly meeting at the Children’s Board in Ybor City to calling up registered Democrats and independent voters in District 6.
In the battle for fundraising, Maniscalco has trailed Toledo since the campaign began. She has raised $145,682 (not including a fundraiser held Monday night), while Maniscalco has taken in $47,564. A fundraiser for Maniscalco that includes Tommy Castellano takes place Tuesday night in South Tampa. Castellano received 25% of the vote in the primary election. He endorsed Maniscalco on election night.
Showing that the interest in this race transcends Tampa, Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Allison Tant is coming to Tampa on Friday afternoon to head up a phone-banking session. That takes place 5 to 7 p.m. at the Tampa Letter Carrier’s Hall.
