Phil Ammann
Influential Republican lobbyist Ron Pierce is crossing party lines to support Janet Cruz in her bid for Hillsborough County Commission.
Cruz, the term-limited Democratic House Leader, is seeking the District 1 seat now held by Republican Sandy Murman, also term-limited from running again.
As president and CEO of Tampa-based RSA Consulting, Pierce began his career firmly entrenched in local GOP politics, starting in 1998 as a legislative assistant to state Sen. Tom Lee, later serving as the Brandon Republican’s policy adviser from 2004-2006.
Pierce, along with entrepreneur Tom Pepin and RSA Vice President Natalie King, will host Cruz’s campaign kickoff event Monday, Oct. 30, at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121 North 50th St. in Tampa.
Since launching RSA Consulting in 2009, Pierce has amassed a significant Tampa Bay-area client list, which includes the Tampa Bay Lighting, Pepin Distributing, Florida Hospital, Pepin Heart Institute, Tampa Port Authority, Northside Mental Health Centers, Florida Association of Community Health Centers, and Pepin Academies.
In the District 1 race, Cruz, a Tampa native born in Ybor City, will so far only face Aakash Patel, the lone Republican in the field.
