Janelle Irwin Taylor
Nicholas Glover is swapping City Council races to District 3 — the seat currently held by Yolie Capin — after District 2 incumbent Charlie Miranda filed for re-election. Both seats are citywide.
Glover had initially filed for the District 2 seat, anticipating Miranda would run against Guido Maniscalco in his single-member district.
Miranda has been an on-again, off-again incumbent since the 1970s and has broad name recognition and fundraising prowess that would make running against him a heavy lift.
“I announced my candidacy in November because I’m committed to serving the people of Tampa. Running in District 3 allows me to still advocate for the same voters city-wide and continue my campaign of inclusion and bold action for our city,” Glover said.
The Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections still lists Glover as a candidate for District 2. Glover said he plans to file new paperwork Tuesday.
Glover’s new race pits him against three candidates: former City Council member John Dingfelder, South Seminole Heights Civic Association President Stephen Lytle, and former teacher and small business owner Vibha Shevade.
Glover has a lot of ground to cover in his new race. Dingfelder has already raised nearly $100,000 and Lytle about half that. Glover has raised less than $4,000.
But the campaign is in full-swing to catch up. Glover also announced Monday hiring Jordan Pride as his campaign manager. Pride worked on St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman’s successful re-election campaign in 2017.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jordan Pride to our team as Campaign Manager,” Glover said in a statement. “Her work engaging young voters and building coalitions has been a big part of wins around Tampa Bay and Florida.”
The campaign is launching a voter communication effort Jan. 12 with a Day of Action.
Pride is a Florida native who also served as a community engagement specialist for the Florida Democratic Party and worked on Sarasota state Rep. Margaret Good’s campaign. She also served as the statewide data director for NextGen America, which worked to mobilize young voters on 40 colleges campuses across the state.
“I’ve been very fortunate to work with some incredible public servants, activists, and volunteers to move our state forward,” Pride said. “Nic is working to bring people together so we can take on the big issues facing Tampa. He’s exactly the kind of leader we need and I’m very excited to share his message with voters.”
John Godwin, a District 2 candidate, told Florida Politics Friday he is staying in the race despite Miranda’s decision. Moshiah Lightburn did not respond to a request for comment.
