Janelle Irwin Taylor
Hillsborough County School Board member Melissa Snively is endorsing Lee Lowry for Tampa City Council District 4.
The endorsement is politically appropriate. Snively is a Republican and Lowry is one of two Republicans running in the three-way race for the South Tampa district. Though the City Council race is technically nonpartisan, party politics is always a consideration.
While Democrats have historically held Tampa’s municipally elected offices, South Tampa still has a strong conservative community that could bolster Lowry’s campaign.
Snively said she had known Lowry for a long time and the two have worked together on education initiatives.
“I strongly support Lee Lowry in her campaign for Tampa City Council. I look forward to working with her on initiatives in the city to benefit our students in Hillsborough County such as the Stay and Play Program, Snively said. “The City of Tampa has long been a strong partner with Hillsborough County Schools and I believe Lee’s educational background will benefit that partnership.”
Lowry and Snively have worked together on initiatives at St. John’s Episcopal Church and Parish Day School as well as the Hillsborough Community College Foundation where Lowry serves as the lead fundraiser.
Lowry is immediate past Chair of the State Public Affairs Committee of The Junior Leagues of Florida and is an appointee of the Hillsborough County Commission to the Hillsborough Citizens Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Citizens Review Board as an appointee of Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who has already endorsed Lowry.
Before her work with HCC, Lowry was the Director of Development and Communications at St. John’s Episcopal Church and Parish Day School, and spent several years as the President, CFO and COO of The Junior League of Tampa.
Lowry is running against Tucker Hall President Bill Carlson and dairy business manager Sal Guagliardo.
The election is March 5 with a runoff, if necessary, scheduled for April 23.
