Andrew Learned to launch House campaign at Riverview ‘new urbanism’ community

Andrew Learned is hosting his official campaign kickoff at 5 p.m. Oct. 23 at The Patio at Winthrop Liquors at 11127 Winthrop Market St. in Riverview.

Learned is running for Florida House District 59, now represented by Adam Hattersley, who is leaving office to run for Congress.

“Over the last two years, people like YOU joined forces and together we came so far together. Putting this battleground district on the map, fighting for peoples’ healthcare, better schools and teacher pay, a cleaner environment, and an end to partisan games in Tallahassee,” a Facebook event page for the kickoff reads.

John and Kay Sullivan, founders of the new urbanism community Winthrop Town Centre, are hosting the event.

According to the Facebook event page, 33 people plan to attend with another 74 who are “interested.”

Learned is one of four candidates running for the East Hillsborough District. He faces one opponent in the Democratic primary, Mark Oliver. Oliver has not reported any fundraising. Learned, meanwhile, has raised nearly $21,000.

Two candidates are running in the Republican primary including Melissa Haskins and Michael Owen. Owen has more than doubled Learned’s fundraising with nearly $55,000 raised. Haskins has raised less than $9,000.

Learned had been running in Congressional District 15 seeking to unseat embattled Congressman Ross Spano. However, Learned swapped races with Hattersley this summer.

Learned ran for Congress in 2018, losing the primary to Kristen Carlson before Spano defeated her by six points.

House District 59 has historically leaned red, but Democrats have surged there in recent years. The district now has about 5,500 more Democratic voters than Republican.