Jackie Toledo endorses Karen Gonzalez Pittman as successor

Tampa Republican Rep. Jackie Toledo has endorsed candidate Karen Gonzalez Pittman, a Tampa business owner, as her successor. Gonzalez Pittman’s campaign has also announced the candidate has raised over $80,000 since launching her campaign for House District 65 at the start of March.

Pittman is running to succeed Toledo, who herself is vacating the seat to run for Congress. Gonzalez Pittman’s raised most of her contributions from constituents of the Tampa Bay seat she is running in from 130 individual donors, her campaign announced.

“Karen Gonzalez Pittman has the energy, passion and expertise our community needs to keep taxes low, continue record investments in public schools and protect the most vulnerable among us. Like me, she’ll fight for law and order and our first responders, find ways to make Florida more affordable and solve problems with common-sense solutions. She has my trust, my support and most importantly, she’s earned my vote,” Toledo said in a statement.

The newly-crafted Hillsborough County seat closely resembles current House District 60. Before entering the race, Gonzalez Pittman was running for a seat on the Hillsborough County School Board.

“I’m both proud and humbled to have the endorsement of Representative Jackie Toledo. She’s fought hard to protect our children and seniors. She’s brought home record investments in public schools and infrastructure projects. And she’s raised the profile of Tampa in the Legislature. I will work every day to build on her hard work and keep our community’s needs front and center,” Gonzalez Pittman said in a statement.

Gonzalez Pittman, a Republican, faces Jake Hoffman and Michael Minardi in the Republican Primary for the district.

Gonzalez Pittman also prides herself as an accomplished fundraiser, raising more than $200,000 for her children’s schools by organizing successful auctions, walk-a-thons and a dance-a-thons. She has served as the vice president of both the Mabry and Wilson Middle PTAs, president of the Hillsborough County Medical Association Alliance and is a member of the Florida Medical Association PAC Board.

Gonzalez Pittman, who is a third generation Tampanian, is also a former teacher. She attended the University of South Florida, where she earned her bachelor’s in elementary education and a master’s in measurement, testing and evaluation.