Gwen Myers re-elected without opposition to Hillsborough County Commission

Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers will continue to serve the District 3 seat after qualifying without opposition Friday.

Myers, a Tampa Democrat, was first elected to the seat in a Special Election in 2020 following the retirement of former Commission Chair Les Miller, who had sat on the Board since 2010. Miller had been a public servant in Florida for more than 50 years.

Despite Myers facing an easy re-election as an unopposed incumbent, her initial election was not so smooth. In 2020, she fought her way to the Democratic nomination in a crowded, five-candidate Primary. After winning the nomination, she earned support from all previous opponents. It was also her first time running in the political sphere.

Although Myers’ GOP opponent from 2020, Maura Cruz Lanz, had pre-filed candidacy papers in October 2021, she withdrew from the race less than a week after, and Myers remained unopposed since.

Myers’ campaign raised $100,109 since she entered the race, and she’s only spent $1,054 of that amount, leaving her with cash for her next run.

The district includes downtown Tampa, Ybor City, West Tampa and parts of Seminole Heights, some of the most liberal parts of the county.

Myers is a civic activist and retired Hillsborough County official. She previously served on Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s African American Advisory Council as well as on the Hillsborough County Health Care Advisory Board and the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, among others.