Kelly Hayes
Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen is launching a new television ad as he runs for re-election.
The humorous new ad, titled “Everybody”, highlights Cohen’s amiability as he brings people together to “get things done.”
Here is the ad:
The ad shows Cohen almost magically turning people from arguments to handshakes and hugs through a simple gesture. It also features Tampa Mayor Jane Castor giving an animated testimonial, saying that Cohen has been endorsed by “like … everybody.”
With this new ad, Cohen is hoping to appeal to the lighter side of voters who appreciate seeing an elected official who is there to serve and not take himself too seriously, his campaign stated.
Cohen has used a similar approach in the past, including a 2019 mayoral ad against his then-opponent Castor. Cohen’s 2019 ad bragged, “He’s not fancy. Not tall. But he’s got big plans for Tampa,” as he was shown dreaming of storm water management and stepping into an elevator with others towering over him.
Cohen is running for re-election in the newly drawn Hillsborough County Commission District 1, which includes South Tampa and MacDill Airforce Base, Davis Islands and Downtown Tampa.
Cohen served two terms on Tampa’s City Council before finishing third in the 2019 Tampa mayoral race. He was elected to the County Commission in 2020.
The freshman Commissioner has earned endorsements from Greater Tampa Realtors, Teamsters Local 79, SEIU Florida, the Tampa Police Benevolent Association, Equality Florida, AFL-CIO’s West Central Florida Labor Council and Hillsborough County Firefighters Local 2294.
Cohen is up for a 2020 rematch against Republican Scott Levinson. Levinson is making another run for the district, despite its new, more Democratic lean. The race will be a test for the new district and will likely not be a walk in the park for Cohen. He only edged out Levinson by 1.4 percentage points.
Neither candidate has a Primary Election challenger, sending them straight to their General Election rematch in November.
