Peter Schorsch
Tampa City Council candidate Hoyt Prindle III is officially kicking off his campaign for District 6 on Dec. 14, he announced Friday.
The kickoff will be at Cigar City Brewery in Tampa from 6-8 p.m.
Prindle is launching his campaign with early support from Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp.
“I am excited to see Hoyt on the Tampa City Council. He is a natural leader and his background as a businessman, lawyer and community advocate will bring a much-needed voice to the Tampa City Council,” Kemp said in an endorsement announcement.
“Hoyt has worked tirelessly on the Hillsborough TPO’s (Transportation Planning Organization) Citizens Advisory Committee to promote and advance better multimodal transportation options for our community.”
Kemp, a longtime transportation advocate for Hillsborough County, added she is confident Hoyt would be “effective at moving the ball forward for the necessary changes that need to happen to better our community.”
Prindle filed to run for the seat in May. The seat is currently held by Guido Maniscalco who is facing term limits. Two other candidates have filed for the seat so far, including Tyler Barrett and Rick Fifer.
Prindle is off to an early fundraising lead among the field, with nearly $24,000 banked as of the end of October. Barrett has raised just $3,100 while Fifer has yet to post any fundraising activity, though he didn’t file until this week and hasn’t reached his first filing deadline. Barrett entered the race in mid-October.
Prindle has so far been a critic of the existing Council, noting distracting dysfunction.
In recent months, scandal has plagued the existing board, including a public records lawsuit that prompted former City Council member John Dingfelder to resign and a defamation lawsuit against Orlando Gudes, which, even though dismissed, prompted him to step down from his position as board Chair.
Tampa municipal races are nonpartisan.
