Peter Schorsch
Tampa City Council veteran Charlie Miranda has proven once again that he has staying power among city voters, landing victory over challenger Hoyt Prindle in the municipal runoff election Tuesday.
Miranda captured 50.91% of the vote, sending him to a ninth term in office. Miranda has served variable on Council since 1974.
That’s based on unofficial election results with all precincts in.
Prindle posed the most credible threat Miranda has faced in recent memory, securing just enough votes in the March General Election to force a runoff. Miranda fell less than a percentage point from winning the race outright, but fell short of the 50% plus one vote needed to avoid a runoff.
Miranda currently represents District 2, but was elected to District 6 this race. He is swapping seats due to term limits.
State Democrats cheered the results of the Tampa elections. Voters also elected Alan Clendenin, Guido Maniscalco and Lynn Hurtak to council seats.
“Tonight, Tampa voters elected an outstanding group of Democrats who know what it means to serve the needs of their constituents. Congratulations, Councilmember-elect Clendenin, Maniscalco, Hurtak, and Miranda, on your city council election wins. The Florida Democratic Party looks forward to seeing you all work together to ensure the growth and prosperity of Tampa,” said Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried.
It was an uphill battle for Prindle from the start. He faced not only Miranda’s massive name recognition resulting from decades of service, but a huge funding disadvantage as well. Prindle raised less than half what Miranda brought it — just over $60,000 compared to more than $140,000 for Miranda.
He did appear to have at least a little outside support. The Getting Things Done political committee, chaired by Jason Blank, a prominent South Florida attorney who runs numerous committees for Democrats, bankrolled a mailer saying Miranda “supports our traditional family values,” noting votes against transgender protections.
The mailer appeared geared toward anti-LGBTQ conservatives, and the use of the pronoun “our” suggested it was sent from a similarly aligned group. But the mailer went to Democrats, a clear attempt to woo voters to Prindle amid heightened tensions over LGBTQ issues in the state.
Still, Miranda’s track record of attentive constituent service won the day.
