Janelle Irwin Taylor
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell continues to enjoy a position of relative authority in the House. It’s relative because Republicans have a supermajority in both legislative chambers, making it difficult for Democrats to chip away at conservative policies they oppose and near impossible to champion those they support.
But for Driskell — who rose from No. 13 on the list last year to No. 9 this year — it’s a sort of “hold my beer” type of personal challenge.
Driskell was the first Black woman chosen to lead a party caucus in the House. But it’s her ability to turn the seemingly impossible into possible — or at least make waves when she can’t — that really leads to these superlatives for Driskell.
“Fentrice Driskell navigates the challenges of leading the House Democrats with a poised yet forthright approach,” said strategist Christina Barker. “A determined and unwavering advocate for Floridians, particularly those facing the greatest challenges, she has earned a reputation as a formidable force and a rising star in Florida politics.”
Driskell herself didn’t have much to tout from the 2024 Legislative Session. But a look back at 2023 — before Gov. Ron DeSantis became presidential candidate Ron DeSantis — shows her fight.
She led the effort to mitigate any potential additional abortion restrictions that might come up in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and leaving it to states to regulate abortion access. She vowed to fight any legislation that limits access to abortion care, which Driskell has repeatedly described as women’s health care. And even though she wasn’t successful, fight she did. And she continues the trudge.
Earlier this month, Driskell went on the record blasting the Florida Supreme Court for upholding Florida’s strict 15-week abortion ban, which triggered an even more strict six-week ban. She called Florida “the land of government interference” and criticized GOP leaders for “deciding what’s best for pregnant women and girls.”
Driskell’s is a voice that Democrats look to when things don’t go their way, which is pretty much always.
“Fentrice Driskell is one of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars — here in Florida and nationally,” said Matt Herndon of RSA Consulting.
“A graduate of both Harvard University and Georgetown University’s Law Center, she is among the most intelligent and dynamic leaders in the state. As Leader of the House Democratic Caucus and head of the House Democrats’ campaign arm, she has done an excellent job of navigating the challenges of being in the super-minority and helping her caucus achieve hard-fought wins. Whatever she decides to do next, Leader Driskell’s future is incredibly bright.
Earlier this year, in her rebuttal to DeSantis’ State of the State address, Driskell openly lamented DeSantis’ presidential aspirations as a loss for all Floridians, arguing that Republican lawmakers “traded freedom” to support the Governor’s presidential bid. She called for more attention to “pocketbook issues, not book bans” and “affordability solutions instead of abortion restrictions.”
She was also a prominent voice during one of last year’s most attention-grabbing scandals, which came late in 2023 when then-Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler was accused of rape. It also came out that he and his wife, Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler, had engaged in three-way sex with the woman who accused Ziegler.
Charges were not ultimately filed in that case. But it has shined a blinding spotlight on perceived hypocrisy, as critics pounced on Bridget Ziegler for pushing anti-LGBTQ policies while she herself had engaged in a same-sex sexual encounter. Driskell was one of many Democrats calling for Christian Ziegler’s resignation, saying that by not doing so, he would be sending “a chilling message to the women of Florida about how the Republican Party views sexual assault.”
What’s more, Fentrice was considered a possible challenger to U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. She ultimately decided to seek re-election rather than run for higher office, but being considered for a race that requires a high-profile leader to even come close to toppling the thus far undefeated Scott is an indication of Driskell’s staying power.
Another Driskell quality might be refreshing to some, but irksome to others: She’s not afraid to call things as she sees them.
Some Democratic leaders, including the next Senate Democratic Leader, Jason Pizzo, found at least some reason for optimism in the 2024 Legislative Session. They noted that 2024 had fewer culture war issues than the year before and more work across the aisle. But Driskell took a different tone.
“We could have acted on property insurance. So far, every solution the Legislature has offered has been to benefit the insurance companies. To stabilize the market and bring prices under control, we need solutions that balance both the needs of the companies and the needs of the people of Florida,” she lamented, along with a host of other beefs about the 60-day Session.
Driskell will pass her leadership baton for the 2026-28 term to Christine Hunschofsky, but it’s unlikely that her torch will extinguish that easily. Watch for Driskell to continue leading, even when doing so in a ruby-red Legislature seems futile.
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Methodology
We define the Tampa Bay region as Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco, but can also include Hernando, Polk or Sarasota — if the politicians from those counties impact either Pinellas or Hillsborough.
We define a politician as being in office or running for office.
Being first on a panelist’s list earns the politician 25 points, second earns them 24 points and so on, to where being listed 25th earns a politician one point. Points are added and, voilà, we have a list.
Special thanks go to our experienced and knowledgeable panelists, who were essential to developing the 2024 list: Christina Barker of the Vinik Family Office, Ashley Bauman of Mercury, Matthew Blair of Corcoran Partners, Ed Briggs of RSA Consulting, political consultant Maya Brown, Ricky Butler of the Pinellas Co. Sheriff’s Office, Reggie Cardozo of The Public Square, Ronald Christaldi of Schumaker, Ana Cruz of Ballard Partners, Justin Day of Capital City Consulting, Barry Edwards, Joe Farrell of Pinellas Realtors, pollster Matt Florell of Vicidial Group, Shawn Foster of Sunrise Consulting Group, Adam Giery of Strategos Group, political consultant Max Goodman, Mike Griffin of Savills, Natalie King of RSA Consulting, political consultant Benjamin Kirby, TECO Energy Regional Affairs Coordinator Shannon Love, Merritt Martin of Moffitt Cancer Center, Mike Moore of The Southern Group, political consultant Anthony Pedicini, Ron Pierce of RSA Consulting, J.C. Pritchett, pastor of St. Pete’s Faith Church, Darren Richards of Tucker/Hall, Preston Rudie of Catalyst Communications Group, Amanda Stewart of Johnston and Stewart, and Alan Suskey of Shumaker Advisors. With Michelle and Peter Schorsch.
