Janelle Irwin Taylor
Sen. Ed Hooper drew a challenger this year for re-election to Senate District 21, which he has represented since being elected in 2018. He’s also in line to be the next Chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, an assignment that signals strength in the upper chamber, and allies in power.
Hooper faces John Siamas in Tuesday’s Primary, but there’s little reason to believe it will be a close race. Siamas hasn’t raised a dime. Instead, he has self-financed his race with close to $80,000, nearly $65,000 of which he had spent as of Aug. 15, according to the most recent campaign finance records publicly available.
Hooper, meanwhile, has raised nearly $218,000, and as of Aug. 15 had nearly $1.5 million left in his Friends of Ed Hooper political committee, which from Aug. 8-15 alone brought in more than $51,000. In fact, since early February, when Siamas entered the race, Hooper’s committee collected nearly $2 million.
While defeating any incumbent is a challenge, doing so against an incumbent who has proven popular in his district, and one with a sizable cash advantage, is particularly difficult.
Still, Siamas is making a go of it. Regarding campaign contributions, the Navy veteran and retired accountant has said he is not accepting donations, according to his campaign website. And he’s vowed, if elected, to refuse his salary.
“When elected, I am committed to donating my entire salary to a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeowners with their legal fees in lawsuits against corrupt HOA Board members,” he wrote. “Furthermore, I will not be asking for campaign donations because I believe in preserving the hard-earned money of Floridians and remaining free from the influence of special interest groups. I WILL NOT be bought.”
Siamas lists rising insurance costs, corruption in homeowners associations and condo boards, property tax credits for association dues, blockchain and cryptocurrency, and school technology as top issues facing the Pasco County-based district.
But Siamas doesn’t list any endorsers on his website and, without donations, it’s difficult to ascertain whether he has attracted much support. His campaign Facebook page has just 130 followers and very little interaction with voters.
And in its recommendation for Hooper in the GOP Primary, the Tampa Bay Times editorial board wrote that “Hooper is the only viable candidate,” noting that Siamas “had a hard time articulating to the Editorial Board a coherent plan for addressing issues facing the state.”
Meanwhile, Hooper doesn’t appear concerned. His website is bare bones, and it includes a countdown to Election Day, except that countdown is for the General Election, not the Primary.
Earlier this year, Hooper ranked at No. 10 on Florida Politics’ list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians, a list derived from votes among the top political operatives and insiders in the region and state.
Hooper introduced 20 bills in the 2024 Legislative Session, and co-introduced another 16. Of those, more than a dozen were successful.
Hooper, a retired firefighter, often champions legislation benefiting first responders. This year was no different.
He sponsored a successful measure honoring the 80th anniversary of the Florida Professional Firefighters Association, which cleared with bipartisan support and without much fanfare.
Hooper also successfully ushered through legislation (SB 718) establishing a new felony for anyone age 18 or older who “in the course of unlawfully possessing dangerous fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, recklessly exposes a first responder” to the drug and it results in “an overdose or serious bodily injury.”
He successfully sponsored another measure (SB 184) establishing a misdemeanor against anyone who impedes, threatens or harasses a first responder.
Public safety, in general, has been a top Hooper priority, as evidenced by Hooper’s co-sponsorship of “Victoria’s Law.” It establishes “Revive Awareness Day” authorizing the Governor to issue an annual proclamation encouraging the Department of Health to raise awareness of the dangers of opioid use and overdose. Hooper sponsored the legislation with Sen. Jason Brodeur.
Prior to his service in the Senate, Hooper served four terms in the lower chamber, making him one of the most senior members in the Legislature.
Whoever wins the GOP Primary will face Democrat Doris Carroll in the General Election, though the Primary is likely to ultimately be the final decider. The district is heavily Republican, with nearly 41% of voters registered to the Republican Party, compared to just 27% to the Democratic Party, according to the most recent L2 voter data.
And Carroll hasn’t raised much, with just under $4,400 brought in as of Aug. 15 and, of that, less than half remaining.
