Janelle Irwin Taylor
Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen often flies under the radar — and not just because of his short stature, which Cohen himself has joked about. But make no mistake, he’s got the chops to make this list, and the evidence is in his ability to survive political winds that have swept others away.
As one of just two Democrats on the seven-member County Commission, Cohen must navigate the complexities of governing amid a GOP supermajority, a task that is particularly challenging considering he once served from the majority.
“Commissioner Cohen is a Democrat who has earned the respect and cooperation of his Republican colleagues working with them to advance key initiatives like renewing the much-needed Community Investment Tax,” said Christina Barker, Chief of Staff in the Vinik Family Office. “Additionally, his leadership in the search for a new airport CEO will leave a lasting legacy on one of Tampa Bay’s most vital institutions. His ability to listen, collaborate, and build consensus across diverse stakeholders has made him an effective leader dedicated to meeting the evolving needs of the community.”
Demonstrating his strength, Cohen survived his 2022 re-election bid — just two years after his successful election, which flipped a seat from red to blue — in a cycle that was the political version of Game of Thrones’ red wedding.
Cohen narrowly held onto his seat by less than a percentage point, a razor-thin victory that looked like a landslide compared to two of Cohen’s Democratic colleagues. Former Commissioner Mariella Smith lost her seat by nearly 6 percentage points, while former Commissioner Kimberly Overman lost hers by about 5 percentage points.
Those two Democratic losses fundamentally reshaped the Commission, leaving Cohen with the tall task of learning to serve from the minority.
It’s not a familiar position for Cohen. As a former Tampa City Council member, Cohen was more accustomed to serving alongside all Democrats and under a Democratic Mayor. But he has proven adept at navigating the challenge.
While it no longer matters now that the state has banned it, Cohen successfully blocked an effort earlier this year to ban fluoride from the county’s drinking water. He did so even without the support of the only other Democrat on the dais, Gwen Myers, who was absent for the 3-3 deadlocked vote. Calling the proposal “irresponsible,” Cohen successfully managed to bring to his side Republican Commissioners Ken Hagan, often a swing vote for Democrats, and Chris Boles.
“Harry has proven he can get things done and has built a reputation for being both collaborative and pragmatic. Also, if you don’t like Harry on a personal level, that says more about you than it does about him,” Democratic strategist Chris Mitchell said.
While Cohen is no stranger to Tampa Bay politics — having served on the Tampa City Council, run for Mayor and won a County Commission seat — this is his debut on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians.
Looking back, it’s a wonder he didn’t get here sooner.
Cohen finished third in a crowded 2019 Mayor’s race, which ultimately saw now-Mayor Jane Castor defeat the late philanthropist David Straz by an embarrassing margin. Those in local political circles wondered quietly at the time whether the outcome might have been different had Cohen edged out a second-place finish in the election to be in the runoff with Castor. Straz’s spending, many believed, propelled him to the runoff only to get bludgeoned by Castor.
We’ll never know whether Cohen could have beat Castor, but one thing is clear: His campaign had the chops.
In one particularly fun example, Cohen launched what was objectively the most effective television ad that election cycle. It was a lighthearted spot filled with funky music and punchy dad jokes, and even a self-deprecating admission that Cohen may not be tall, “but he’s got big plans for Tampa.”
Cohen will have the chance to continue proving himself as a powerhouse in Tampa Bay politics. He faces another re-election campaign next year, a Midterm year that likely will show whether the politics of President Donald Trump again trickle down to local races.
The red wave that happened in 2022, the last Midterm Election cycle, served as a referendum locally on President Joe Biden, even as the rest of the country eschewed historic precedent that favors the party out of power in the White House. In 2018, the last Midterm cycle when Trump was in office, Democrats nearly swept all competitive races in Hillsborough, and the county went for Democrats in statewide races that Republicans ultimately won, including for U.S. Senator, Governor and Chief Financial Officer.
But a lot has changed since 2018 as Hillsborough gets redder. Cohen’s District 1 seat favors the GOP in voter registration, with nearly 7,000 more Republicans than Democrats. More than a quarter of the district’s voters are registered without party affiliation, voters Cohen will need to again prove his might and survive another re-election.
He has already shown he knows how to raise the money to make it happen. In addition to his more than $200,000 campaign haul in his last election, Cohen also raised hundreds of thousands to his affiliated political committee, Hillsborough Together.
While Cohen hasn’t yet officially filed for re-election, he maintains about $150,000 in the committee, all raised in the first three months of this year.
And with the Mayor’s race opening again in 2027, speculation is already starting that Cohen could take another shot at executive office.
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A special thanks to RSA Consulting Group, the sponsor of this year’s rankings.
As for methodology, we define the Tampa Bay region as Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco, but we 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.
We also want to thank our experienced and knowledgeable panelists, who were essential to developing the 2025 list: Vinik Family Office Chief of Staff Christina Barker; communications consultant Ashley Bauman of Mercury Public Affairs; Matt Blair of Corcoran Partners; Reggie Cardozo of The Public Square; Stephanie Cardozo of The Southern Group; Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick managing partner Ron Christaldi; former state Sen. Janet Cruz; political consultant/strategist Barry Edwards; Vicidial Group President Matt Florell; Sunrise Consulting Group President Shawn Foster; businessman Michael Griffin; Clay Hollis of Tucker/Hall; Natalie King of RSA Consulting Group; Moffitt Cancer Center VP of Public Affairs and Communications Merritt Martin; former state Rep. Seth McKeel of The Southern Group; political consultant Chris Mitchell; Mike Moore of The Southern Group; RSA President and CEO Ron Pierce; Tucker/Hall CEO Darren Richards; political consultant Jim Rimes; political consultant Preston Rudie of Catalyst Communications Group; TECO VP of State and Regional Affairs Stephanie Smith; lobbyist Alan Suskey of Shumaker Advisors; Doyle Walsh, Chief of Staff for St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch; Michelle and Peter Schorsch, publishers of Florida Politics.
