Janelle Irwin Taylor
Tampa City Council member Guido Maniscalco has been in Tampa politics for what seems like forever, and in recent years his influence over city policy has grown.
Maniscalco served as City Council Chair most recently from May 2023 until last month. Before that, he served one year as Chair in 2020 and 2021.
His tenure defies term limits, making Maniscalco the second-most senior member of the board, behind only City Council mainstay Charlie Miranda, who has served at various points since the 1970s. Maniscalco was able to skirt term limit rules by running in 2023 for a new seat, having previously served in District 6 but now serving in District 2.
“Over the past decade, Guido Maniscalco has evolved from a bright-eyed young representative of West Tampa into a seasoned citywide council member. His unwavering passion for Tampa has been the foundation of his steady and committed leadership,” said Christina Barker, Chief of Staff in the Vinik Family Office.
“Such experience can sometimes lead to conflicts, as evidenced recently when his colleagues revoked his re-election as chair in response to his appointment decisions. However, Council member Maniscalco has consistently demonstrated that political drama does not hinder his dedication to serving the residents of Tampa, and he will continue to do just that from whatever chair he is assigned.”
First elected in 2015, Maniscalco’s name recognition goes back even further to when he lost his first City Council bid in 2011 to former City Council member Mike Suarez. In his 2023 election, Maniscalco exacted his revenge, defeating Suarez in the election and going on to win handily against Robin Lockett with nearly 62% of the vote.
Maniscalco’s ranking on this list might have been higher had it not been for recent events. Maniscalco, voted in by his peers for another year as Chair in early May, was ousted from the chairmanship just a few weeks later.
Some of our panel returned their rankings before the dustup between Maniscalco and fellow City Council member Bill Carlson, while others responded after the dust had settled.
At issue — though Carlson disputes this rationale — was a vote to install Carlson as Chair of the Public Safety Committee. The local Police Benevolent Association expressed displeasure at Carlson’s appointment, so Maniscalco removed Carlson and instead appointed Council member Luis Viera.
That same week, Carlson in turn moved to reconsider the chairmanship, shifting his vote from Maniscalco to Council member Alan Clendenin, stripping Maniscalco of his leadership post.
Maniscalco accused Carlson of seeking retribution and, while Carlson denies that was his motivation, the timing was suspect.
Still, Maniscalco has been something of a moderating voice on the City Council for the 2020s. As Council members Carlson and Lynn Hurtak often work to pass items that limit Mayor Jane Castor’s reach or to block items that expand it, Maniscalco is often a swing vote on the contentious issues. His votes are typically careful and calculated.
Two years ago, after he was re-elected, Maniscalco touched on priorities in his new term, which he’s now halfway through. He hit on what is perhaps one of the city’s most pressing issues: housing affordability and attainability. Maniscalco noted that he wants “Tampa to be a place for everybody.” He also added transportation and public safety to the list of “necessities that are important to the growth and sustainability of our community.”
And with the Carlson spat, Maniscalco may have inadvertently influenced the next mayoral election. Carlson is widely expected to run in the open contest as Castor reaches term limits. And he’ll likely face former Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Castor’s predecessor, who has all but said he’s running.
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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.
