No. 4 on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians: Ed Hooper

It’s hard not to be named among the most powerful politicians when you’re serving as one of just two budget chiefs, and that’s especially true when boiling power down to the local level. 

As the Senate Appropriations Committee Chair, Sen. Ed Hooper quite literally is controlling the purse strings, and that’s great news for his home community in northern Pinellas County and Pasco County. 

And while it may be frustrating to some, the overtime this Legislative Session to afford lawmakers more time to hash out a budget, that had hit wall after wall both during and after the 60-days of regular Session, put Hooper more in the spotlight than he’s ever been. 

“Sen. Ed Hooper exemplifies dedicated public service, bringing decades of experience and a steadfast commitment to the people of Pinellas County. His leadership in the Senate, particularly as Chair of the Appropriations Committee through a very difficult budget year, reflects his deep understanding of the state’s needs and his unwavering dedication to fiscal responsibility,” said Christina Barker, Chief of Staff in the Vinik Family Office.

Last year, in anticipation of his service as Senate budget chief, Hooper snuck into the Top 10. Now that he actually has the job, it’s no wonder he’s bumped up six spots to No. 4. Two years before that, Hooper was ranking near the bottom, at No. 21. This year is his best showing in the history of Florida Politics’ list. 

Hooper’s experience in politics is robust. He was first elected in 1996 to the Clearwater City Council. After a six-year hiatus from elected service, Hooper was elected to the Florida House in 2006, where he served until 2014 before being elected to the Senate in 2018. In between, Hooper had run for Pinellas County Commission, but lost to former County Commissioner Pat Gerard, whose victory that year handed Democrats a majority, though they lost it when she was unseated in 2022. 

That loss is less of a reflection on Hooper — he’s otherwise undefeated — than it is on the partisan winds of change. Pinellas County, like most of the state in the 2022 midterms, saw a massive red wave, which continued again in 2024. When Hooper ran in 2014, Democrats in the county were surging. 

And now, with his term winding down next year and presumably sunsetting his legislative career, Hooper is the second most powerful leader in the state’s upper legislative chamber. 

“Sen. Hooper’s quiet and calm demeanor counters the noise and hurried pace of the legislative process. Since his first election, his steady hand has dealt wins for all of Florida, but especially his district. He’s a true statesman and great advocate for first responders and veterans. Now, he is one of the most influential people in Tallahassee and all of Tampa Bay stands to benefit from his leadership,” said RSA Consulting President and CEO Ron Pierce.

Given the demands of leadership, Hooper wasn’t as active as he has been in years past in terms of sponsoring legislation. He directly sponsored just two bills, and only one of them passed. The one that passed (SB 1866) was symbolic, honoring the State Government Affairs Council for its 50th anniversary. The other, an effort (SB 1908) to increase the amount of funds authorized in the budget stabilization fund, didn’t gain traction, but was largely adopted as part of the Senate’s proposed budget. 

Hooper is widely regarded among his peers — on both sides of the aisle — as an affable guy whose southern charm is infectious. And as a retired firefighter, he’s widely respected as a critical advocate for first responders. 

While Hooper’s budget leadership kept him away from the bill-sponsoring process for the most part, previous years have shown his commitment. 

Hooper introduced 20 bills in the 2024 Legislative Session, before he was leading budget negotiations, and co-introduced another 16. Of those, more than a dozen were successful.

Many of those related to public safety. 

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.

This year, the budget process Hooper has a hand in leading has been anything but ideal. With a Republican super-majority in both chambers, it would be easy to assume lawmakers would have made quick work of finding consensus on state revenue and spending. But the House and Senate were far apart on their goals, particularly as it related to recurring revenue and tax cuts for Floridians. 

Early on, House Speaker Daniel Perez made clear his chamber’s position was that reducing recurring revenue was a must, part of an emerging ideology — one not so different from fiscal hawks of the past — that aims to root out waste and tame government spending, a philosophy popularized (or loathed by those on the Democratic side of the aisle) by tech magnate Elon Musk’s DOGE program with the federal government. The state replicated its own version. 

The House wanted to slash state sales tax by three quarters of a percent, a $5 billion cut. The Senate was more reserved, preferring sales tax holidays or the elimination of sales tax on clothing and shoes that cost up to $75. 

The impasse sent Session into extra innings, and Hooper, along with Senate President Ben Albritton, barely budged from their positions. Ultimately, the chambers agreed to a reduction in recurring revenue of just $2.25 billion, a figure including just $350 million in permanent sales tax reductions. 

What’s more, the agreed-upon tax cut plan included $750 million in annual payments to the Budget Stabilization Fund, an increase Hooper had sought.  

For many in the Legislature, Hooper’s leadership this year and next on budget issues is a sort of cherry on top of his political achievements. 

“Sen. Hooper preceded most of our current Senators with his election to the House in 2006. He has been a mentor to so many of us over the years. I trust his instincts,” Senate President Ben Albritton said in a memo announcing his leadership team last year.

Should Hooper decide to continue his elected service after he faces term limits next year, he might find an easy path ahead, if past is prologue. 

Hooper secured re-election to his Senate District 21 seat last year, easily defeating Democratic challenger Doris Carroll with nearly 60% of the vote. 

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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; Mercury Public Affairs Managing Director Ashley Bauman; 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; and Michelle and Peter Schorsch, publishers of Florida Politics.