Janelle Irwin Taylor
Two people in the Legislature wield more power than Rep. Lawrence McClure — House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton — but neither hail from the Tampa Bay region.
That leaves McClue atop the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Politicians by the obvious numbers, but also in the eyes of a panel of local strategists, former elected officials, journalists, lobbyists and more queried for this year’s list.
It’s a quick rise, from No. 3 last year and No. 6 the year before, that coincides with McClure’s appointment as Chair of the House Appropriations Committee and, as such, the chief budget negotiator in the House.
Holding that particular leadership role in this particular year has proven to be quite the challenge. Despite holding super-majorities in both chambers, House and Senate Republicans have been consistently at odds throughout the budget negotiation process, leading the Legislative Session to extend well beyond its prescribed 60 days.
“There is simply just no other person like Chairman Lawrence McClure. What he has accomplished for not only the Tampa Bay region, but the entire state of Florida, is absolutely remarkable. What’s more is that he does it all with the humility and kindness of a dedicated family man and true public servant,” said Amanda Stewart of Johnston & Stewart Government Strategies.
“The 2025 Legislative Session has been unlike any in recent history, and the residents of our state should be immensely grateful for Chair McClure’s tireless work to pass a balanced and fiscally conservative budget, and to lead efforts to find genuine compromise between House, Senate, and Executive priorities. We can genuinely think of no one more deserving to be at the top of this list, and we are thankful beyond words to call him our friend.”
McClure, in speaking with Florida Politics throughout the negotiations, was never far from an answer — if not on budget resolution, then on next steps and where the negotiations were headed. He kept cards close to his chest when necessary — a negotiating position that is served well by giving too much away — but consistently ensured transparency, especially given the high stakes. Without a budget deal by June 30, the state risked a government shutdown.
What’s perhaps most remarkable about McClure’s leadership this year is his unwavering commitment toward seeing the state’s budget match its projected future needs.
The 2025 Legislative Session was supposed to end May 2. It was one month later, on June 2, that the House and Senate announced they had reached a deal on the nearly $50 billion budget. While it did not include the House priority — a permanent sales tax cut first pitched at three-quarters of a percent and later as just a quarter of a percent — it did include another House priority, eliminating the business rent tax, a reduction of $900 million in recurring revenue. It also included $350 in permanent sales tax cuts, and it included $250 million in debt reduction. The agreement also included $750 million in annual payments to the state Budget Stabilization Fund, which serves as a rainy-day resource.
Taken as a whole, the negotiated agreement checked a lot of House boxes. McClure, in previous conversations with Florida Politics, had emphasized the House’s desire to reduce recurring revenue in order to keep the state lean and increase reserves, a move intended to ensure long-term solvency. The House concern, which McClure repeatedly emphasized, centered on a three-year fiscal outlook that showed the state upside down on its spending, largely a result of what McClure described as inflated spending resulting from pandemic-era funding windfalls that simply won’t be there in future years.
“It shouldn’t be that hard of concept,” he lamented to Florida Politics after budget negotiations initially broke down.
Once the big sticking points were ironed out, rank-and-file lawmakers returned to Tallahassee for relentless budget conferences, with any unresolved issues bumped to McClure and Senate budget chief Ed Hooper.
And in that process, McClure also flexed his political muscle. The Senate adopted the House position on disaster funding for communities, more than $646 million within the Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development budget silo. It was $200 million less than the Senate had sought.
But McClure’s ability to garner respect and, frankly, get stuff done, has been on display long before he wielded the power of the state’s purse strings.
The Dover Republican, elected to office in 2017, established himself quickly as a master of brokering deals in Tallahassee. As Chair of the State Affairs Committee last year, McClure also played a critical policy role in Tallahassee, shepherding some of the most complex and controversial bills to the House floor, but also serving as a graveyard for many more.
Whether watching high-emotion debates about gun control or nixing a controversial elections rewrite days after the committee debuted it, McClure managed the process with appropriate finesse. Not all of that was in conversations airing on The Florida Channel, as McClure worked with leadership and rank membership behind the scenes on policy discussions, establishing McClure as one of the most effective policymakers in Tallahassee.
“Lawrence McClure is a trusted conservative and a strong advocate for Tampa Bay. He quietly wins for the region and doesn’t let the noise distract him,” The Southern Group’s Seth McKeel said.
______
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.
