Jacob Ogles
Manatee County may frequently be treated as the red-headed stepchild in the Tampa Bay family of counties. But it happens to be represented by some of the state’s most important political leaders.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and state Sens. Jim Boyd and Joe Gruters all represent portions of Manatee, and each has seen their influence massively grow in recent years. That’s good news for the greater Bradenton area and all of Tampa Bay.
“You’re simply not going to find a more dynamic regional powerhouse than the trifecta of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and Sens. Jim Boyd and Joe Gruters,” said Max Goodman, a Sarasota-based political consultant. “All three command and have earned the respect of their colleagues for their political savvy, tireless work ethic and ability to deliver results that directly impact the well-being of their constituents.”
Buchanan, who chairs Florida’s congressional delegation, now serves as the U.S. House Ways and Means Vice Chair, on top of leading the powerful Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. As one of Florida’s senior-most lawmakers, he has been one of the most critical advocates for the waters of Tampa Bay in Washington.
With Republicans in charge of the House, and with a history of working on trade policy with President Donald Trump, his influence has grown, as has his sharp use of it in the federal halls of power.
Boyd, meanwhile, knows well how to navigate the halls of Tallahassee. He serves today as Majority Leader of the Florida Senate, where he for years served as the resident expert on one of Florida’s most complicated issues, property insurance. So long as Republicans hold the chamber next year, a high likelihood, Boyd should be elevated to the post of Senate President, one of the most powerful political positions in state government.
“As the next Senate President, Jim Boyd’s influence is growing as fast as his district. Senator Boyd is a principled conservative, and from insurance reforms to access to affordable healthcare he advocates for a brighter future for all Floridians,” said Natalie Brown, Director of Government and Community Affairs at RSA Consulting. “Senator Boyd advocates for long term, lasting progress with future generations in mind. He leans on his experience in the House and Senate to shepherd quality legislation through the process – whether it has his name on it or not.”
Then there’s Gruters, who boasts connections in both Tallahassee and Washington. He served as Florida co-chair to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, working closely with Susie Wiles, now Trump’s White House Chief of Staff. But as other Trump allies jockeyed for short-lived spots in the administration, Gruters set up a political future for himself by filing for Florida Chief Financial Officer. And while most expect Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint state Sen. Blaise Ingoglia to that job, it’s Gruters who holds endorsements from Trump and most of his GOP colleagues in the Florida Senate.
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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; Michelle and Peter Schorsch, publishers of Florida Politics.
