Jacob Ogles
The stables of Congress include show horses and work horses. There’s no question in which category U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis competes.
The Palm Harbor Republican doesn’t often book cable news spots on the national networks. But he passes legislation, having authorized 63 legislative provisions (and counting) that ultimately became law. Some 75 bills with his name on them have been enacted since his 2015 arrival in Congress, and he has secured more than $200 million in federal dollars directly for constituents.
That snared Bilirakis this slot on the list of Tampa Bay’s Most Powerful Competition. But don’t take our word for it.
The Center for Effective Lawmaking in 2023 named him the most effective lawmaker in Florida and the 7th most effective Republican in Congress, notably at a time when Democrats remained in control of the U.S. House.
More recently, under Republican rule, he ranked 29th overall in the current rankings, ahead of every Florida lawmaker except South Florida U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the just-concluded 118th Congress. That still made him the most successful Republican in the state’s delegation.
He also snagged two Democracy Awards last year from the Congressional Management Foundation, for Constituent Service and Constituent Accountability & Accessibility. Both made note of the Congressman’s focus on delivering for residents back home, whether that means helping veterans access benefits or warning seniors about scams.
“The Rep. Bilirakis office is clearly one of the best in Congress,” said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation. “This designation demonstrates that Rep. Bilirakis and his staff are working hard to provide the best public service possible for his constituents. Rep. Bilirakis and his staff stand out for their exemplary service and dedication to his constituents.”
“Congressman Gus Bilirakis remains one of Tampa Bay’s most dependable voices in Washington. He consistently put wins on the board, whether it’s fighting for the elderly, veterans, or healthcare reform. He is a nonstop advocate for his district and the region,” added RSA Consulting President and CEO Ron Pierce.
Obviously, none of these honors land a lot of attention on Fox News, but the delivery for Tampa Bay is direct, often straight into the pocketbooks of constituents. However, he has also secured significant policy wins with national implications. Just last month, the House Energy & Commerce Committee added four Bilirakis priorities into the reconciliation package that cleared the House. Those included a crackdown on Medicaid payments to deceased beneficiaries, which one study showed will eliminate $249 million in waste and fraud.
With Republicans now controlling the House, Bilirakis also wields significant power through the gavel. He chairs the House Commerce, Manufacturing and Technology Subcommittee, where he directs much of the policy coming out of Congress regarding artificial intelligence. It was Bilirakis through that role who pushed a 10-month moratorium on state regulation of AI into the “One Big Beautiful Bill” legislation championed by President Donald Trump.
After 20 years in Washington, Bilirakis mastered the legislative process in a way unrivaled by nearly any Florida politician. He also demonstrated an innate sense along the way of the direction of politics, endorsing Trump over Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primaries. That helped Bilirakis earn Trump’s reciprocal endorsement last March, support that ultimately drove MAGA wing challengers out of the Republican Primary in the 12th Congressional District.
But he also managed to keep solid relationships on both sides of the aisle, including working with U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, on Veterans Affairs issues affecting both their constituencies. The two worked hand in hand for over a decade to bring a new bed tower to James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, which opened in 2023.
The 62-year-old followed in his father’s footsteps, former U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis, into Congress. The elder Bilirakis served 24 years in Congress before his retirement in 2007. For those keeping count, that means 44 years of Bilirakis’ reign in the region, and Gus Bilirakis has made no hint at plans to retire soon. That means the area may continue to see his influence grow to new heights.
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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.
