Adam Hattersley to run for Hillsborough County Commission, hopes to reclaim a seat for Dems

Former Democratic state Rep. Adam Hattersley will run for Hillsborough County Commission in District 7 to challenge Joshua Wostal, the incumbent Republican. 

Hattersley is a Navy veteran, an engineer and author. He most recently ran for Florida Chief Financial Officer in 2022, losing to Republican incumbent Jimmy Patronis, who has since left office after winning a Special Election earlier this year for Florida’s 1st Congressional District. In 2020, Hattersley ran for Florida’s 15th Congressional District, losing the Democratic Primary to Alan Cohn, who went on to lose the General Election to Republican Scott Franklin. 

Hattersley was elected to the Florida House in 2018 and served until 2020. He’s launching his campaign promising to bring a solutions-focused leadership back to the Commission. 

His platform prioritizes smart growth, affordability, and transportation, while ensuring opportunity and quality of life for all. 

“As someone who has proudly served our country and our community, I’m deeply concerned about the direction our county government has taken,” Hattersley said. “The Commission has grown increasingly out of step with the needs and values of Hillsborough residents. It’s time for practical leadership that puts people over politics and focuses on real results. I’m running to bring that leadership to every corner of the county by listening to our residents, understanding their concerns, and delivering common-sense solutions.”

Wostal has already filed for his re-election in 2026, and has nearly $20,000 still on hand for the effort. Hattersley will be the first Democrat in the race. Mark Nash had been filed, and raised nearly $23,000, but has since withdrawn. 

Wostal was first elected to the County Commission in 2022, a year that saw a statewide red wave materialize in Hillsborough despite recent trends heading in the opposite direction. Earning more than 52% of the vote, Wostal unseated incumbent Democrat Kimberly Overman in an election that handed Republicans back the majority they had lost just a few years earlier.

Now, Hattersley is seeking to regain the seat for the Democrats.

“I’m running to represent all of Hillsborough County — from our cities to our suburbs to our rural communities,” Hattersley said. “We need smart planning, transparent decision-making, and leadership that brings people together rather than driving us apart.”

Overman is backing Hattersley’s effort to reclaim the seat she lost only a few years ago. 

“Adam brings the kind of calm, thoughtful leadership that Hillsborough County urgently needs,” Overman said. “In recent years, the Commission has drifted from the priorities that matter most to our residents. Adam understands the challenges our communities face, and he has the experience and integrity to lead.”

The District 7 seat is countywide and has a slight Republican advantage, with just over 288,000 voters compared to just under 272,000 for Democrats. Unaffiliated voters may be the difference makers, with nearly 214,000 additional voters. 

Hattersley won his 2018 House race by 3 percentage points, buoyed largely by a campaign that ran left-of-center, emphasizing his military service. 

With Hillsborough County trending red in recent years — Wostal was part of a cycle that saw the GOP advantage expand on the Commission with the defeat of both Overman and Mariella Smith — that same approach may help Hattersley remain competitive. And since it’s a Midterm year under a second Donald Trump presidency, Democrats are hoping to swing the pendulum back in their direction.