Dana Marie Cottrell, 51, is a teacher from Spring Hill. This marks her second time challenging incumbent Daniel Webster, a former Florida House speaker who won the seat with 65 percent of the vote in 2018. Cottrell says her 28 years of experience as an employee in a low-paying profession makes her better able to understand and act as a champion for average Americans.

Walker, 51, is a software engineer for the Department of Treasury. She has also worked as a state correctional officer and served active duty in the U.S. Army and the Florida Air Force National Guard. Her priorities center on jobs, veteran services and education. She is proposing a program to better screen soldiers for PTSD before they are discharged and facilitating more support for trauma through the VA. She also proposes creating a refundable teachers tax credit to increase take-home pay by $230 a week. Walker is also calling for the end of student loan interest rates.

Democrat Charlie Crist, 64, is a St. Petersburg native, former Republican and incumbent two-term congressman. His political career has taken him through nearly every level of government: Before he served in the U.S. House of Representatives, he was first a state senator, education commissioner, attorney general and Florida’s governor from 2007 to 2011. Crist touted the Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act, which gives second chances to veterans who commit nonviolent crimes and which he wrote. He said he knows his community and shares its values.

Castor has been the Democratic incumbent since 2007. The scion of a well-known Hillsborough County political family, Castor, 54, is an attorney and former county commissioner. She has become a close ally of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and has taken an increasingly vocal and public role on the issue of climate change, chairing the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. She has never faced a serious challenger for reelection.

Alan Cohn, 57, is a communications executive and former broadcast journalist taking his second chance at winning the District 15 seat after an unsuccessful bid in 2014. Cohn says his background as an investigative reporter for ABC’s Sarasota affiliate ABC7 would help him hold the powerful accountable should he be elected to Congress. He wants to rebuild the economy for working families, make health care costs more transparent and affordable, and take a leadership role in addressing climate change.

Margaret Good, 46, has served as a state representative since 2018. A qualified attorney, she also has experience in the nonprofit world with United Way and the Florida Agricultural Center and Horse Park, an economic development project. She lists her priorities as lowering taxes for the middle class, investing in job and skill training programs, especially clean energy jobs, protecting health coverage for pre-existing conditions and enacting smart policies to combat climate change. She also calls for protections for women's rights, smart gun-control policy that respects the Second Amendment and an increase in police force diversity with an expansion of implicit bias training and community policing.

Andrew Warren, 43, a former federal prosecutor, was elected as the State Attorney for Hillsborough County in 2016. A Democrat, Warren has since then cultivated his own brand of progressive criminal justice. He has championed the expansion of a civil citation programs for juveniles and some adult offenders. He created a program designed to take guns away from people who commit domestic violence. He has reduced prosecutions of crimes such as driving with a suspended license, which he says contribute to the criminalization of poverty. He also created a conviction review unit, designed to root out wrongful convictions.

Born in New Orleans, Darryl Rouson, 65, a Democrat, graduated high school in St. Petersburg. A lawyer by trade, Rouson was Pinellas County’s first Black assistant state attorney and opened his own firm. A recovering addict who was once homeless, Rouson has been a longtime community activist, once serving as president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP, chairman of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and on the city’s Charter Review Commission. He spent eight years in the Florida House before winning his Senate seat in 2016.

Kathy Lewis, 59, is running to help fix the government that she says is failing too many Floridians. The mother of a daughter with a disability, Lewis said she had to fight through frustrating layers of government bureaucracy to get her daughter the benefits she was entitled to. Now, with a pandemic consuming Florida, she wants to help her potential constituents get more out of their government, too. This is Lewis' second run at this seat. In 2018, she lost despite a surprisingly strong showing against the well-funded incumbent Republican Sen. Tom Lee.

When Anthony "Tony" Eldon, 23, is not teaching middle school in Bradenton, he's running his media company, BLKThought, LLC. Eldon is quite politically active on Instagram, where his blk.thought account dedicated to Black history and Black news has nearly 80,000 followers. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Eldon says he is running to breathe fresh air into a Legislature he says has ignored the health care needs of Floridians for too long. He would vote to expand Medicaid if elected.

This marks Gosai's second foray into politics. In 2018, the 61-year-old ran for the Democratic nomination for U.S. House District 3 but finished last in a three-way race. He has lived for 24 years in the Citrus County town of Hernando. Gosai stresses his background as a businessman and an educator, which he says gives him a unique insight into the needs of District 34. He has pledged to work with state and community leaders to ensure that "common-sense decisions" are made in issues such as the economy, education, the environment, social justice and equality.

A 17-year resident of Hernando County, Laufenberg, 75, is a Marine Corps veteran who was both an amateur and professional boxer. A native of Long Island, he said he has chosen to run "because we need to change our system from that of a capitalist system that runs a society that has become entirely dependent upon money and possessions, praising the wealthy while denigrating the poor and this is what they will call a 'Democracy?' " Laufenberg has also been especially critical of opponent Blaise Ingoglia's purchase of former park sites in Spring Hill sold to him for home sites at what Laufenberg considers an unfair price, damaging to Spring Hill residents who were promised the open space when they bought their homes.

Endonino, 36, is a native of Long Island who came to Pasco County 25 years ago with his family. He decided to run because he has not seen the incumbent make meaningful strides for Pasco County. "I have felt for too long our state Legislature has ignored important issues such as climate change and poverty, especially in this district. I decided to run after having many conversations with people in the community and thought “if not now, when?”

Garcia, 37, is a Tampa native who lived several years in North Carolina before returning to be near family. She is making her second run for the seat in the State House, seeking it for the same reason as before. "We need elected officials that actually care about the people they are representing rather than corporations that keep their campaigns funded. I want to make state level changes that work in the best interest of the people of Pasco. I also believe that voters need a choice in representation and I want to make sure that the people of central Pasco have a choice," she said.

Staver, 61, was born in Virginia and came to Pasco County five years ago. He served in the Navy learning a variety of skills ranging from firefighting and electronics, to emergency medical treatments and search and rescue. He ran unsuccessfully for the School Board in 2018 but decided to run now because "I could no longer stand by and watch our current legislators undermine our democracy. Why now, because I now have the time and energy to address a life-long ambition to become part of the solution," Staver said.

Hottenstein, 49, says he’s running because “we need better public service out of Tallahassee.” He spent 24 years in the Navy and retired as a lieutenant commander in 2012. He has taught in Hillsborough County schools since 2013 and in 2019 was a finalist for Hillsborough Teacher of the Year. He ran unsuccessfully for Hillsborough County School Board in 2018.

Cleo Leroy “CL” Townsend, Jr., 77, is a sixth-generation Floridian and a retired public health worker and pharmacist. He has lived in Plant City for ten years, has five children who are grown and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Plant City. His career spanned from working for the Peace Corps in Malaysia to being a public health manager in Florida before retiring in 2013. This is his first run for public office. "There's a need for a representative to be really engaged with their district and the issues going on," he said. "That hasn't happened."

Andrew Learned, 34, is a veteran U.S. Navy officer and owner of Grade Power Learning Center in Valrico. He is a former Republican, now Democrat. In 2018, Learned ran for Congress in Florida's 15th District. Learned supports policy such as the legalization of marijuana, the restoration of voting rights for those formerly incarcerated, and a ban on offshore drilling. Learned also supports home rule, allowing local communities to make decisions that affect local residents, when pragmatic.

Jenkins, 58, ran unsuccessfully three times for City Council, most recently in 2015, when she lost to Charlie Miranda. She didn't face an opponent in the Democratic primary. Jenkins says the environment, education and health care are her primary concerns.

Valdes, 55, was elected in 2018. The Democrat previously served for 14 years as a Hillsborough County School Board member.

Harrington, 36, is a seventh grade civics teacher at Sergeant Smith Middle School in Tampa who is making her second run at House District 64. She lost to the Republican incumbent in 2018. She graduated from Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport and has taught in Hillsborough County since 2013. “The handling of COVID from the governor’s office has been a complete and total disaster," she said. “It has just been a complete lack of transparency with the numbers and handling the virus.”

Kelly Johnson, 48, says she got into this race in part because of her frustration with Florida's unemployment system. She is still on furlough from her job as a personal trainer because of the coronavirus pandemic, and she believes it's time for new leadership in Tallahassee. A lifelong resident of Pinellas County, she said she knows what it takes to represent her region. Should she beat incumbent Republican Chris Sprowls, it would be the first time an incoming speaker of the house lost since Chris Dorworth in 2012.

Patricia Plantamura, 62, is semi-retired after working a number of jobs. Plantamura was formerly elected Seminole City Councilor from 2009 to 2015. She was once a teacher in Hillsborough and Pinellas and a federal law enforcement officer (ICE). Plantamura also formerly worked in private business, including telecommunications (GTE) and international divisions of export companies. Plantamura's priorities include public health, small business, and the environment, topics she believes intersect. Plantamura believes education has long gone underfunded and priorities education at all levels. She supports a ban on assault weapons as they are intended for military use, however, believes there must be a balance in responsible ownership and regulation.

Dawn Douglas has lived in Pinellas county since the first grade, according to the campaign’s website. Once a public school teacher, the website says Douglas advocates for the public education and has lobbied for the issue both locally and in Tallahassee. Top issues highlighted on the website include environmental issues (specifically protecting water quality), improving public transportation, and using tax payer dollars for citizens’ interest as opposed to corporate interest.

Ben Diamond, 42, grew up in Pinellas County. He was first elected to the Florida House in 2016. Diamond was the editor of the Florida Law Review in law school and later clerked for federal court of appeals Judge Emmett Ripley Cox. He worked for legal giant Akerman LLP and also served as general counsel Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Webb was first elected to the State House of Representatives in 2018. The 40-year-old currently serves on four subcommittees: criminal justice, gaming control, higher education and career readiness and PreK-12 Innovation. She initially ran for the district 69 seat in 2016, but lost to incumbent Rep. Kathleen Peters. Her campaign website highlights issues such as federal relief funding, small businesses, unemployment, education and the environment. It also emphasizes her environmental advocacy and multiple bills she has cosponsored in this vein, including an anti-fracking bill, a climate change research bill and a red tide mitigation bill.

Pruitt, 52, was born in Lima, Ohio, raised in nearby Wapakoneta and moved to Tampa at 15. He joined the Tampa Police Department in 1990 and worked as a patrol officer for about 15 years, spending time in all three police districts. After a promotion to detective, he was assigned to a drug squad, then made supervisor of a Rapid Offender Control Squad focused on high-crime areas. After a stint as an environmental crimes detective tackling blight in East Tampa, he was promoted to corporal and assigned to a midnight patrol squad. After retiring in 2015, Pruitt took a job with California-based Professional Security Consultants, the contractor that provides security for shopping center giant The Westfield Corp. He ran against Chronister in 2018, garnering 45 percent of the vote in a two-way race. Pruitt left his security director job in 2019.

Henriquez, 56, a fifth-generation Tampa resident, is a Democrat seeking his third term as property appraiser. Henriquez is a former state representative, county director for the Division of Children and Family Services and has worked as a Hillsborough County planner. He is also a former high school football coach and will appear on the ballot with "Coach" as part of his name.

Nancy Millan is a longtime staff member in the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office who has served as its director of community relations, responsible for the office’s public outreach efforts, since 2001. A Tampa native, Millan, 53, used her communications strategy at the office to educate the public about an array of service improvements. As tax collector, she wants to continue the office’s focus on customers and expand online services. She’s also interested in expanding a pilot project that provides some services at self-serve kiosks in retail locations.

Harry Cohen, 50, is a Tampa native and moved back to the area in 1998 where he is well-known in political circles. He was elected to two terms on Tampa City Council and made an unsuccessful run for Tampa mayor last year. After finishing third in the mayor’s race, he served as co-chair of Mayor Jane Castor’s transition team. He previously was deputy clerk to Hillsborough Circuit Court Clerk Pat Frank and now serves as the office’s general counsel.

Gwen Myers, 66, is making her first run for public office. She retired in 2013 after 25 years as contracts manager and health care supervisor for Hillsborough County and she points to that government and community experience as a top attribute. During her career, she said, she worked for community revitalization in the University of South Florida area, including building a sheriff’s and the Community Development Center; worked on flood drainage and housing renovation in Progress Village, and designed and managed a program for first-time home buyers.

Patricia "Pat'' Kemp, 63, is finishing her first term as Hillsborough County commissioner representing District 6. A former radio news director, she switched careers to become a lawyer and served as an aide to then-County Commissioner Kathy Castor from 2003-06. She has worked to expand affordable housing and to increase impact fees to ensure new homes help pay for increased demand for services.

Eliseo Santana, 62, worked as a communications maintenance supervisor at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for 31 years before retiring in 2012. Santana has no law enforcement experience, but said he has a unique perspective on the agency and what he believes needs to change. Santana, who is Puerto Rican, said he experienced racism during his career there. He also said he learned technical skills that would help him implement a key campaign promise: body cameras for deputies. He served in the U.S. Army, 1976-1980, and the Florida National Guard 1980-1982.

Trevor Mallory, 48, is a property, renovation and maintenance manager of 104 properties for Family First Homes, an affordable housing property management firm. He previously ran for St. Petersburg City Council in 2013. Mallory is president of the Pinellas County Democratic Black Caucus and outreach chair for the county party’s executive committee. A lifelong Pinellas County resident, Mallory attended Lakewood High then went on to play minor-league baseball.

Saportas, 72, has lived in Pinellas County for 21 years. He is currently a broker and agent at Saportas Insurance Services & Consulting, as well as a consultant at Skybeam Technologies, Inc. where he works in LED technologies and commercial lighting. Saportas’ website emphasizes his goals of reinventing workflow in the office to decrease wait times, getting rid of outdated procedures and promoting diversity. He is deeply involved with the Democratic party, holding positions locally on the Pinellas Democratic Executive Committee and the Pinellas Democratic Hispanic Caucus. He also brings experience from the Jacksonville mayor’s office, where he worked on city federal programs.

Helm, 35, has had an interest in voting rights issues since high school. He worked as a lawyer with Voter Protection during the 2016 election in Florida. In 2018, he sued the Orange County Supervisor of Elections over whether elections staff should be asking voters coming to cast ballots in person whether they still live at the same address. The case was settled, with the supervisor agreeing to modify poll worker training on the topic.

Long has served two terms on the commission and was first elected in 2012. She served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010. Long, 75, has been an advocate of regional transportation and climate change preparation, most recently chairing the Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition subcommittee. She has made affordable housing, transportation funding and infrastructure, climate resiliency, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic her top priorities for a third term. Long is calling for a statewide climate resiliency office. And to improve transportation, she is proposing the county go to the state to focus on funding for Strategic Intermodal Systems.

Justice, 52, has served two terms on the Commission, first elected in 2012. He served in the Florida Senate from 2006 to 2010 and the Florida House the prior six years. He helped spearhead revitalization efforts in Lealman and water quality through Tampa Bay Estuary Program. In a third term, he pledges to continue addressing poverty, promote small businesses, protect employees and invest in infrastructure. He has strongly defended his vote for the county's mask mandate to stem the spread of coronavirus despite persistent backlash from anti-mask advocates.

Flowers has served on the Pinellas County School Board since 2012 and was previously a St. Petersburg Council member from 1999 to 2008. She also works as employee education and development manager for Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services. Flowers, 56, has been active on many boards from the YMCA of Greater Tampa Bay to the National Council of Negro Women and Florida League of Cities. Her priorities are expanding affordable housing, supporting small/women/minority owned businesses, and addressing impacts of climate change. She calls for the creation of a county solar energy program and for the county to work with municipalities and developers to increase workforce housing.

A native of Dade City who has lived in Florida all of her life, Stempien, 40, is making her first run for a political office. "I decided to run to be an advocate for neighborhoods like mine that need help addressing important issues such as storm water and flooding. I am running to use my experience working in government to make sure residents are involved in the local processes of government and that the process is transparent," Stempien said. "Progress itself is not the problem, it is the way we are progressing as a county that needs to be managed. I believe now is the right time to bring my experience working in government, as a meeting facilitator, and as a community leader to the Pasco County Commission."

Geoit, 44, is a native of Pontiac, Mich., and came to Pasco County 11 years ago. She ran unsuccessfully for the District 4 commission seat two years ago but lives in District 5. "I want to work for the people of Pasco County. We have a lot of issues here that we need to start working on and stop just saying we will get to them or the elected officials only show up during the election years. We need to actually start working on the issues of homelessness, substance abuse, and all of the infrastructure and water quality issues," Geoit said.

A political newcomer, Haddon, 20, is a lifelong resident of Spring Hill, graduating from Springstead High School in 2018. "The current state of America and our county has pushed me to run for office," he said. "We as a nation are politically divided, and violently so, meanwhile, hard-working Americans are struggling to make ends meet. In Hernando, our average wage is $15, while the average rent is $1,220 which leads us to spending almost 50 percent of our income on rent alone. This is an issue that has caused many struggles in my life so I know that creating jobs and opportunities is something that needs to be done."