Former Tampa City Council member Bob Buckhorn has received the endorsement of HILLPAC, the political action committee of the Hillsborough County Medical Association, in his run for Tampa mayor. Elections are in March. Buckhorn is married to Cathy Lynch, a physician and acting chairwoman of the University of South Florida's OB/GYN department. Meanwhile, mayoral candidate Rose Ferlita has set up her campaign headquarters in Seminole Heights in the space that formerly held her pharmacy. Ferlita, a Hillsborough County commissioner, now works part-time for CVS.

Tampa City Council Chairman Tom Scott is also running for mayor. He has scheduled a meeting for community and political leaders to talk about strengthening ties to Cuba on Sept. 21 on the 26th floor of County Center from 9 to 11 a.m. Scott planned the meeting in his capacity as council chairman, but it certainly gives an indication of what his mindset on the Cuba issue would be if he were mayor. As members of the Tampa Port Authority board, both Mayor Pam Iorio and Ferlita resisted pressure for representatives of the authority to visit Cuba to talk about trade opportunities. Iorio, though, has advocated for establishing direct charter flights from Tampa to Cuba, something that is even more relevant now with talk of President Barack Obama getting ready to further loosen travel restrictions to the country.

Janet Zink, Times staff writer 

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