|
Rep. Hooper draws a challenger
First-term Rep. Ed Hooper, a Clearwater Republican, has a challenger: Democrat Neil McMullen Jr. of Dunedin, a retired Methodist minister who is development director at USF's Suncoast Alzheimer's and Gerontology Center in Tampa.
McMullen, 57, is a member of a pioneer Pinellas family with roots in the Legislature. His grandfather, Sen. Donald McMullen, wrote the bill that created Pinellas County in 1913 and his father, Neil Sr., was a House member and later a judge, ccording to a biography that was assembled by House Democratic strategist Steve Schale.
Hooper, 60, a retired firefighter, won the seat in 2006 with a 55-45 percent victory over Democrat Candice Jovan. Of the eight state House seats touching Pinellas, it's dead even, with each party controlling four seats.
Most Recent Blog Posts
About the blog
For Florida political news today, the Buzz is your can't-miss-it source. Tampa Bay Times writers offer the latest in Florida politics, the Florida Legislature and the Rick Scott administration. Keep in mind: This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the Tampa Bay Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.
E-mail Times political editor Adam Smith: asmith@tampabay.com
Advertisement
Most Popular Categories
ON TWITTER
SPECIAL REPORTS
- Gov. Rick Scott
- Sen. Marco Rubio
- Inside the Gov. Scott's inner circle
- State government: All checks, no balance
SITES OF INTEREST
POLITICAL LINKS
- Republican Party of Florida
- Florida Democratic Party
- Division of Elections
- State of Florida
- State legislature
- Campaign contributions
- Federal campaign contributions
TIMES COLUMNS
- Tallahassee Bureau Chief Steve Bousquet
- Political Editor Adam C. Smith
- Senior correspondent Lucy Morgan
REAL CLEAR POLITICS BLOG
POLITICS HEADLINES from the AP
Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
