Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn wants his old job back
The Brief
Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is preparing to run for another term as mayor.
He is allowed to do so under the city's term limits rule that permits former mayors who have served eight years, to return to office after eight years.
Former Mayor Dick Greco is the most-recent mayor to take advantage of that rule, returning to office in 1995 after several decades.
TAMPA - When Bob Buckhorn left office in 2019, the chatter never stopped about him running again, apparently by design.
"(The secret was kept) as well as I wanted it to be kept," Buckhorn said during an interview Friday.
Buckhorn going public with his intention to run again is a warning shot to other potential candidates who would have to compete with his networks of fundraisers, supporters, and his name recognition.
By the numbers
Last week, his allies conveniently dropped a poll that showed him with 49 percent support, a point away from winning the primary outright, and 27 points ahead of his closest competitor, councilor Bill Carlson.
"After six years being out of office, I was really satisfied by how people remembered my time."
His supporters point out the city's downtown core grew for the first time in 25 years during his time in office.
His opponents will say Tampa benefitted from a surging national economy and Lightning owner Jeff Vinik's investments.
He argues his approach to governing and development converted those into results.
What they're saying
"Our kids and grandkids are not having to leave to go to Charlotte, North Carolina, that they're staying here," said Buckhorn. "It's been magical. And I think people are excited about that."
A new Buckhorn term would be focused on the infrastructure struggles that come with more people and cars.
And, there's affordability.
From 2019 to 2023, Zillow says rent increased in Tampa by 50 percent, while wages only went up by 15 percent.
"We're not in the housing business," said Buckhorn. "But I think in terms of acquiring land, in terms incentives for developers, in terms cleaning up the permitting process so that it becomes easier for them to get products out. Yeah, there's a lot we can do."
READ: University of Florida presidential pick not approved in final vote amid growing GOP opposition
The other side
Other potential candidates include the second-place finisher in the poll run by Buckhorn's ally, Councilor Bill Carlson.
He calls Carlson "anti-police."
"I'm disappointed that he would go negative before he's even filed a run for office," said Carlson. "We know from previous campaigns that the people who go negative lose."
Carlson calls him "corrupt."
"Anything he says moving forward about me will be a lie," said Buckhorn.
The backstory
Buckhorn closed out his term in office with a 75 percent approval rating, with the new poll showing him at 58 percent.
But he last ran for office ten years ago.
"I think people saw me as a mayor whose party label was T for Tampa," said Buckhorn. "They saw me as somebody who didn't care about the partisanship, that only worried about whether somebody was willing to help move our city."
How voters view Tampa's changes since 2015, may well decide whether he becomes Tampa's first three-term mayor since Dick Greco won a third term in 1995.
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The Source
Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Evan Axelbank.
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