Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has beaten two challengers, Aria Green and Marion Lewis, to win her second term in office.

Iorio won about 80 percent of the vote, with Lewis winning about 12 percent and Green 8 percent.

"I think Tampa is the best city in the United States," Iorio said in her victory speech. "It's just been a complete honor to be mayor of this great city."

Iorio said she'd work to bring a mass transit system to the region.


http://baynews9.com/content/36/2007/3/6/228802.html?title=Iorio+wins+Tampa+mayor+race

No contest, basically. The community support for her mass trans agenda is evident. Good. Maybe she can update the hair over the next four years.... :banana:

That'll teach her for grossly mismanaging the art museum and such as that.

Oh, wait.

No surprise on Iorio, but the more interesting news from the election is that Joe Redner got enough votes for a run off (http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/news/story/miller-redner-headed-to-runoff/) in the City Council, Dist 1 race (http://enr2.clarityelections.com/Default.aspx?c=hillsborough&eid=31). He got 23.48% of the vote and incumbent Gwen Miller got 27.31%. Four other people split the rest of the votes.

Glad Shawn Harrison lost. I liked him well enough, but didn't like how he was always pushing to privatize government. The concept of the very government itself being operated by for-profit enterprise disturbs me.

That's part of the reason I am liking Crist so far... He's moving away from the over-privitization from the Bush years. He was over-villified during the elections. At least that's how things hav ebeen so far. But that's state politics.

Pamcakes winning was no surprise. Her challengers were just of the "vote other" variety. "Serious" Lewis thought the way to solve traffic woes was just retiming stoplights. Period.

Yeah, Lewis clearly was a your guy if you think the status quo is somehow going to cut it in the years to come.

I will definately be voting For Redner. If nothing else it will make the Council meetings a hell of a lot more interesting.

I am sorry to see that Dingfelder won. He seems very anti-urban. Saul-Sena is really anti-urban, but Unfortunately she ran unopposed.

^I don't like how Dingfelder is very much a quid pro quo guy... he unquestionably leads partly by placating the big mouths in his district, and in turn expects to get voted in for feeding them red meat... and seems to think that is good government.

Check out Tamparail.org's reaction to this... He's taking it like a Rail mandate.

Check out Tamparail.org's reaction to this... He's taking it like a Rail mandate.

I'm not an expert on local politics so I'm probably not qualified to speculate, but does anyone suspect that the rail issue is the reason why Iorio got so much support? Would she have grabbed as much support if she had taken a less-assertive stance? How does this compare to previous re-elections?

THEN you can (maybe) assert this is a rail mandate. I'm not sure of Tampa's election history and, frankly, I'm not sure where to look. It would be interesting if other, more long-term residents had any insight into Iorio's success. I'm extremely pleased to see her have the confidence of the public. Hopefully she'll feel encouraged to continue with the rail agenda. Fingers crossed... it's one of the biggest reasons on the table, for sure.

^It's not just the rail movement that has helped her. I'm sure it's also the major Central Park and Tampa Heights redevelopment initiatives that helped out Iorio.

Overall, I like Iorio. Unlike most other mayors we've had she tries to actually do something, instead of not doing anything and just watch the city get worse without being assertive to fix it.

^It's not just the rail movement that has helped her. I'm sure it's also the major Central Park and Tampa Heights redevelopment initiatives that helped out Iorio.

Overall, I like Iorio. Unlike most other mayors we've had she tries to actually do something, instead of not doing anything and just watch the city get worse without being assertive to fix it.

I'd agree that it is a combination of policies that has made her so successful. I just wonder if her popularity in the election has precedent... I'm not sure how much can be attributed to her dedication to the rail project solely. For all we know, it could just be that perky hair.... In any case, it's an interesting thing to consider. I'm glad to see the community react well to a pro-active leader who has the right spirit.

^It's not just the rail movement that has helped her. I'm sure it's also the major Central Park and Tampa Heights redevelopment initiatives that helped out Iorio.

Overall, I like Iorio. Unlike most other mayors we've had she tries to actually do something, instead of not doing anything and just watch the city get worse without being assertive to fix it.

So true, she is behind the arts district,riverwalk,as FF said Tampa Heights and Central Park..

I did not vote, but I would of voted for her also.. I think she knows that rail has to be in the discussion and implemented sooner than later..

By 2025 Hillsborough County alone could be approaching 1.8 million people.

OK, tommy at Sticks of Fire posted a thread and a poll on his site today regarding Tampa going forward...

What's the biggest issue in Tampa right now that needs to be dealt with? (http://sticksoffire.com/2007/03/07/what-should-be-the-city-of-tampas-number-one-priority/). The poll is on the right menu bar... There have only been about 24 votes in 6 hours but I was shocked how lop sided it was.

I posted above about Tampa Rail's reaction. He has a knack for embellishing. Pam has done a heck of a job overall and when she has been hit -- it's been the major, glory projects that Greco or Freedman could get completed after greasing wheels (but while neglecting other areas of the city). Pam's dealing with the nitty gritty such as drainage issues and impact fees. Not sexy but with how neglected these areas have been, working on these projects and holding developers accountable does make a difference.

She's good at her job. It's not one big project or one big issue that defines her. It's everything. Regardless if the Museum gets built or if the riverwalk gets built -- any mayor is supposed to be a caretaker of the city. And a temp one at that.

... Pam's dealing with the nitty gritty such as drainage issues and impact fees. Not sexy but with how neglected these areas have been, working on these projects and holding developers accountable does make a difference.

She's good at her job. It's not one big project or one big issue that defines her. It's everything. Regardless if the Museum gets built or if the riverwalk gets built -- any mayor is supposed to be a caretaker of the city. And a temp one at that.

Very well stated, John. NO mayor (hell, any politician) is ever going to be able to accomplish every goal they set to accomplish let alone please everyone; the trick is to keep at least 51% happy enough to vote for you, or reelect you. Mayor Iorio has done that, and in my biased opinion, deservedly so.

So many special interests to please -- so little time. :colgate:

Hope everyone gets out to the run-off elections and vote for Joe Redner. Gwen Miller is out of ideas...Joe Redner will stir things up a bit and he is pro-transit.

"Stir things up" -- he he he. Probably the understatement of the decade.

Not sullying you for saying it or trying to sully Redner. I think everyone knows Joe is a polarizing figure but out of morbid curiosity as well as wanting to see Tampa actually PROGRESS out of the dark ages in some lights, I hope he gets in.

Redner has been a supporter of mass transit. I also dig how he's definitely not in it for the money. Well and how he'll put everyone else on the council on edge.

I agree. I think getting redner in there would be a wee bit of a circus at times (like Ronda Storms, but less so I'm sure), but the guy is actually in favor of all sorts of things that need to be occurring around here.

Just thought of this angle... Largo is firing transexuals who help run their city and we're hiring strip club owners. Heh.

Typical for the area.... Always has been it seems.

Speaking of Ronda, Jason, check out the CE forum on SSP. They've brought up her latest loony bit from the State Legislature.

lol yeah I know...