# Tampa, Florida, Mayoral Election 03/01/11 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 15, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501 "2011-02-15T21:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/1 "2011-02-15T21:33:53Z")
There are five candidates (fortunately city law provides for a runoff if nobody gets 50%+1) (links are to candidates’ campaign sites): [Bob Buckhorn](http://www.bobbuckhorn.com/) Tampa City Councilman. He is [endorsed by the _St. Petersburg Times._](http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/article1151011.ece) [Rose Ferlita](https://www.roseformayor.com/) Hillsborough County Commissioner. [Dick Greco](http://www.votegreco.com/) Former Mayor of Tampa, 1967-1974, 1995-2003. Wants a fifth term. [Thomas Scott](http://www.thomasscottformayor.com/) Tampa City Council Chairman. [Ed Turanchik](http://www.edturanchikformayor.com/) Former Hillsborough County Commissioner. [Endorsed by the _Tampa Tribune._](http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/feb/13/VWOPINO1-ed-turanchik-for-mayor/) I have not seen a single poll. I’m backing Turanchik because he has the biggest ideas – not only mass transit, but cleaning up our most impoverished neighborhoods. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/2 "2011-02-16T16:19:54Z")
I’m leaning towards Greco right now, but only because he’s the most amusing and I’ve not had time to learn about any of the other candidates. Also, since Westchase is not technically part of Tampa I won’t get a vote. How does Turanchik plan to deal with the hosing Tampa’s going to get from Tallahassee? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/3 "2011-02-16T16:23:24Z")
In a race like this, there’s only one really reliable method of polling, and that’s by asking people to buy cookies with frosting colored like the campaign colors of their favorite candidate. > **[News | Tampa Bay Times](https://www.tampabay.com/news/article1150705.ece)** > > News in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area, including breaking news, public safety, crime, health, hurricanes and weather, politics, the environment and more from the staff of the Tampa Bay Times. Greco’s clearly in the lead in the cookie poll, with Ferlita running a ways behind. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/4 "2011-02-17T04:05:48Z")
[_Creative Loafing_ (which carries the SD) endorses Turanchik.](http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2011/02/16/creative-loafing-endorses-ed-turanchik-for-mayor-of-tampa/) So, that’s that! Election over! All thinking Tampans will vote for Turanchik! “That’s fine, but I need a majority to win.” – Adlai Stevenson ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/5 "2011-02-24T20:27:32Z")
[Finally, a poll.](http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/local/tampa-mayors-race-is-up-for-grabs-poll-suggests/1152434) It shows Greco leading with 25%, Ferlita in second place with 20%. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/6 "2011-03-02T04:56:54Z")
[It’ll be Ferlita vs. Buckhorn in the runoff, March 22.](http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_tampa/greco-concedes-mayoral-race,-ferlita-and-buckhorn-to-meet-in-runoff-election) ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/7 "2011-03-03T16:51:44Z")
That poll didn’t help Greco, Og love him. What do you think about Ferlita and Buckhorn? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/8 "2011-03-12T02:29:02Z")
Damn, I just saw a Ferlita ad attacking Buckhorn. Didn’t think this was going to go negative – it was pretty respectful all around the first round. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/9 "2011-03-16T03:22:59Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Damn, I just saw a Ferlita ad attacking Buckhorn. Didn’t think this was going to go negative – it was pretty respectful all around the first round. I saw a piece claiming Iorio wanted to remain neutral but then threw her support to Buckhorn when Ferlita went negative. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2011, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/10 "2011-03-16T04:01:30Z")
Anyway, Ferlita’s ad portrays Buckhorn as a career politician and herself as a businesswoman. Based on that alone I’d be for Buckhorn; a government is not a business. And Turanchik endorsed him too, and that clinches it for me. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tampa-florida-mayoral-election-03-01-11/571501/11 "2011-03-23T19:51:27Z")
FTR, Buckhorn won.