Former state. Rep. Adam Hattersley is suspending his campaign for Hillsborough County Commission, citing family reasons.
“Serving our community has always been at the center of my work, both in uniform and in public office,” Hattersley said Monday. “But right now, my priority must be with my family. This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one for us at this time.”
Hattersley announced in July[1] that he would run for the District 7 seat to challenge Joshua Wostal, the incumbent Republican.
Hattersley is a Navy veteran, engineer and author. He most recently ran for Florida Chief Financial Officer in 2022, losing to Republican incumbent Jimmy Patronis, who has since left office after winning a Special Election earlier this year for Florida’s 1st Congressional District. In 2020, Hattersley ran for Florida’s 15th Congressional District, losing the Democratic Primary to Alan Cohn, who went on to lose the General Election to Republican Scott Franklin. [2][3]
Hattersley was elected to the Florida House in 2018 and served until 2020. He’s launching his campaign promising to bring a solutions-focused leadership back to the Commission.
In his announcement that he was suspending his campaign, Hattersley thanked his supporters and said he remains “committed to finding ways to serve our community in the future.”
“While I cannot continue in this race, I know how important this election is for the future of Hillsborough County. We must elect leaders who will put people first and fight to take back the Commission so it reflects the values of our community,” Hattersley said. “I look forward to supporting a candidate who can carry that mission forward.”
For now, Hattersley’s departure from the race means Wostal is unopposed. Mark Nash, a fellow Democrat, had filed for the race but withdrew. It wasn’t immediately clear on Monday whether Hattersley’s announcement would lead to Nash rejoining the race. Before his withdrawal, he had raised nearly $23,000, more than the almost $21,000 Wostal had raised.
Wostal was first elected[4] to the County Commission in 2022, a year that saw a statewide red wave[5] materialize in Hillsborough despite recent trends heading in the opposite direction. Earning more than 52% of the vote[6], Wostal unseated incumbent Democrat Kimberly Overman in an election that handed Republicans back the majority they had lost just a few years earlier.
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References
- ^ announced in July (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ most recently ran (ballotpedia.org)
- ^ losing to Republican incumbent (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ first elected (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ statewide red wave (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ more than 52% of the vote (enr.electionsfl.org)