Despite the lack of a major political convention within close range, some politicos say the Tampa Bay area — Hillsborough County, in particular — will again be ground zero when it comes to presidential politics.
The county, after all, is something of a microcosm of the the country as a whole in terms of demographics; the county also sits within the biggest swing state in the country, a state most deem crucial in winning the presidency.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign, which opened up its Tampa Bay regional headquarters in Ybor City Thursday, hopes to win over most of the county's voters with its message of temperance and unity. Hundreds came out to the event.
"The only way we're going to win Florida is by winning right here in Hillsborough County," Renso Rodriguez, a Tampa field organizer for the Clinton campaign, told a fired-up crowd Thursday night at the grand opening of the Ybor office.
Situated on the edge of Ybor City, across 21st Street from the Columbia, the office's exposed brick walls sport various pro-Clinton posters and collages. Among the diverse crowd Thursday were local dignitaries, including State Sen. Arthenia Joyner and State Rep. Janet Cruz, both Tampa Democrats.
As she addressed the crowd, Joyner stressed the sharp contrasts between Clinton and her GOP opponent, Donald Trump, whom she said aspires to be Commander in Chief even though he "can't even command himself."
Joyner, a local civil rights icon herself, called Clinton a “a fighter who never, never backs down, who always stands up and who will always have our backs," while comparing Trump to an all-too-familiar villain for Florida Democrats.
“We don't need a Rick Scott clone in the White House,” she said. “Do we really want an instant replay of what we've witnessed firsthand in the State of Florida? Hell no!”
Her comments were, of course, met with uproarious cheer.
State Rep. Janet Cruz said she grew up admiring First Lady Jackie Kennedy, but if Clinton, a former First Lady, won the presidency, it would be a milestone many women in the room over 60 probably never thought they'd see.
“This group of women here today that watched a First Lady stay home and preside over state dinners is over," she said. "It's a new day for us.”
This article appears in Jul 14-21, 2016.