An event photograph by Dave Decker showing Neil Manimala at C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library in Tampa, Florida on July 9, 2026. Captured in a centered waist-up portrait during a speaking engagement, Dr. Neil Manimala holds a handheld microphone in his right hand while gesturing with his left. He wears eyeglasses, a trimmed dark beard, a white collared dress shirt, a navy patterned blazer with a name tag badge pinned on his right lapel, set against a plain light gray backdrop under bright studio illumination.
Neil Manimala at C. Blythe Andrews Jr. Public Library in Tampa, Florida on July 9, 2026. Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

Democrat Neil Manimala flipped Hillsborough County Commission’s District 5 seat blue after winning tonight’s countywide election.

With 98% of precincts reporting, Manimala has 55% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections.

His opponent, Stacy Hahn beat out incumbent Donna Cameron Cepeda in the Republican primary. InfoWars stan Cepeda’s brash, right-wingisms could only win in an election like 2022’s. Hahn’s moderate stances won her primary with with 55% of the vote.

Hanh, a former Hillsborough County School Board member, campaigned largely on her years of governmental experience. That earned her the endorsement of Tampa Bay Times CEO Conan Gallaty, who made $409,602 in 2023.

Competing against a moderate with a Times endorsement made the road to election harder for urologist and surgeon Neil Manimala. The Democrat ran on fresh ideas, particularly his plan to cut down traffic by fixing roads and beefing up public transit. He also said he’d work across the aisle and ignore over-politicized subjects that have little impact in the county.

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This article appears in Oct. 29 – Nov. 04, 2026.