In an otherwise uneventful (albeit important) Tampa City Council race, the competition for the District 6 seat, which represents West Tampa, offered a rare glimpse into local politics, one that turned bitterly partisan. Maniscalco, at 30, was relatively young, but had run for council before; Toledo was a newcomer. After the two cleared a three-person primary, few put their money on Maniscalco, clearly the less establishment candidate due to his progressive leanings. That is, until a barrage of nasty attack ads against Maniscalco flooded area mailboxes, courtesy of GOP consultant Anthony Pedicini. Many grew disgusted, and Maniscalco won. Having him on the council upset the status quo within minutes after he took office; he was the deciding vote in the election of a city council chair, and threw his support behind Councilman Frank Reddick, not perennial chair Charlie Miranda.
