Ed Hooper (politician)

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Ed Hooper
State Representative Ed Hooper.jpg
Member of the Florida Senate
from the 16th district
Assumed office
November 6, 2018
Preceded byJack Latvala
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 67th district
In office
November 20, 2012 – November 20, 2014
Preceded byGreg Steube
Succeeded byChris Latvala
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 50th district
In office
November 21, 2006 – November 20, 2012
Preceded byKim Berfield
Succeeded byTom Goodson
Personal details
Born (1947-08-05) August 5, 1947 (age 74)
Statesville, North Carolina
Political partyRepublican
Alma materSt. Petersburg College
ProfessionFire lieutenant

Ed Hooper (born August 5, 1947) is a Republican member of the Florida Senate, representing the 16th District, which includes Clearwater and Largo in northern Pinellas County, since 2018.

History[]

Hooper was born in Statesville, North Carolina, and moved to the state of Florida in 1972, where he attended St. Petersburg College, studying fire science and emergency medicine studies. He worked for twenty four years as a firefighter in Clearwater. In 1996, Hooper was elected to the Clearwater City Commission, defeating incumbent City Commissioner Sue Berfield in the process.[1] When incumbent State Representative John Morroni was unable to seek another term in the legislature in 2000, Hooper ran to succeed him in the 50th District, which was based in northern Pinellas County and faced Kim Berfield, the daughter of Sue Berfield, in the Republican primary. Berfield attacked Hooper for "allowing 'bungled public projects' like the accident-prone Clearwater Beach roundabout" and for being a "union boss."[1] Berfield ended up defeating Hooper with 56% of the vote.

Florida House of Representatives[]

When Berfield, who had defeated him previously, opted to run for the Florida Senate in 2006 rather than seek re-election, Hooper ran to succeed her, campaigning on a platform of reforming homeowners' insurance. He defeated Nancy Riley in the primary with 58% of the vote and advanced to the general election, where he defeated Democratic nominee Candi Jovan with 55% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2008 without opposition, and in 2010, faced social worker and Democratic nominee Shelly Leonard, whom he outraised ninety-to-one and who attacked him over oil drilling off the coast of Florida, which he said he voted against, and for voting for a budget that funded "the infamous $48 million 'Taj Mahal' court of appeals building," which she called a "Hooper blooper."[2] Hooper ended up defeating her comfortably, winning 60% of the vote to Leonard's 40%.

In 2012, when the legislative districts were redrawn, Hooper was moved to the 67th District, which included most of the territory that he had previously represented in northern Pinellas County in the 50th District. He faced Christopher Shepard in the Republican primary, but defeated him in a landslide with 69% of the vote. In the general election, Hooper faced Democratic nominee and restaurateur Ben Farrell, and he was endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times, which praised him as "one of the more practical Republicans" in the legislature for opposing "oil drilling in state waters, the expansion of tuition vouchers and casino gambling."[3] He narrowly defeated Farrell to win his final term in the legislature with 53% of the vote.

Pinellas County Commission[]

Following election to his final term in the legislature, Hooper, who is term-limited, announced that he would run against Pinellas County Commissioner Norm Roche. He criticized Roche for voting against restoring fluoridation to the county's water supply, noting, "It's not necessarily about what you like, or you don't like. You're there to represent the majority. I'm clearly a supporter of fluoride."[4]

Florida Senate[]

In 2018, Hooper announced he was seeking the Republican Nomination for the District 16 Seat of the Florida Senate,[5] , Vacated by State Senator Jack Latvala. The Primary Election is August 28, 2018 ."[6] Hooper defeated Democratic nominee Amanda Hickman Murphy 52-48% on the general election.

In 2021, Hooper sponsored legislation to overturn the results of a Key West ballot initiative to restrict the size of ships and the number of passengers who can visit the city daily.[7]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Headrick, Christina (September 6, 2000). "Berfield bests Hooper for GOP slot on ticket". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  2. ^ Brassfield, Mike (October 13, 2010). "Outraised 90-to-1, feisty Democrat takes on Ed Hooper for Florida House". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  3. ^ "For a better Florida House". Tampa Bay Times. October 18, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  4. ^ Phillips, Anna M. (January 9, 2013). "Rep. Ed Hooper to run for Pinellas County Commission in 2014". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  5. ^ http://hooper4senate.com/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ^ http://dos.myflorida.com/elections/for-voters/election-dates/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ^ Turner, Jim. "Florida lawmakers change course and approve bill that would overturn Key West vote to restrict cruise ships". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 2021-04-29.

External links[]

Florida House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 50th district
2006–2012 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 67th district
2012–2014 		Succeeded by
Florida Senate
Preceded by Member of the Florida Senate
from the 16th district
2018–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""