Florida → House → District 62
The Florida House directory lists Michele K. Rayner (D) for the 2024–26 term and gives the county coverage as Parts of Hillsborough, Pinellas.
District map · 2022 House plan
¶ Geography and communities
Enacted in the 2022 decennial redistricting plan, Florida House District 62 is a cross-bay minority-opportunity district configuration connecting predominantly African American urban communities in southern Pinellas County across Tampa Bay to working-class and minority enclaves in southern and eastern Hillsborough County.
- Municipalities Included (Full or Partial):
- City of St. Petersburg (Pinellas County): Anchors South St. Petersburg, including historic African American neighborhoods (Midtown, Childs Park, Jordan Park, Campbell Park, Bartlett Park, and Lake Maggiore shores).
- City of Tampa (Hillsborough County - Fringes): Selected southern bayfront parcels and peripheral tracts near Port Tampa and MacDill.
- Census-Designated Places (CDPs) & Unincorporated Enclaves:
- Gibsonton (Hillsborough County): Unincorporated riverfront community along the Alafia River with historic ties to the carnival and maritime trades.
- Riverview (Hillsborough County - Western & Southern Portions): High-growth suburban and working-class unincorporated community along the US 301 / I-75 corridor.
- Progress Village (Hillsborough County): Historic mid-century African American suburban community south of Palm River-Clair Mel.
- Key Transportation & Maritime Corridors:
- Interstate 275 (I-275) / Sunshine Skyway Bridge & Howard Frankland Corridor: Primary regional bridges facilitating transit across Tampa Bay.
- U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail): Major commercial and industrial logistics arterial linking Gibsonton, Riverview, and Port Tampa Bay.
- U.S. Highway 301: Crucial north-south suburban and freight spine traversing eastern Hillsborough County.
- 22nd Street South / 18th Avenue South / 9th Avenue South (St. Petersburg): Historic civil rights and commercial spines of South St. Petersburg (historic "Deuces" corridor).
- Alafia River & Lower Tampa Bay Navigation Channels: Active recreational and industrial maritime corridors feeding phosphate shipping and marine commerce.
¶ Population and electorate
(District-specific metrics based on enacted redistricting parameters; strictly excludes broader single-county totals.)
- Target Population: Standard reapportionment single-member baseline of ~179,754 residents post-2020 reapportionment.
- Demographic Composition:
- Protected Minority-Access Profile: Configured specifically under the Fair Districts Amendment and Voting Rights Act principles as a Black/minority-opportunity district.
- Racial / Ethnic Composition: Large African American and Afro-Caribbean voting base concentrated in South St. Petersburg, Progress Village, and Riverview, paired with an expanding Hispanic/Latino demographic (notably in Gibsonton and along the US 41 commercial corridor) and working-class non-Hispanic White residents.
- Socioeconomic Character:
- Marked economic bifurcation: encompasses service-industry, port logistics, healthcare, and retail workforces.
- Intense urban redevelopment and gentrification pressures in South St. Petersburg (such as surrounding the Historic Gas Plant redevelopment and Tropicana Field area) juxtaposed against rapid suburban sprawl, transit deficits, and school infrastructure demands in South Hillsborough.
- High environmental vulnerabilities: coastal low-elevation flood zones along the Hillsborough coastline, Alafia River floodplains, and repetitive-loss stormwater basins in Midtown St. Petersburg.
¶ Elections and political context
District 62 is one of the most solidly Democratic legislative districts in the Tampa Bay region, anchored by reliable African American and progressive turnout in South St. Petersburg and suburban working-class Democratic voters in Hillsborough County.
- Partisan Index: Safe Democratic (typically D+30 to D+34 baseline performance).
- Historical Election Results (Post-2022 Redistricting Lines):
- 2024 General Election (November 5, 2024):
- Michele Rayner-Goolsby (D - Incumbent): 68.7% (48,205 votes)
- Njällssen Amaro Lionheart (R - Challenger): 31.3% (21,957 votes)
- Margin: +37.4% (26,248 votes) D hold
- 2024 Democratic Primary:
- Canceled; Rayner advanced automatically without intra-party primary opposition.
- 2022 General Election (November 8, 2022):
- Michele Rayner-Goolsby (D): 69.6% (34,040 votes)
- Jeremy Brown (R): 30.4% (14,888 votes)
- Margin: +39.2% D victory
- 2022 Democratic Primary (August 23, 2022):
- Michele Rayner-Goolsby: 53.3%
- Wengay "Newt" Newton (Former State Representative): 38.9%
- Jesse Philippe: 7.8%
- Voter Resources & Official Information:
¶ Economic and civic anchors
- Healthcare Infrastructure:
- Community Health Centers of Pinellas (Evara Health): Major Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) network providing primary, pediatric, and dental services to underinsured urban residents across South St. Petersburg.
- HCA Florida South Shore Hospital / St. Joseph’s Hospital-South Corridor: Regional healthcare facilities serving the eastern and southern Hillsborough commuter sectors.
- Higher Education & Workforce Training:
- St. Petersburg College (Midtown Center - Douglas L. Jamerson, Jr. Campus): Key urban educational anchor delivering college-credit pathways, job-readiness certifications, and community adult-education programs.
- Cultural, Heritage & Commercial Belts:
- Historic 22nd Street South ("The Deuces"): Historic African American commercial and cultural district in St. Petersburg, home to the Manhattan Casino, the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American Museum, and local minority-owned small businesses.
- Gibsonton Commercial & Marine Service Corridor: Marinas, ship-repair yards, and specialty trades along the Alafia River.
- Industrial & Logistics Operations:
- Port Tampa Bay Logistics Buffer (Southern / Eastern Rails): Bulk chemical, aggregate construction material, and rail yards adjacent to US 41 in Hillsborough County.
¶ People and organizations to map
- Civic Coalitions & Civil Rights Organizations:
- NAACP St. Petersburg Branch & Hillsborough County Branch: Longstanding institutional civil rights organizations influencing criminal justice policy, educational equity, and local government hiring.
- Fred G. Minnis Sr. Bar Association: Premier Black bar association in Pinellas County (where Rayner is an active member and past honoree).
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.: Historically Black public service sorority with substantial alumni networks across the Tampa Bay area (active member affiliation).
- Progressive & Legal Advocacy Networks:
- Civil Liberty Law: Private civil rights and criminal defense practice founded and managed by Representative Rayner.
- NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF): Rayner previously served as local counsel in high-profile civil rights and voting rights litigation.
- Equality Florida & Ruth's List Florida: Statewide civil rights and political committees providing active endorsement and fundraising support for LGBTQ+ and progressive women leaders.
- Research Leads (Speculative Network Connections):
- Research Lead: Major labor unions—such as the Service Employees International Union (1199SEIU) and the Florida Education Association (FEA)—likely serve as primary volunteer mobilization engines given the district's heavy service-worker and educator demographics.
- Research Lead: Community land trusts and urban redevelopment non-profits in South St. Petersburg may maintain active policy consultation on state Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund appropriations and gentrification mitigation strategies.
¶ Representation and legislative work
- Incumbent Member: Michele K. Rayner (also practicing as Michele Rayner-Goolsby)
- Biographical Background: Born in Clearwater, Florida; resident of St. Petersburg.
- Academic Background: B.S. in Political Science (2003) and M.S. in International Affairs (2006) from Florida State University; J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law (2011).
- Professional Background: Civil rights attorney; Principal Attorney at Civil Liberty Law; former Assistant Public Defender for the Sixth and Thirteenth Judicial Circuits.
- House Committee Assignments & Leadership (2024–2026 Term):
- Democratic Ranking Member, Civil Justice & Claims Subcommittee: Chief minority strategist evaluating civil court procedures, tort liability, statutory claims bills, and property dispute statutes.
- Commerce Committee: Full standing committee responsible for evaluating state banking, insurance regulation, utilities, economic incentives, and commercial law.
- Justice Budget Subcommittee: Recommends state appropriations for the Florida Department of Corrections, the State Courts System, and public defenders/state attorneys.
- Select Committee on Property Taxes: Specialized legislative panel reviewing statewide property tax assessment caps, homestead relief, and municipal ad valorem tax policies.
- Natural Resources & Disasters Subcommittee: Reviews environmental protection, water quality standards, coastal storm resilience, and hurricane recovery funding.
- Signature Policy Priorities: Criminal justice and juvenile justice reform; protecting civil rights and LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections; securing state funding for minority maternal health and healthcare equity; expanding affordable workforce housing; and securing infrastructure appropriations for stormwater and flood mitigation across South St. Petersburg and southern Hillsborough County.
Research text: Gemini browser session, 2026-10-04. Officeholder and county coverage: Florida House directory. The graph keeps these leads separate from the reference office record.