Florida → House → District 64
The Florida House directory lists Susan L. Valdés (R) for the 2024–26 term and gives the county coverage as Part of Hillsborough.
District map · 2022 House plan
¶ Geography and communities
Enacted in the 2022 redistricting cycle, House District 64 anchors northwestern Hillsborough County, spanning the northern and western approaches to Old Tampa Bay and encompassing dense suburban and commercial communities.
- Municipalities Included (Full or Partial):
- City of Tampa (Northwestern Segments): West Tampa corridors, airport perimeter lands, and neighborhoods bordering Hillsborough Avenue.
- Census-Designated Places (CDPs) & Unincorporated Communities:
- Town 'n' Country: The demographic, cultural, and population anchor of the district, featuring dense suburban neighborhoods, multifamily communities, and commercial strips.
- Egypt Lake-Leto: Historic suburban community with deep Hispanic civic roots and the location of the incumbent's alma mater (A.P. Leto High School).
- Greater Carrollwood (Southwestern Portions): Established residential subdivisions and golf-adjacent developments.
- Citrus Park (Southern Fringes): Suburban commercial and retail developments buffering the Veterans Expressway.
- Key Transportation & Aviation Corridors:
- State Road 589 (Veterans Expressway): Primary limited-access toll expressway facilitating commuter and freight movement north-south through the district.
- State Road 580 (Hillsborough Avenue): Major east-west commercial arterial lined with retail plazas, automotive centers, and multicultural markets.
- State Road 60 (Courtney Campbell Causeway approach): Regional highway connection crossing Old Tampa Bay toward Clearwater.
- State Road 584 (Tampa Road): East-west connector linking Town 'n' Country westward into Pinellas County.
- Waters Avenue & Hanley Road: Primary internal suburban transit and commercial spines serving Town 'n' Country.
- Tampa International Airport (TPA) Perimeter: Direct western and northern boundary interface with the airport's runways, cargo hubs, and aviation facilities.
¶ Population and electorate
(District-specific metrics based on enacted redistricting profiles; excludes non-coterminous countywide totals.)
- Target Population: Standard reapportionment single-member baseline of ~179,754 residents post-2020 reapportionment.
- Demographic Composition:
- Racial / Ethnic Composition: Heavy Hispanic/Latino majority district (accounting for roughly 60% or more of the voting-age population). The district is one of the premier civic, cultural, and economic centers for Cuban American, Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Venezuelan communities in the Tampa Bay region.
- Linguistic Considerations: Widespread Spanish-primary and bilingual households, creating persistent demands for Spanish-language public notices, ballots, and educational communications.
- Socioeconomic Character:
- Predominantly working-class and middle-class suburban population employed across aviation logistics, hospitality, construction trades, commercial maintenance, and healthcare support.
- High environmental vulnerability: contains coastal low-lying flood zones and drainage basins along Old Tampa Bay, Rocky Creek, and Sweetwater Creek, exposing neighborhoods to tropical storm surges and repetitive tidal flooding.
- Primary constituent policy concerns center on property and flood insurance affordability, school facility modernization, small business regulatory ease, and stormwater management.
¶ Elections and political context
Historically performing as a Democratic-leaning Hispanic district, District 64 has become a competitive battleground reflecting rightward political shifts among working-class suburban Hispanic voters in Florida.
- Partisan Index: Competitive Lean Democratic / Swing (shifting to Republican following incumbent's party transition).
- Historical Election Results (Post-2022 Redistricting Lines):
- 2024 General Election (November 5, 2024):
- Susan Valdés (D - Incumbent): 52.4% (31,511 votes)
- Maura Cruz Lanz (R - Challenger): 47.6% (28,636 votes)
- Margin: +4.8% (2,875 votes) D hold (Valdés subsequently switched to the Republican Party on December 9, 2024)
- 2022 General Election (November 8, 2022):
- Susan Valdés (D): 53.3% (22,745 votes)
- Maura Cruz Lanz (R): 46.7% (19,930 votes)
- Margin: +6.6% (2,815 votes) D victory
- Voter Resources & Official Information:
¶ Economic and civic anchors
- Aviation & Logistics Infrastructure:
- Tampa International Airport (TPA) Logistics Border: Proximity generates extensive employment in aircraft maintenance, ground transportation, air-freight logistics, and hospitality lodging around Rocky Point and Memorial Highway.
- Higher Education & Workforce Training:
- Hillsborough Community College (Dale Mabry Campus proximity): Major regional feeder institution serving Northwest Hillsborough students with associate degrees, nursing programs, and vocational technical training.
- Healthcare Infrastructure:
- St. Joseph's Hospital-North & BayCare Outpatient Centers: Regional healthcare provider network delivering emergency, diagnostic, and clinical care across Town 'n' Country and Carrollwood.
- Commercial Retail & Small Business Ecosystem:
- Hillsborough Avenue & Hanley Road Retail Belt: High-density concentration of independent Hispanic-owned small businesses, bilingual professional services, multicultural supermarkets, and automotive sales facilities.
¶ People and organizations to map
- Civic Coalitions & Institutional Boards:
- Hillsborough County Public School Board Alumni Network: Valdés served as an elected School Board member for 14 years (District 1, 2004–2018), including terms as Board Chair, creating deep structural ties across county education administrators, teacher associations, and civic foundations.
- Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metro Orlando / Tampa Bay: Active commercial networks coordinating regional Hispanic enterprise growth and small business advocacy.
- Hillsborough County Health Care Program Volunteer Leadership: Longtime involvement in regional indigent healthcare clinics and health equity programs.
- Statewide Legislative Alignments:
- Florida House Republican Leadership: Governor Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez formally backed and integrated Valdés into the Republican caucus following her party switch in December 2024.
- Research Leads (Speculative Network Connections):
- Research Lead: Commercial airport service contractors, rental car fleets, and logistics operators adjacent to TPA may maintain active communication regarding State Road 580/589 capacity improvements and airport zoning overlays.
- Research Lead: Healthcare provider networks and medical practice associations likely consult on regulatory statutes given Valdés’s professional career as a healthcare practice administrator.
¶ Representation and legislative work
- Incumbent Member: Susan Lopez Valdés
- Biographical Background: Born in New York, NY; Florida resident since 1972; graduate of A.P. Leto Comprehensive High School in Tampa.
- Academic Background: B.S. in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University (2012); M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Manhattan College (2018).
- Professional Background: Healthcare practice administrator; former Hillsborough County School Board member (2004–2018).
- House Committee Assignments & Leadership (2024–2026 Term):
- Vice Chair, Budget Committee: Commands major legislative influence over statewide budget allocations, conference negotiations, and fiscal strategy.
- Education & Employment Committee: Full standing committee governing K-12 academic standards, school choice, higher education, and workforce labor policy.
- Education Administration Subcommittee: Oversees public school system operations, governance rules, and district administrative accountability.
- Government Operations Subcommittee: Reviews state procurement rules, executive agency administrative efficiency, and public records statutes.
- Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee: Jurisdiction over occupational licensing, professional standards, and trade boards.
- Insurance & Banking Subcommittee: Evaluates statutes governing property insurance, banking institutions, and insurance solvency.
- Signature Policy Priorities: Career and technical workforce education expansion, school safety and educational accountability, property insurance market stabilization, small business deregulation, and securing state budget appropriations for stormwater drainage improvements across Town 'n' Country and northwest 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.