Florida → House → District 67
The Florida House directory lists Fentrice Driskell (D) for the 2024–26 term and gives the county coverage as Part of Hillsborough.
District map · 2022 House plan
¶ Geography and communities
Enacted in Florida's 2022 redistricting plan, House District 67 shifted from its previous Pinellas County footprint entirely into Hillsborough County, anchoring the university, medical research, and northeast suburban corridors of the Tampa metropolitan area.
- Municipalities Included (Full or Partial):
- City of Temple Terrace: Municipal anchor of the district, featuring historic neighborhoods, the Hillsborough River waterfront, and the incumbent's district office along North 56th Street. Florida House of Representatives
- City of Tampa (North-Central Portions): Urban and suburban neighborhoods north of Busch Boulevard and surrounding the university medical complexes.
- Census-Designated Places (CDPs) & Unincorporated Enclaves:
- University (USF / "Suitcase City"): High-density urban and multicultural community surrounding the main campus of the University of South Florida.
- Pebble Creek & Cross Creek (Fringes): Suburban master-planned developments in the New Tampa area buffering the Pasco County line.
- Lake Magdalene (Eastern Fringes): Established residential and lakefront neighborhoods.
- Key Transportation & Transit Corridors:
- Interstate 75 (I-75): Eastern expressway spine carrying regional freight and commuter traffic through New Tampa and Temple Terrace.
- Interstate 275 (I-275): Western transit arterial linking North Tampa commuters to Downtown Tampa and the Tampa Bay bridge network.
- State Road 582 (Fowler Avenue): Primary east-west commercial, university, and transit artery bisecting the district.
- State Road 580 (Busch Boulevard): Major retail and entertainment highway carrying traffic to theme parks and commercial centers.
- State Road 583 (56th Street): Crucial north-south commuter and municipal arterial serving Temple Terrace.
- Hillsborough River Basin: Navigable ecological waterway traversing Temple Terrace and North Tampa.
¶ Population and electorate
(District-specific markers based on post-2020 reapportionment parameters; strictly excluding broader countywide aggregates.)
- Target Population: Standard single-member baseline of ~179,754 residents post-2020 reapportionment.
- Demographic Composition:
- Racial / Ethnic Composition: Highly diverse, multicultural constituency. The district contains substantial African American and Afro-Caribbean populations, a rapidly expanding Hispanic/Latino electorate (Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Colombian diasporas), and a large Asian American and Middle Eastern population centered around university and healthcare campuses.
- Student & Generational Profile: Influenced by the undergraduate, graduate, and medical student population at USF, creating a youthful median age balanced by multi-generational families in Temple Terrace.
- Socioeconomic Character:
- Bimodal economic distribution: high concentrations of physicians, research scientists, university faculty, and technology professionals in master-planned communities, contrasted with working-class service and retail workers in the University area.
- Elevated urban policy concerns: high proportion of cost-burdened renters, demands for pedestrian safety along Fowler Avenue and Fletcher Avenue, transit connectivity, and residential property insurance spikes.
¶ Elections and political context
District 67 functions as a dependable Democratic-performing suburban/urban district, anchored by high voter turnout in Temple Terrace and strong Democratic margins among university-area precincts.
- Partisan Index: Solid Democratic (typically D+9 to D+12 baseline performance).
- Recent General Election History:
- 2024 General Election (November 5, 2024):
- Fentrice Driskell (D - Incumbent): 54.7% (36,182 votes)
- Rico Smith (R - Challenger): 45.3% (30,023 votes)
- Margin: +9.4% (6,159 votes) D hold
- 2022 General Election (November 8, 2022):
- Fentrice Driskell (D): 54.0% (25,504 votes)
- Lisette Bonano (R): 46.0% (21,727 votes)
- Margin: +8.0% (3,777 votes) D victory
- Pre-Redistricting Baseline Performance (Former District 63):
- In the 2018 General Election, Driskell flipped former District 63 from Republican control, defeating incumbent Shawn Harrison 53.4% to 46.6%.
- Voter Resources & Official Information:
¶ Economic and civic anchors
- Higher Education & Research Flagship:
- University of South Florida (USF - Tampa Main Campus): Preeminent state research university and economic engine driving bioscience incubators, engineering, athletics, and regional employment.
- Florida College (Temple Terrace): Private Christian liberal arts institution anchoring the historic Temple Terrace riverfront.
- Oncology & Biomedical Innovation:
- Moffitt Cancer Center: National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center located on the USF campus, serving as a global research and specialized surgical hospital.
- James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital: Massive regional Veterans Health Administration tertiary referral hospital and polytrauma rehabilitation center.
- Tourism, Hospitality & Entertainment:
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay & Adventure Island: Major international theme park resort generating significant tourism development taxes and service-industry employment.
- Corporate & Financial Parks:
- Telecom Park & Hidden River Corporate Park: High-density suburban office parks housing regional financial operations, insurance processing, and technology firms along I-75.
¶ People and organizations to map
- Legislative Caucus & Party Machinery:
- Florida House Democratic Campaign Committee (FHDCC): Chaired and directed by Leader Driskell, coordinating statewide candidate recruitment, caucus fundraising, and legislative race strategy.
- Florida Legislative Black Caucus (FLBC): Crucial institutional policy network driving criminal justice, civil rights, and healthcare equity legislation.
- Legal & Civic Bar Associations:
- George Edgecomb Bar Association (GEBA): Tampa’s premier Black bar association, where Driskell is a past president and frequent award recipient.
- Hillsborough County Bar Association (HCBA) & Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL): Established professional legal networks. Swope, Rodante P.A.
- Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg: Prominent civil litigation and personal injury law firm where Driskell practices as a partner. Swope, Rodante P.A.
- Civic Coalitions & Community Partners:
- University Area Community Development Corporation (UACDC): Public-private partnership providing community development, adult education, and affordable housing in the University area.
- Greater Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce: Business advocacy federation representing local commercial merchants and riverfront redevelopment.
- Research Leads (Speculative Network Connections):
- Research Lead: Statewide plaintiff trial attorney associations (such as the Florida Justice Association) likely maintain substantial donor alignment with Leader Driskell’s political committees, given her legal background and legislative oversight of tort and insurance reform. Swope, Rodante P.A.
- Research Lead: Major biotechnology and biomedical research consortia expanding around the USF Uptown Innovation District may coordinate closely on state research infrastructure grants and corporate tax credit legislation.
¶ Representation and legislative work
- Incumbent Member: Fentrice Denise Driskell NewDEAL Leaders
- Biographical Background: Born in Winter Haven, Florida; resident of Tampa.
- Academic Credentials: B.A. in Government (cum laude) from Harvard University (2001; first African American woman elected president of the Harvard Undergraduate Council); J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center (2004).
- Professional Background: Partner at Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg (civil litigation/personal injury); former shareholder at Carlton Fields; former federal judicial law clerk to Judge Anne C. Conway (U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida). Swope, Rodante P.A.
- House Committee Assignments & Leadership (2024–2026 Term):
- Minority Leader (Democratic Leader): Leads the Democratic caucus, directs floor debate, negotiates with House leadership on chamber rules, and manages legislative priorities.
- Democratic Ranking Member, Budget Committee: Directs minority party negotiation on the statewide budget, fiscal policy, and conference committee allocations.
- Security & Threat Assessment Committee: Focuses on domestic cybersecurity, port and infrastructure protection, and emergency management.
- Signature Policy Priorities: Expansion of affordable healthcare access and Medicaid expansion; protecting public school funding; homeowner and automobile insurance reform; civil rights and voting rights protections; and funding for local community redevelopment, transit, and pedestrian safety in the University Area and Temple Terrace.
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.