Five of the 12 Democrats in Florida’s Senate threw their weight behind state Rep. Michele Rayner in the race for Senate District 16, which includes parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.
A three-term representative, Rayner is running against Democratic Minority Leader Rep. Fentrice Driskell. The two are vying to replace Sen. Darryl Rouson, who is term-limited.
No Republican is competing in the general election, so the primary results determine the race.
The five Democrats who endorsed Rayner are Sens. Shevrin Jones, Carlos Guillermo Smith, Rosalind Osgood, Barbara Sharief and LaVon Bracy Davis. Rayner has collaborated with each on legislation, she told the Tampa Bay Times in an interview Wednesday.
“These are people that I respect deeply,” she said. “I do not take it lightly that they have endorsed me.”
Rayner, 44, announced her candidacy in December 2024. Jones and Sharief both endorsed her early in the race, before Driskell joined in July 2025.
“I’ve seen her fight. I’ve seen her dedication to the community,” Jones said of Rayner. He added that his endorsement of Rayner “has nothing to do with Leader Driskell.”
Driskell, 47, has stacked endorsements from Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman, Sen. Tina Polsky and Sen. Kristen Arrington. She is also endorsed by police unions on both sides of the bay, as well as the Florida Education Association and the Florida AFL-CIO, which represents more than 500 local labor unions.
Berman has worked with Driskell as her counterpart in the Senate.
“I’ve seen her in action, and I’m very impressed,” Berman said. She touted Driskell’s understanding of issues facing Floridians, “especially the affordability crisis,” plus her support for public education and healthcare.
Driskell has also received endorsements from firefighters unions and teachers unions from both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Democratic senators who previously represented the region, including Arthenia Joyner, James Hargrett and Les Miller, also endorsed her.
“To me, what carries the most weight are the endorsements of the people who are here in the community,” Driskell said.
Driskell was elected to the House in 2018 and is the ranking member of the powerful House Budget Committee. She has raised twice as much cash as Rayner.
As of June 26, Driskell had raised $220,530 in cash and another $14,500 in in-kind donations. Rayner raised $95,607 in cash and about as much as Driskell in in-kind donations.
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