Ed Hooper (politician)

Ed Hooper
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 67th district
Assumed office
November 20, 2012
Preceded by Greg Steube
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
from the 50th district
In office
November 21, 2006 – November 20, 2012
Preceded by Kim Berfield
Succeeded by Tom Goodson
Personal details
Born (1947-08-05) August 5, 1947
Statesville, North Carolina
Political party Republican
Alma mater St. Petersburg College
Profession Fire lieutenant
Religion Methodism

Ed Hooper (born August 5, 1947) is a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives, representing the 67th District, which includes Clearwater and Largo in northern Pinellas County, since 2012.

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 restauranteur 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]

References

  1. 1 2 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.
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