TAMPA, Fla. – Bob Buckhorn is officially looking to return to City Hall. On Monday, April 13, the former two-term mayor filed the necessary paperwork to run in Tampa’s 2027 mayoral race, ending months of speculation about a potential comeback.
Buckhorn, who led the city from 2011 to 2019, is attempting a feat few before him have achieved: securing a third term as Tampa’s mayor. He enters a field that is already beginning to crowd, joining sitting City Council member Lynn Hurtak and entrepreneur Gary Hartfield.
Other potential challengers are looming, including City Councilor Bill Carlson, a frequent critic of Buckhorn’s previous administration who has indicated he also plans to file.
The former mayor’s platform leans heavily on his previous record, during which Tampa rose to national prominence. Leaving office in 2019 with a 75% approval rating, Buckhorn was largely credited with revitalizing the downtown waterfront through projects like the Tampa Riverwalk.
Now, he argues the city must “connect the dots” between massive new developments like Water Street, Channelside, Gasworx, and Tampa Heights.
“This place is going to be that place in America everybody wants to come and be a part of,” Buckhorn said. “You look at all of the opportunity… touching every neighborhood in the process and making sure everybody enjoys this prosperity.”
Despite the city’s growth, Buckhorn identified transportation as Tampa’s “Achilles heel,” warning that without serious investment, the city could face the same gridlock seen in Miami or Atlanta. He noted that the solution requires more than just paving roads or fixing potholes.
“We’ve got to believe in multimodal options for transportation,” Buckhorn explained. “It can’t just be building roads. But at the end of the day, that is the most critical infrastructure challenge moving forward.”
While the election is still nearly a year and a half away, Buckhorn’s entry comes with a significant financial advantage. His political committee has already raised more than $1 million. The next mayor will inherit significant influence over land use and capital planning at a time when the city is struggling with housing supply and affordability.
The first round of voting is scheduled for March 2, 2027. If no candidate secures a majority, a runoff election will follow on April 27, 2027.
During his eight years in office, Buckhorn was largely credited with revitalizing the downtown waterfront through high-profile projects like the Tampa Riverwalk and Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. Now, he argues that the city faces a different set of hurdles stemming from its own rapid success.
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“Tampa’s growth is real, but so are the challenges,” Buckhorn said in a statement. He specifically pointed to rising housing costs, traffic gridlock, and the strain on aging infrastructure as the primary issues facing the next administration.
The 2027 election is shaping up to be a debate over how the city manages its identity as a destination for new residents and private investment.
Buckhorn’s campaign has indicated a shift in focus from his previous terms, suggesting that the next phase of development must move beyond the urban core and into residential neighborhoods that haven’t yet felt the full impact of the city’s economic boom.
In his filing, Buckhorn emphasized that managing the city’s future will require tighter coordination between the government and the private sector.
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