TAMPA - One-hundred and one.
According to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections website, that's the number of votes that stood between community activist Dianne Hart and Rep. Sean Shaw in 2016 when the two went head-to-head in the District 61 race.
It's two years later, and Hart again is running. But some things are different this time around.
Shaw has forgone re-election in favor of running for Attorney General. And Hart, 63, is one of four candidates jockeying to replace him in Tallahassee.
What hasn't changed, Hart said, is her strong desire to represent the district she's called home her entire life. When Shaw announced his bid on Jan. 16 with great fanfare in front of the Florida Supreme Court, the mother of three filed to run the next day.
"Once he stepped out of the race, there was no sense in waiting," she said.
State House District 61 includes parts of central, east and north Tampa. Representatives serve two-year terms and earn $29,697 annually.
Filing to run in this election year wasn't like hitting a reset button but, rather, a continuation of her previous bid, Hart said.
"When I lost in (2016), I didn't have to start over," she said. "I just kept doing what I do. And that's help other people."
Hart's eagerness to take on the seat, however, may be equally matched by another leading candidate, attorney Karen Skyers.
Skyers - a former public defender - has the backing of both Shaw and former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, whom she served as a legislative aide.
And while she isn't born and raised in the district, Skyers - also a mother of three - said her strong ties to the community compelled her run.
"Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard a decision (to make)," she said. "I think it was a natural progression of what I've been doing all my life."
But if it's community connections that matter, attorney Norman Harris and Sharon Carter, a teacher, say to not count them out.
Harris said his work with the Hillsborough County NAACP, as board member of the Arts Conservatory for Teens, and various mentorships have helped him build name recognition and relationships throughout the district.
"As a lawyer, I love the law," he said. "I'm intrigued by the legislative process and I love the community."
Carter, the mother of a son who also ran for the same seat in 2014, says being an advocate for students has increased her familiarity among residents.
All four say more money for education, increasing transportation options, and improving economic development are among the district's most critical needs that must be addressed.
But getting traction on the above issues requires someone who knows how to navigate the Capitol, Skyers said.
"You'll find that anyone other than me could set us back and I don't want to see that happen," she said. "It's about the ability to read bills ... two to three hundred pages a night. It's about comprehension and ... how the proposals in the bills will affect the district."
But Hart, who's head of the East Tampa Civic Business and Civic Association, said she's confident she can hit the ground running thanks to years of acting as a go-between for residents and local leaders.
"When (Hurricane Irma) came through, I was grateful I could pick up the phone and call on these agencies to help the community," she said. "Imagine what I could do as a legislator."
Contact Kenya Woodard at hillsnews@tampabay.com.
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