Progressive Democrats pull off unlikely wins in Tampa Bay area

Exurban Hillsborough County voters elect first Democratic Socialist ever to the Florida Legislature.

By Noah Bookstein

Original Air Date: Nov. 12, 2026

Host: The blue wave that rocked Congress and ended the superminority status for Democrats in Tallahassee may have skipped Sarasota and Manatee. But just north of the Manatee County line, three progressive Democrats won, turning one of them into the first Democratic Socialist ever in the state legislature. WSLR News reporter Noah Bookstein has highlights from the two campaigns that ousted Republican incumbents.

Brian Nathan

Noah Bookstein: In Hillsborough County’s suburban state house District 69, DSA-backed candidate Ashley Herrmann ousted Republican incumbent Danny Alvarez. In Republican Polk County’s state house District 51, Democrat teacher Octavio Hernandez unseated Republican incumbent Hillary Holley. And Brian Nathan, a union organizer, easily held his state senate District 14 seat, after narrowly winning it in a special election in March.

Florida Senate District 14 | Map generated by AI using GIS and U.S. Census data

All three of those districts have more registered Republicans than Democrats.

Newly elected state house representatives Hermann and Hernandez spoke to WSLR News about their campaigns and what’s ahead.

Ashley Herrmann grew up in the Hillsborough area. At local universities, she studied economics, sustainability and did environmental advocacy. She also worked for the Florida Department of Transportation. Hermann decided to run when she saw Alvarez running unopposed for a third term, and it did not sit right with her.

Florida House Districts 51 and 69 | Map generated by AI using GIS and U.S. Census data

Ashley Hermann: When I first put my name in, it was more so, “Okay we’ll put it in. At least he won’t go unopposed.”

NB: She ran on raising teacher pay, opposing data centers and Flock cameras, and says she wants to change how people see the government.

AH: I didn’t go through college planning to be a politician. I, like many of the doors I knocked on or even some of my friends, have this view of politics and government as a playground for billionaires—morally bankrupt and corrupt. I think we can change that.

NB: Herrmann was inspired by other Democratic Socialists, and talked to voters about a well known one.

Ashley Hermann | Courtesy Hermann for Florida House

AH: Some of the doors I spoke at, I spoke about—if you’ve heard of Zohran Mamdani, I am organizing with the same organization, and I’d like to bring that level of responsiveness from our government to Southeast Hillsborough.

NB: Asked what democratic socialism means to her:

AH: Democratic socialism is all about finding ways to build up a system where ordinary people—working families—have a real voice in our workplaces, in our society, in our government. It’s the idea that everyone deserves dignity, and the government’s role is to remove barriers that prevent that.

NB: The DSA, or Democratic Socialists of America, is a growing political activist organization. 

This week, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier subpoenaed the group alleging they may have received funding from China and Cuba.

Herrmann says Alvarez sent out mailers highlighting her association with the group and painting her as a radical.

AH: My opponent put out at least seven mailers talking about the DSA and trying to really bring the Red Scare. That’s about all he did. I didn’t see him on the campaign trail. The line of “Hey, they’re a weird radical commie” didn’t resonate with people. If anything, being DSA, associating with Zohran Mamdani and showing that I was something different, I think that helped win over some voters and turn out voters. I want to expand the electorate. I’m not gonna compromise on who I am to try to win. And then we won.

NB: With little help from the state party, Herrmann leaned on local Democratic clubs and the DSA.

AH: Hearing me speak, many of the members in these Democratic clubs were like, “I might be a socialist. I, too, think that people deserve dignity, and I, too, think that there’s been too much concentration of wealth and too much privatization of our public necessities.” The Democratic Socialists of America really won this for me in fundraising support and organizing and knocking on doors. The real work that wins an election is having conversations with voters, and we knocked on about 30,000 doors, and that’s what won it for us.

NB: In Polk County, a Mexican immigrant and algebra teacher jumped into the race, inspired by his students.

Octavio Hernandez | Screengrab Hernandez video

Octavio Hernandez: I’m originally from Mexico. I’m an immigrant. I moved here to Central Florida in 1987, and I became a teacher. My inspiration had been my students because it reminded me of me moving here when I was a kid. It was very difficult for me growing up as a kid, undocumented for a long time. It took forever, the immigration process. “:If I had the power to make a difference, I would do this and this and this.” Seeing it as a teacher, I’m like, you know what? We can get involved, we can win a race, and we can make it better for everybody.

NB: Hernandez says it was the people of Polk County, not the party, who propelled his campaign.

OH: I’ve been in that community for over a decade. A lot of the people know me there, and I know it’s heavy Republican, and they know that I fight about the issues that matter to us in District 51. I am a Democrat. Doesn’t mean I have to align myself with everything the Democratic Party does. No organization gave me money—or group or company. It was just the people of Polk County that have known me over the years—that I was always involved. I would take my students to the school board to speak up on the things that they needed.

NB: On the issues, Hernandez wants to expand public transportation to ease traffic and the cost of car insurance for young people. He also wants developers who sit on property to pay a fine.

OH: I think our youth needs to start getting used to the idea of using public transportation because the cost of insurance is ridiculous for a lot of our youth. Some of these developers that come and use our communities just for stock market purposes, I think, should pay a fine if they don’t release it into the market to create a real market for affordable living here in these communities.

NB: When he returned to school after the election, the students surprised him.

OH: I was actually very shocked how happy they were, clapping every single period. I walked in, and they were all just clapping. I wasn’t expecting that because, to them, I’m just Mr. Hernandez. They don’t see me as a politician. They just see me as Mr. H.

NB: He plans to keep teaching while serving and says getting young people involved would be his legacy.

OH: If anything I leave from this office, my legacy would be that I got the youth involved. We need new blood to come in all the time and get involved in the issues that matter to the new generation.

NB: Hernandez was also struck at realizing the access he would have as a state lawmaker and plans to use it.

OH: Polk County jails—I want to see what that’s like. I want to fight for body cameras for Polk County sheriffs. I know Grady Judd is against it, but the people want it. It’s not a Republican or Democrat issue. It’s not defunding the police. I support the police, especially paying them— I’m a big union supporter of our police or fire—but if Grady Judd wants flock cameras and keeps fighting for them, then I’m going to make sure that they have body cameras, too, because it’s in the best interest of both the police officer and the citizens.

NB: Herrmann sees these wins as part of something bigger than one seat.

AH: There’s a lot of people across the country looking to where national Democrats failed Florida and a lot of people here on the ground that are determined to continue to support each other, continue to build our effort, our movement that is part DSA, part just unions—it’s a labor movement more so than anything.

NB: Both will serve in a House where Republicans still hold the majority but no longer a supermajority. Herrmann says that changes the math.

AH: A lot of it is undoing some of the bad that Republicans have gotten away with. A lot of even the Republicans in my district agree, when it seems a party has held power for too long and a little too much power with both chambers and the governor and that supermajority. Their job is to work for voters. We want to slow down development and return home rule is a big thing that we talked about and resonated with our voters. We did break up the supermajority, so that means they do have to play nice with at least some Democrats. And we can use rules to our advantage if they’re trying to pass legislation that would harm our vulnerable communities—that would harm working families. They’re not going to be able to do whatever they want. They are going to have to make concessions to the Democratic Party. And I don’t happen to be the only socialist.

NB: Reporting for WSLR News, Noah Bookstein.

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