Gary Hartfield hopes to become the first Black mayor in the City of Tampa’s 139-year history. Photo by Octavio Jones.
Gary Hartfield is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, community leader, and author. What he is not – a career politician – may serve him best in what he hopes is his next role: Mayor of Tampa.
Hartfield is among 10 candidates vying to replace Mayor Jane Castor in 2027. Bob Buckhorn, the most recent person to file and perhaps the top contender, already led the city from 2011 to 2019.
“I’m not coming in with politics as usual,” Hartfield told Power Broker Magazine. “I’m coming in to listen, engage, and deliver results, which is what I think our city deserves from its next CEO and mayor. I’m focused on practical solutions, not platitudes and empty promises.”
Hartfield noted that Tampa, like the nation, is at a pivotal moment. He plans to ensure that all residents from every corner of the city are heard and included in the city’s future.
Ensuring that Tampa’s growth is “working for everyone, not just a few,” is a priority. Hartfield wants to create a generational impact that endures long after he leaves office.
“I get to make a difference in this tough time in our country’s history,” he added.
A successful campaign would make local history. Tampa has not had an African American mayor in its 139-year history.
Hartfield believes Florida’s third-largest city is inclusive and would welcome its first Black mayor. He also realizes that the title would come with “a lot of responsibility, not only to do a great job in the role we’ve been charged with … but also to represent the African American community and all other communities in a way that allows for the continued success of all citizens.”
“We want to ensure that we do a great job and that we continue to keep the door open for others to follow,” he concluded.
Hartfield founded the All Hart Foundation and is the CEO and chairperson of Empower Florida, both nonprofit organizations. He also owns Serenity Village Insurance & Consulting.
Hartfield has served on the governing boards for the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), CareerSource Hillsborough Pinellas, and multiple other organizations. He said small businesses are “near and dear to my heart.”
Expanding access to resources and capital is a campaign priority. Hartfield noted that incentives can not only attract new companies but also help ensure existing small businesses thrive.
He also emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships, both to bolster Tampa’s small business ecosystem and provide much-needed workforce housing. Hartfield would “love to see our healthcare systems come to the table” and help address his second campaign focus.
The goal is to ensure that healthcare workers “don’t have to traverse an hour each way in and out of the city,” he said. “There’s a way to do that, because there is a direct return on investment for our employers to have a vested interest.”
Additional campaign priorities include expanding homeownership and entrepreneurial opportunities to promote long-term stability and economic security. Hartfield also plans to earn the trust of constituents through accessibility, responsiveness, and results-driven governance.
“I’m the founder of the organizations that I’ve been privileged to serve the community with, both as an employer and a philanthropist,” he said. “It takes a different skill set to build an organization from the ground up. It takes innovation, it takes resilience, and it takes know-how.”
Hartfield said that experience will directly translate to serving as Tampa’s chief executive. He is also a devoted father who “thinks about stability and access to opportunities for the next generation.”
A crowded and diverse field of candidates is ultimately a benefit for the city, Hartfield said. He believes each challenger brings innovative ideas to the race, and that his primary opponent is “simply the issues.”
“It’s simply, how do I make Gary Hartfield the best resource for the city?” he explained. “My race is me against me, and how do I provide the best solutions for the City of Tampa?”
While Hartfield stressed that his nonprofit and campaign remain unaffiliated, the All Hart Foundation is sponsoring a production at Stage Works Theater on Thursday evening. The play, THE MEETING, highlights the relationship between Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement.
Hartfield’s campaign will host an official launch party in the “near future,” he pledged. If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote on March 2, 2027, the mayoral race will head to a runoff election on April 27.
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