Joshua Wostal seeks reelection to Hillsborough commission

Joshua Wostal, the Republican incumbent on the Hillsborough County Commission representing District 7 (At Large), is seeking reelection to the countywide seat.

The at-large district covers all of Hillsborough County, including the Apollo Beach and Ruskin area. Wostal faces Democrat Aileen Rodriguez in the Nov. 3 general election, according to BallotReady election data. Wostal won the seat in 2022, defeating Democratic incumbent Kimberly Overman by just over 52% to nearly 48%, according to Florida Politics.

Candidate information

Party: Republican
Office sought: Hillsborough County Commission, District 7 (At Large)
Residence: Westchase area of Hillsborough County
Family: Wife, Noelle; son, Matthew; daughter, Athena
Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration, Strayer University (2014); MBA, University of Florida (2017)
Military service: U.S. Navy, 2004–2012, operations manager; completed multiple deployments to the Middle East, including during Operation Enduring Freedom

Experience and public service

Wostal said he served 10 years in the Navy, where he led a team of more than 1,000 people and managed a multi-million-dollar budget, according to his campaign website. He said he received commendation awards for acts of courage during Taliban attacks on his forward operating base.

After military service, Wostal entered the private sector. He owns Wostal Holdings LLC, which he started in 2018, according to BallotReady. He also said he owns a shipping and printing business near Raymond James Stadium and a general contracting business. He said he served as chief operating officer of a family-owned manufacturing company in 2019.

As commissioner, Wostal holds several appointed positions, according to the Hillsborough County website: member of the Tampa Bay Water Board of Directors, member of CareerSource Tampa Bay, and member of the Hillsborough/Pinellas Workforce Development Consortium. He said he also serves as vice chair of the Hillsborough Transit Authority and vice chair of the Transportation Planning Organization.

Wostal said he partners his business with ChildHelp.org, helping more than 1,000 foster children, and has volunteered with the Caps for Kids organization and as a child life specialist with All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg.

On the issues

Taxes and spending: Wostal said he has voted against four property tax increase attempts. "Our county government has gotten into the habit of increasing taxes to fund their wasteful spending," Wostal said on his campaign website. He said he will continue auditing county spending, cut waste from the budget and streamline operations.

Government efficiency: Wostal pushed for creation of a county DOGE liaison committee and backs the cuts recommended by the panel of commission-appointed volunteers, according to WUSF.

Rays stadium: Wostal opposes public funding for a Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal. He told WUSF he sees himself as standing between taxpayers and a $2 billion public expenditure.

Infrastructure: Wostal said on his campaign website that spending allocated infrastructure funds on actual improvements would eliminate the need to raise taxes. He said better-maintained roads mean shorter, safer commutes.

Affordable housing: Wostal joined a 4-3 commission majority in 2024 that eliminated Hillsborough's Affordable Housing Relief Program, which had provided impact-fee relief for qualifying affordable housing developments, according to Florida Politics. Wostal argued taxpayers absorbed the cost of the waived fees.