Manimala defeats Hahn for Hillsborough Commission District 5

Neil Manimala, a Democrat, won the Hillsborough County Commission District 5 at-large seat with 278,855 votes (54.9%), defeating Republican Stacy Hahn, who received 229,491 votes (45.1%), according to unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. All 446 of 446 reporting units have reported, with 508,346 votes counted and a margin of 49,364 votes. The win flips the seat from Republican to Democratic hands.

What was at stake

District 5 is an at-large seat, meaning all registered voters in Hillsborough County could vote in the race. The county commission controls budgets, land-use decisions and services across unincorporated areas, including Apollo Beach and Ruskin.

The key issues:

• Traffic and flooding: Manimala, a urologist who practices in eastern and southern Hillsborough County, said in his candidate questionnaire that families in Riverview, Ruskin and Apollo Beach feel the strain of growth on U.S. 301 and Big Bend Road. He listed traffic, flooding and healthcare as his top priorities.
• Fiscal responsibility and growth: Hahn, a Hillsborough County School Board member since 2018, campaigned on fiscal responsibility, public safety and growth management, according to Florida Politics.
• Rays stadium accountability: Manimala said in his questionnaire he would make sure no South County road, fire station or drainage project gets pushed back to pay for the Rays stadium deal.

Manimala's win gives residents a commissioner who ran as a first-time candidate pledging to prioritize infrastructure and healthcare in South County.

A little history

Manimala is president of the Hillsborough County Medical Association. This was his first run for elected office. Hahn holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida and worked at the University of South Florida College of Education. She also served as president of Literacy Is Key, a nonprofit.

District 5 went Republican in 2022 when Donna Cameron Cepeda defeated Mariella Smith with 52% of the vote, according to Florida Politics. Cepeda lost her 2026 Republican primary to Hahn. Four years ago, voters flipped the seven-member commission majority to Republican. Florida Politics reported that Democrats targeted two seats hoping to shift the board from a 5-2 Republican majority to a 4-3 Democratic majority.

What's next

The results remain unofficial. The Hillsborough County Canvassing Board is scheduled to meet Nov. 6 to review provisional ballots and vote-by-mail ballots. The winner will serve a four-year term on the commission.

Election results: Hillsborough County Commission - District 5 (At Large) (Florida General Election, 2026-11-03)

Source: Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. Results current as of Nov. 3, 2026, 10:14 p.m. EST. Reporting: 446 of 446. Unofficial results; every reporting unit has reported.