Democrat Aileen Rodriguez won the Hillsborough County Commission District 7 at-large seat with 285,081 votes (56.2%), defeating Republican incumbent Joshua Wostal, who received 222,112 votes (43.8%), according to unofficial results from the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections. All 446 of 446 reporting units had reported, with 507,193 votes counted. Rodriguez led by 62,969 votes, a margin of 12.4 percentage points.

The result ends Wostal's single term on the commission.

What was at stake

The District 7 seat is one of the at-large positions on the seven-member Hillsborough County Commission. The commission sets property tax rates, approves land-use changes, funds public safety and oversees services that affect unincorporated communities like Apollo Beach and Ruskin.

The key issues:

  • Growth and development: Rodriguez pledged to protect the county's Urban Service Area, which directs density toward existing infrastructure. 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, Florida Politics reported.
  • Taxes and spending: Wostal stated on his campaign website that he voted against four property tax increase attempts. He pushed for a county liaison committee modeled on the federal Department of Government Efficiency and backed cuts recommended by a panel of commission-appointed volunteers, WUSF reported.
  • Rays stadium: Wostal opposed public funding for a Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal, WUSF reported.

Rodriguez's win gives the commission a new voice on growth and spending decisions that shape Apollo Beach and Ruskin.

A little history

Wostal, a Navy veteran, won the District 7 seat in 2022, defeating Democratic incumbent Kimberly Overman by roughly 52% to 48%, according to Florida Politics. He also serves as a member of CareerSource Tampa Bay, according to his county profile.

Rodriguez, a first-time candidate, served as president of Tampa Hispanic Heritage Inc. and worked as regional director for former Republican U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez. She holds a degree in interpersonal and organizational communications from the University of South Florida.

A September 2026 Beacon Insights poll commissioned by Mercury Public Affairs had found Rodriguez leading Wostal 44% to 41%, with 14% undecided, among 505 likely voters surveyed Sept. 14–15, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.41 percentage points. Rodriguez's final margin of 12.4 points exceeded that poll's 3-point edge.

What's next

The results remain unofficial until the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections completes the canvass.

Election results: Hillsborough County Commission - District 7 (At Large) (Florida General Election, 2026-11-03)

Candidate

Party

Votes

Percent

Aileen Rodriguez

DEM

285,081

56.2%

Joshua Wostal

REP

222,112

43.8%

Total

507,193

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.