Senator Ed Hooper Contact information

Ed Hooper is a Republican member of the Florida Senate, representing the 21st District, which includes Clearwater and Largo in northern Pinellas County and western Pasco County, since 2018. He was born on August 5, 1947, in Statesville, North Carolina.

Hooper moved to the state of Florida in 1972, where he attended St. Petersburg College, studying fire science and emergency medicine studies. He worked for twenty-four years as a firefighter in Clearwater.

In 1996, Hooper was elected to the Clearwater City Commission, defeating incumbent City Commissioner Sue Berfield in the process. When incumbent State Representative John Morroni was unable to seek another term in the legislature in 2000, Hooper ran to succeed him in the 50th District, which was based in northern Pinellas County and faced Kim Berfield, the daughter of Sue Berfield, in the Republican primary. Berfield ended up defeating Hooper with 56% of the vote.

When Berfield, who had defeated him previously, opted to run for the Florida Senate in 2006 rather than seek re-election, Hooper ran to succeed her, campaigning on a platform of reforming homeowners’ insurance. He defeated Nancy Riley in the primary with 58% of the vote and advanced to the general election, where he defeated Democratic nominee Candi Jovan with 55% of the vote. He was re-elected in 2008 without opposition, and in 2010, faced social worker and Democratic nominee Shelly Leonard, whom he outraised ninety-to-one and who attacked him over oil drilling off the coast of Florida, which he said he voted against, and for voting for a budget that funded the infamous $48 million ‘Taj Mahal’ court of appeals building, which she called a ‘Hooper blooper.’ Hooper ended up defeating her comfortably, winning 60% of the vote to Leonard’s 40%.

In 2012, when the legislative districts were redrawn, Hooper was moved to the 67th District, which included most of the territory that he had previously represented in northern Pinellas County in the 50th District. He faced Christopher Shepard in the Republican primary, but defeated him in a landslide with 69% of the vote.

Hooper’s career experience includes working as a partner with Consus Group, LLC, and a firefighter. He served as a commissioner on the Clearwater City Council. He has also served on several committees during his tenure, including the Senate Appropriations Committee, Commerce and Tourism Committee, Governmental Oversight and Accountability Committee, Senate Rules Committee, Transportation Committee, and Collective Bargaining Committee.