2020 Primary: Voters To Choose Nominees For 2 U.S. House Seats

TAMPA BAY, FL — Unless it's a presidential primary, most years a primary election barely gets a second glance. That's not the case for Tuesday's primary in which Tampa Bay voters will choose Democratic and Republican contenders in two closely watched races for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republicans will attempt to maintain their grip on the congressional District 15 seat encompassing much of Polk County and eastern Hillsborough County.

Located along the Interstate 4 corridor, America's battleground for swing voters, District 15 is traditionally Republican turf. However, four Democrats are hoping to change the district from red to blue.

The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep Ross Spano, R-Riverview.

After serving in the Florida House since 2012, Spano ran for the congressional seat long held by Republican Dennis Ross, who retired. He defeated Democrat Kristen Carlson with a 52 percent vote, the narrowest margin of victory in District 15 since the lines were redrawn following the 2010 census.

An attorney by profession, Spano serves on the Highway Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Small Business Committee.

His priorities including looking "for ways to reduce burdensome regulations on small businesses and allowing them to invest, grow and create jobs." He also wants more affordable health care and would like to see Congress make its middle class tax cut permanent.

Spano will take on Republican contender Scott Franklin in the primary. A Lakeland city commissioner, Franklin graduated of the United States Naval Academy and served as a naval aviator. He holds a master's of business administration degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

As a U.S. Congressman, Franklin said he would advance the agenda of President Donald Trump to "Keep America Great" including supporting the construction of a wall to keep U.S. borders secure.

Running for the Democratic nomination are Alan Cohn, Adam Hattersley, Jesse Philippe and Kel Britvec.

Alan Cohn is a former television reporter, investigative journalist and creator of AMC Productions. He won a Peabody Award for his three-year investigation of quality control issues at Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., which was under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. Cohn ran for the District 15 in 2014 but lost to incumbent Dennis Ross. His priority issues are health care, climate change and increasing the minimum wage.

A Navy veteran of the Iraq War, Adam Hattersley is serving his first term as a state representative for Florida House District 59. A competitive gymnast who represented the United States on four continents, he has a master's degree in aerospace engineering. He said his priorities are education, health care and mental health services.

A Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War, Jesse Philippe is an attorney who has worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families and the State Attorney’s Office of the 13th Judicial Circuit. He said his priority issues are investing in infrastructure, expanding access to health care and supporting Social Security.

Kel Britvec is running as a write-in candidate. He formerly worked for Naval Intelligence, the Navy Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Intelligence Agency. His key issues are addressing climate change, expanding access to health care, and providing veterans with resources including education, healthcare and mental health services.

While Democrats try to turn District 15 blue, Republicans are looking to turn the long-held Democratic District 14 seat red. Held by incumbent Kathy Castor since 2007, the seat includes portions of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Republicans Paul Sidney Elliott and Christine Y. Quinn are hoping to unseat Castor.

Elliott is a lawyer and former Hillsborough County judge. He previously ran for the 12th Congressional District in 2012 and was defeated by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor.

Christine Yvonne Quinn lives in Tampa and owns and operates My Family’s Seasonings, a food manufacturing business in Pinellas County. She unsuccessfully ran against Castor in 2016.