Campaign lessons from attorney and Hillsborough native Brian Willis

Brian Willis’ roots run deep in Hillsborough.

The real estate and business attorney with Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick is a third-generation Hillsborough County native who decided to move back to Tampa after graduating from law school at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

“I grew up here,” Willis said. “This is my home, and this is where my family is. When I got back, I really started engaging in local issues.”

For two years, Willis served on the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority Citizen Advisory Committee, and he’s now serving on the committee again, on appointment from Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. He also had a stint on the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners Citizen Advisory Committee and recently wrapped up a term as vice-chair of the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization advisory committee.

All of this experience led Willis to think he could do more to encourage positive change in the area. So for 18 months, Willis campaigned to be the 2016 Democratic nominee for Hillsborough County Commission District 6. It was his first run for public office, and it was informed by the many community challenges he became familiar with through committee service.

“What I saw going into 2016 was that we have challenges in terms of improving the community,” Willis said. “In my lifetime, Tampa and Hillsborough have doubled in size. We need to bring ourselves into the 21st century with a modern mass transit system, and we need smarter urban growth – that’s essential for the entire region as we continue to grow.”

He was endorsed by the Tampa Bay Times and received other positive press, but by and large, the primary election cycle he ran in was dominated by media coverage of the presidential race at the top of the ticket.

“There should be more coverage of local races because they really affect people’s day-to-day lives,” Willis said. “People underestimate how important local government races are. From the minute you leave your house, you come into contact with decisions made by local government officials. You see those decisions when you pick up your kids from school, shop at the grocery store, drive on roads and get stuck in traffic.”

During the race, transportation, urban development and the environment became the cornerstones of Willis’ County Commission campaign, issues he says deeply matter to area businesses.

“I’m a big advocate of protecting the bays and rivers in this area,” Willis said. “We’re a city on the bay, and often we have a lot of clean water issues. We need to make sure we’re building an economy that’s friendly to the environment.”

And although he lost the primary, Willis said the campaign allowed him to become an even more effective advocate for his clients and the community.

“I have a much deeper understanding of the decision-making process in local government now, and running for office has allowed me to develop relationships with these decision makers,” Willis said. “I’m passionate about the community, and I think I can make a difference. The issues haven’t gone away, so I remain committed to being involved at multiple levels.”

He also said he was surprised about how much practicing law and running for office have in common.

“I thought it was really interesting how similar running for office and handling a big case are,” Willis said. “In both there’s a discovery and pleading phase when you’re gathering information and communicating your case to the decision makers. In a legal case, it’s a judge or jury, and when you run for office, you’re arguing your case to the voters.”

Willis says the pace of running for office was like the pace of an “intensely litigated case,” and now that it’s over, he appreciates having some off time.

“I’m rediscovering nights and weekends,” Willis said. “My wife and my dog know who I am again. When you run for office, you have to be a generalist. You do everything from going to community meetings to talking with voters door to door to digging post holes for signs.”

Willis has already had people ask him about running for another government position, but right now, he says he’s enjoying practicing law.

“Being an advocate – whether for voters or clients – is what I’m passionate about.”