Florida Sen. Ed Hooper announced Monday that he will retire from public office effective Nov. 3, posting a resignation letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis online and bringing to a close a decades-long career in public safety, local government and the Florida Legislature.
In the letter, the Clearwater Republican said he and his wife, Lee, decided “the time has come to fully enjoy retirement” after what he described as years spent serving Pinellas and Pasco counties through “extreme weather events, a global pandemic, rapid population growth, and a changing economy.”
Hooper harkened back to his work as Senate Appropriations chairman over the past two years, saying he was proud to help advance fiscally balanced budgets while navigating shifting federal funding, disaster response and the expiration of pandemic-era support.
Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott praised Hooper’s record in Tallahassee and at home, calling his tenure “16 years of principled, steady leadership” and crediting him for a longstanding commitment to “public service, fiscal responsibility, and strengthening our communities.” Scott told Poliverse that Hooper consistently demonstrated a “willingness to always put constituents first.”
After a 24-year career as a Clearwater firefighter and fire lieutenant, Hooper transitioned into public office, serving on the Clearwater City Commission and later as vice mayor. There, he built a reputation for pragmatic leadership and local community needs.
He carried that approach to Tallahassee during nearly two decades in the Florida House and Senate (as a senator, he represented parts of northern Pinellas County and western Pasco County), becoming a key voice on state budgeting, insurance reform, transportation funding and municipal issues.
Over the years, Hooper helped secure funding for a range of Pinellas County priorities, including transportation improvements, affordable housing initiatives and public safety infrastructure projects throughout North Pinellas.
In recent years, Hooper emerged as one of the Legislature’s most influential figures as chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, where he played a central role in shaping Florida’s multibillion-dollar budget while continuing to direct major appropriations back to Pinellas County.
“We wish him and his family nothing but the best in this next chapter,” Scott said.