Greetings, Capital Tiger Bay Members and Guests—
Thank you to everyone who joined us Monday evening for the Capital Tiger Bay Club CD2 Republican Primary Candidate Debate.
With more than 200 attendees, this marked our largest post-COVID program to date, and we are deeply appreciative of the strong turnout, thoughtful engagement, and enthusiasm surrounding the event.
We also want to extend our sincere thanks to all six candidates for participating in what proved to be a substantive, prepared, and notably cordial discussion on the issues impacting Florida’s Congressional District 2 and beyond. In an increasingly polarized political environment, it was refreshing to see candidates engage thoughtfully while adhering closely to the agreed-upon rules and format, giving voters a meaningful opportunity to compare perspectives ahead of the Tuesday, August 18 Republican Primary.
A special thank you as well to our moderator, Jim Rosica, for generously giving of his time and talent, guiding the discussion with professionalism, fairness, and steady leadership throughout the evening.
We are equally grateful to the candidates’ staff, volunteers, Civic Center team, Tiger Bay Board Members, and all others who helped make this large-scale event run so smoothly behind the scenes.
Photo Gallery: Click Here!
Please take a moment to browse the gallery, find your favorite photos, and feel free to post and share widely.
ICYMI – Debate Coverage:
Tallahassee Democrat/USA Today Network (via Yahoo News) & (via AOL.com): Trump loyalty dominates Florida CD 2 GOP race
Politico: A peek into CD-2’s crowded primary
Florida Politics: Florida CD 2 Republicans clash over Trump, Iran, marijuana and loyalty
WFSU: Republican candidates for Florida’s Second Congressional District find much to agree on
Hot Take
*Also, ICYMI ver 2.0, the debate recording is available on WFSU here (“LISTEN” below headline).
Looking Ahead:
RSVP Today – Thursday, June 18 – Skip Foster, Founder of Red Tape Florida and former President & Publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat. RSVP Today, and details below.
Save-the-Date – Tuesday, August 11 – CD2 Democratic Primary Candidate Debate
As always, thank you for supporting the Club and helping continue Capital Tiger Bay’s longstanding tradition of lively, substantive, and nonpartisan civic dialogue.
Capital Tiger Bay Club Hosts
Skip Foster
Founder of Red Tape Florida & President & Publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat
Join the Capital Tiger Bay Club on Thursday, June 18, as we welcome Skip Foster, Founder of Red Tape Florida and former president and publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat, for a conversation on media, messaging, public affairs, and the growing challenges surrounding local government bureaucracy, permitting, and accountability in Florida.
Drawing on more than three decades in journalism, communications, and executive leadership, Foster will share insights from his career covering and shaping some of Florida’s most consequential political and public policy conversations. He will also discuss the launch and growth of Red Tape Florida, a platform focused on shining a light on excessive permitting, government inefficiencies, and bureaucratic hurdles impacting communities and businesses across the state, while also highlighting best practices and advocacy opportunities for reform.
Explore the Red Tape Florida site here: Red Tape Florida
We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be an engaging and informative program.
Founder of Red Tape Florida & Former President & Publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat
About our Speaker
Skip Foster, Founder of Red Tape Florida — a website now in its second year devoted to shining a light on excessive permitting and local government bureaucracy — is a pillar of Florida’s journalism and communications landscape, and the former president and publisher of the capital city’s newspaper of record, the Tallahassee Democrat. He also recently launched Hammerhead Communications, a firm focused on integrating strategic communications, public affairs, crisis management, and advocacy efforts in an increasingly fast-moving and interconnected media environment.
Foster’s 30-year journalism career reflects the arc of the classic American success story; one that starts with humble beginnings and continues to rise through hard work and insight. His 30 years in the business started as an entry-level sports reporter in Hickory, N.C. He moved quickly into a management position becoming an editor and eventually a publisher, first in Shelby, N.C. He moved to Ft. Walton Beach where he was named publisher of the Northwest Florida Daily News as well as four weeklies. From there, he was promoted to become the tenth publisher in the history of the Tallahassee Democrat in 2015; a position in which he served for five years.
During his tenure at the Democrat he became immersed in not only local news, but statewide and even national issues that originated in the state’s capital. Under Foster’s direction the Democrat broke and covered some of the most important political news in Florida, including corruption scandals that reshaped the political landscape of North Florida.
Foster succeeded on the business side as well, driving revenue and EBITDA growth and leading his staff to top performance within Gannett. In 2017 Foster was named Leader of the Year for the entire Gannett company.
This three-decade arc of experience has given Foster unparalleled insight into how news is gathered and presented in Florida. His connections to media outlets throughout the state give his clients an advantage not experienced with other communications firms. This critical difference allows Skip to shape messages in a way that uniquely benefits his clients and plays an important role in achieving the clients’ ultimate goals. And Foster’s management experience as the CEO of a 100-plus employee operation means he can speak fluently with CEOs, marketing leaders and others who need counsel and advice.
We ask members to PLEASE RSVP as soon as you can and NO LATER THAN Monday, June 15th which allows us to plan for seating and service at the event.
Guest fee for this program is $35. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience so we may provide an accurate headcount for food and beverage.
We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, June 18th!
In Memoriam: Dave Barrett
Dave Barrett, a retired attorney and one of the original architects of Capital Tiger Bay Club, served on the Board longer than some members have been alive — and he certainly had the stories to prove it.
As both a Founding and the longest-serving Board Member, Dave held multiple leadership roles within the Club and carried with him more than fifty years of Tiger Bay history, institutional knowledge, humor, perspective, and unwavering commitment to the organization’s mission.
As Dave himself approved in his bio for last year’s John Morgan event: “With more than 50 years of Club history under his belt, no one knows the original mission better: to provide a non-partisan forum on current political issues and to hear directly from the newsmakers and opinion leaders of the day. In other words, Dave’s been keeping things interesting since day one.”
Dave proudly served as Capital Tiger Bay Club Vice President from 1974–1976 and President from 1976–1978, helping shape the organization during its formative years and preserving its enduring role as a forum for substantive civic dialogue and engagement.
May he rest in power. We are deeply grateful for his extraordinary service, mentorship, leadership, and enduring belief in the importance of bringing people together through conversation, debate, and public service.
Dave will be formally recognized in remembrance at our June 18 meeting, and we hope some of our members may also be able to represent the Club at his memorial service on May 31.
In the meantime, our sincere condolences go out to Dave’s family, loved ones, and to all who knew and cherished their time with him at Tiger Bay.
Regards,
Capital Tiger Bay Club Board of Directors
David (Dave) Andrew Barrett, age 77, of Tallahassee, Florida, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on May 12, 2026. He was born to Sydney and Eva Marie Buhr Barrett in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He is survived by his best friend and wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Barrett; step-daughter, Margaret (Megan) Aileen Swain; brother and sister, James Ernest Barrett (Patti); brother, John Sidney Barrett (Cindy McPhee); sister-in-law, Dorris Tirado; niece, Eva Isabel Tirado-Barrett; niece, Sarah Corrin Barrett; niece, Sidney Alexis Barrett Parker (Jeremy); and niece, Mahria Kelly Barrett. Dave was preceded in death by his sister, Marna Sue Eva Barrett, and Anna Rica Altobellis (former wife).
Dave proudly served with the U.S. Army and Florida National Guard from 1970–1976. He graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree and from the Florida State University College of Law with his Juris Doctor in 1973.
One of his proudest achievements was serving as Capital Tiger Bay Club Vice President from 1974–1976 and President from 1976–1978. Dave was General Counsel for the Florida House of Representatives and held various other positions within Florida government. He also partnered in the law firm Barrett and Bajoczky in Tallahassee and practiced with several other law firms throughout his career. He served on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Improvement Authority in 1993 and was Chairman in 1996.
Breeding horses — including one of his favorites, T.G. — brought Dave immense joy. Along with his love for horses, he also adored his donkey, Truman. Dave’s most treasured hobby of all was motorcycle riding, with favorite routes including Chief Joseph Highway, Beartooth Pass, and Going-to-the-Sun Road.
David also took great pride in being a successful business and real estate investor. His ability to combine business acumen with philanthropy left a lasting impact on countless individuals and organizations who benefited from his mentorship and generous spirit.
His memorial service will be held at Culley’s, 700 Timberlane Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32312, on May 31, 2026, from 11 AM until 2 PM.
In lieu of flowers or charitable donations, the family asks that you give flowers to your significant other or a loved one — or, if you can, make arrangements for a dinner date as soon as possible.
Become a Capital Tiger Bay Club Member
Click Here: Capital Tiger Bay Membership Application