NO ONE OVER THE YEARS KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE SARASOTA/MANATEE POLITICAL SCENE THAN THE SARASOTA PHOENIX/NO LOCAL MEDIA "VETS" AREA POLITICANS LIKE THE SARASOTA PHOENIX
Culverhouse
SARASOTA’S “GOLD STANDARD” DEVELOPER CULVERHOUSE CONTINUES GIVING BACK $MILLIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND
Former Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton, widely regarded by local political observers as one of the few politicians not beholden to “pay-to-play” developers, recently said Hugh Culverhouse Jr. builds projects that represent the “Gold Standard” for development in Sarasota County and beyond.
Culverhouse, who was a successful former U.S Federal attorney prosecuting major drug dealers in Miami years ago is now a major investor creating developments that are the “Gold Standard” for development in Sarasota County and beyond.
Culverhouse is one of the largest land owners in Southwest Florida. Culverhouse owns more land beyond his Palmer Ranch development, including 2,400 acres east of interstate 75, projected for development in the decades to come.
Lobeck
Dan Lobeck, a Sarasota attorney and head of the watchdog group Control Growth Now, said Culverhouse is “one of the rare developers who believes in reasonable controls and is sensitive to connectivity and green space.”
Ewing
Reid Ewing, a distinguished professor of city and metropolitan planning at the University of Utah, has cited Palmer Ranch as one of six case studies about large-scale Florida developments that have used best development practices.
CULVERHOUSE GIVES BACK $MILLIONS TO THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND
Culverhouse makes millions developing his “Gold Standard” projects, yet he also gives $millions back to the community, including a recent $1 million donation to establish the Hugh F. Culverhouse Jr. Chair in Constitutional Law at the UF Levin College of Law.
Bell
The new President of the University of Florida Stuart Bell stated, “One of the greatest privileges of serving as president is partnering with alumni and friends who believe deeply in the future of this university.”
Bell stated, “Hugh's generosity reflects the confidence our supporters have in what UF can accomplish together. I’m honored to begin my presidency with a gift that will strengthen UF’s role in shaping the future of legal education.”
“I am excited for the future of the University of Florida under the leadership of its new President, Stuart Bell, whom I’ve known for many years,” Culverhouse said. “I have seen firsthand the impact of his leadership and am proud to support the vision he brings to the University of Florida.”
McAlister
“We are excited to launch a national search to recruit a leading constitutional law scholar to join our talented faculty,” said Interim Dean Merritt E. McAlister. “We are so grateful to Mr. Culverhouse for his renewed support of UF Law, and this gift will strengthen our reputation in this critically important field.”
Gutierrez Martin
“As President Bell begins his tenure, Hugh Culverhouse's generosity sends a powerful message about the role philanthropy will play in advancing UF's bold aspirations,” said Maria Gutierrez Martin, vice president for UF Advancement. “This investment elevates UF Law while helping build the foundation for the university's next era of achievement and impact.”
Culverhouse is a Damond level-top donor to the University of Florida giving over five million dollars to the University.
Culverhouse and his wife Eliza
CULLVERHOUSE HAS DONATED MORE THAN $70 MILION TO CHARITIES OVER THE YEARS
Culverhouse, who was born and raised in Alabama now with his wife has homes in Coral Gables and Sarasota and maintains an office in Palmer Ranch. Culverhouse is married to Eliza Perlmutter, the daughter of a renowned South Florida neurosurgeon, who together have donated millions to charities.
Palmer Ranch was purchased in 1910 by pioneering Florida real estate investor Bertha Palmer, a Chicago socialite and philanthropist. Hugh Culverhouse, Sr. bought 12,000 acres from the Palmer heirs in 1972.
Culverhouse father, Hugh Cukverhiuse Sr. became one of the most influential team owners in the NFL, as the owner of Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Upshaw and Tagliabue
NFLPA President Gene Upshaw described Culverhouse as "formidable," and said that "at times, the whole league seemed to flow from this one guy." He was chairman of the NFL Finance Committee and their operations. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue credited Culverhouse for building much of the strength and unity of the modern NFL
NFL negotiator Jack Donlan praised Culverhouse's logic, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and his critical thinking skills and, his effectiveness "at getting his way".
Trump owner of USFL New Jersey Generals
In 1984, the senior Culverhouse took on Donald Trump in 1984. He convinced other NFL owners not to resolve an antitrust lawsuit led by Trump to incorporate certain USFL teams, including Trump's New Jersey Generals, into the NFL.
The NFL went to court, and they prevailed. The jury concluded that the NFL had a monopoly but that it did not interfere with the USFL’s operations. The court awarded Trump’s USFL $1 in damages. The episode ended in a spectacular bust, both for Trump and the new league, which soon went out of business.
Joy Culverthouse a top female golfer
Skilled physicians at Joy McCann Culverhouse Center for Swallowing Disorders in Tampa
Culverhouse’s mother, Joy, was a remarkable figure in her own right, becoming the first woman to win an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University, where she played on the men’s golf team. She went on to become one of the top female amateur players in the South, as well as a philanthropic leader and the No. 1 fan of Tampa Bay’s first pro football team.
When Culverhouse Sr. died in 1994, the the former owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team owed over $300 million to multiple banks.
Culverhouse, Jr. took his inheritance after the sale of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and purchased 7,000 acres in Palmer Ranch, eventually acquiring thousands of acres more. He resold the land for development and used the proceeds to pay off the debt, living on earnings from his investments and legal work.
“I hate debt,” Culverhouse says, “And for the last 17 to 20 years we have not had one penny of debt.” He says his net worth is now “several hundred million dollars.”
Culverhouse, being the developer behind one of the largest master-planned communities in the region, Palmer Ranch, has fought–with his words and his wallet–constantly and consistently against what he considers multiple wrongdoings impacting a variety of people and communities across Sarasota and beyond.
As the developer behind Palmer Ranch, one of the region’s largest master-planned communities, Culverhouse has consistently used his voice and resources to challenge what he sees as wrongdoing affecting people and communities in Sarasota and beyond.
He has put ads in major U.S. newspapers, like the Wall Street Journal, in support of Israel and criticized the Afghanistan U.S. troop withdrawal in August 2021 under President Joe Biden.
According to a Wall Street Journal rate card, a full-page ad can cost anywhere from $180,000 to $260,000, depending on where it’s placed and other factors.
Culverhouse donated $1 million to UNICEF USA’s Protect Children of Ukraine fund, then placed a full-page ad in the March 8 Wall Street Journal urging others to give. He chose UNICEF USA because it has supported children and families in Ukraine for 25 years.
Culverhouse made a one-time $109,000 gift to United Way Sarasota to fund its helpline after county commissioners cut support, calling the service important for people with mental illness and older residents.
Culverhouse had previously covered a $150,000 public-funding shortfall to keep Sarasota County’s Comprehensive Treatment Court program operating, helping people with mental health disorders enter treatment instead of jail.
“I don’t own a boat, and I don’t own a plane,” he says. “Helping people is my boat and plane.”
CULVERHOUSE GIVES UP VALUABLE LAND TO CREATE THE PALMER RANCH “GOLD STANDARD”
Culverhouse donated 82 acres on Palmer Ranch—land worth $millions—to Sarasota County, enabling him and the County to work together to make Palmer Ranch to what Thaxton calls the “Gold Standard” for development in Sarasota County and beyond. His donation remains the largest gift the County has ever received.
Today, Palmer Ranch ranks with Lakewood Ranch to its north and the West Villages to the south as one of the largest development areas transforming Southwest Florida.
Palmer Ranch has around 11,000 homes, 30,000 residents and 700,000 square feet of commercial space. Culverhouse donated one hundred acres to a community park in the heart of Palmer Ranch, the largest community park in the region.
Many developers create Community Development Districts (CDDs) that require residents to pay for infrastructure such as roads and sewers, a practice that critics consider double taxation. Culverhouse does not allow his developers to use such districts.
CDDs are designed to fund and manage infrastructure for community development, allowing residents to pay for essential services like roads and sewers over time. Critics argue that this practice is a form of double taxation, as homeowners are required to pay for infrastructure upfront and for ongoing maintenance for the duration of their residence.
Culverhouse says he sells only to national builders because they have deep pockets to withstand a recession. He puts an emphasis on green space that goes far beyond county requirements: 50-foot buffers along main roads, for example, compared to 10 feet required by the county.
CULVERHOUSE A MAJOR POWER BROKER LOCALY ANO BEYOND
Culverhouse has become one of Sarasota County’s most influential power brokers, with influence that extends beyond the region. Unlike Pat Neal, a mega-developer closely tied to the local Republican establishment, Culverhouse is independent and unpredictable, not aligned with Neal or other multimillion-dollar developers such as Randy Benderson, Rex Jensen, and Carlos Beruff.
In politics, Culverhouse has become one of Sarasota County’s leading power brokers, known for his independence.
Good/Buchanan
For instance, in a 2018 special election, he supported underdog Margaret Good for state representative against James Buchanan, the son of longtime Sarasota Congressman Vern Buchanan.
Culverhouse said Good’s colleagues at her law firm praised her integrity, and he believed that, as a Democrat, she would add needed diversity to a region long dominated by Republicans.
Graham/Moody
In 2018, Culverhouse gave more than $100,000 to Ashley Moody, the Republican who was elected attorney general, and $128,000 to Gwen Graham, a Democrat who lost the gubernatorial primary.
His pragmatic approach was also reflected in his donations: Culverhouse gave more than $30,000 to conservative political action groups, including Florida Conservatives United, and $35,000 to the Democratic political action committee New Day Florida.
Days after former President Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony fraud counts in New York, Culverhouse announced a $500,000 donation to Trump’s presidential campaign, saying he believed the case was politically motivated.
As a former assistant U.S. attorney and trial lawyer, Culverhouse said the justice system was being misused. “The judicial system cannot be used as a political tool,” he told the Herald Tribune. “The Democrats crossed the line in this persecution, the same I would say if the Republicans treated President Biden this way.”
Less than two months later, Culverhouse and his wife, Eliza, gave $107,643 to the local nonprofit Embracing Our Differences for its annual large-scale art exhibition at Bayfront Park, which promotes inclusion, respect, and kindness. The gift offset a widely publicized loss of state and county grants. Although Embracing Our Differences is officially nonpartisan, its membership is widely viewed as unlikely to support Trump.
In 2016, Culverhouse spent more than $1 million on a legal challenge to the redistricting of more than 20,000 African American voters, an effort aimed at supporting Neal and his preferred candidates.
“We’re all American. Why in the world should we allow one group of Americans, simply because of their color, to be treated differently?” Culverhouse said, explaining why he supported the lawsuit.
Knight
In the 2024 Sarasota County Commission race between Tom Knight and Neil Rainford, Culverhouse opposed the political machine backed by Neal, Beruff, Benderson, and Jensen.
Rainford received ten $1,000 contributions from Neal, Beruff, Benderson, and Jensen. Knight received eleven $1,000 contributions from Culverhouse, along with thousands more for Knight’s PAC, helping secure Knight’s victory.
Culverhouse has supported candidates other than Knight in opposition to Neal and his trio of Beruff, Benderson and Jensen handpicked candidates in the past and has been highly successful.
Neunder and Smith
In the present 2026 election cycle Culverhouse is a major contributor to the campaigns of Joe Neunder and Mark Smith for re-election to the Sarasota County Commission. They are opposed by Jim DiNero and Kristina Sargent, both promoters of Benderson and Gary Kompothecras building hotels on Siesta Key, which a vast majority of Siesta Key residents are in opposition.
DiNero and Sargent are supported by Benderson and Kompothecras, who have major proposals to build hotels on Siesta Key hotels turning the island into another New Jesey Shore. Signs for DiNero and Sargent are found all over properties owned by Benderson and Kompothecras with Kompothecras encouraging voters throughout the district to vote for the duo.
Kopotthecras/Benderson
A recent meeting packed with Siesta Key residents voiced opposition to Benderson and Kompothecras proposal to build hotels on the island. Siesta Key resident David Wolte voiced his opposition stating, “You will kill the Village. That’s the best half-mile in America and I moved here to live in that Village and I raised my children in that Village.”
Culverhouse, unlike Neal and his fellow multimillion dollar developers like Benderson Kompothecras and Beruff did not come to Sarasota to make $millions destroying what Sarasota once was--jewel on the West Coast of Florida. Culverhouse came to enhance Sarasota--being a jewel on the West Coast of Florida. Hotels on Siesta Key does not enhance Sarasota, as a jewel on the West Coast of Florida.
Culverhouse is a Sarasota County’s leading power broker, who certainly is what the SRQ magazine recognizes him and hails him for being, which is the generous philanthropic with spirit and unwavering commitment to championing respect, hope and understanding in the Sarasota community and beyond.
Jon Susce
The Sarasota Phoenix team is the last media guardian in the Sarasota/ Manatee area and beyond laying bare for all to see how the Sarasota/ Manatee area and beyond is controlled by a UNI Party financed by millionaires and billionaires turning Florida into Paradise Lost..
As usual, Jon Susce offers great insightfound nowhere else in Suncoast and State Republican politics." Kevin Wright of the Manatee Republican Liberty Caucus.