The Southern Group will represent the Tampa Bay Rays before state and local governments, with a lobbying roster that includes Sydney Ridley , David Browning , and Stephanie Cardozo .

A Rays sale that had been in the works for months was finalized this week . Jacksonville home developer Patrick Zalupski led the sale , acquiring the team from former principal owner Stu Sternberg , who held the team for nearly 20 years.

Throughout those two decades, striking a successful deal to build a new stadium proved elusive for Sternberg. Now, Zalupski and the new ownership group — which includes Ken Babby , owner of the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and the Double-A Akron RubberDucks, and Bill Cosgrove , CEO of Ohio-based Union Home Mortgage — will carry

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