Opinion: A rich mayoral field in Tampa

Dennis Alvarez's withdrawal from next year's Tampa mayoral race removes what promised to be a campaign sideshow. As the chief judge during Hillsborough's courthouse scandals, Alvarez would have been a target of nonstop negative ads. His presence would have hurt other Latins in the race and distracted voters from the serious issues facing the city.

Despite the character Alvarez's old-school charm and French cuffs add to the political scene, his decision to withdraw for health reasons leaves better candidates in the field. City Council member Bob Buckhorn has a strong record on police and neighborhood issues. Council Chairman Charlie Miranda has long experience in city government. Frank Sanchez, a Tampa attorney who entered the race this month, has some forward-looking ideas to promote growth and business. Pam Iorio, Hillsborough's elections supervisor, who's also expected to run, has a solid record of progressive and responsible leadership.

All of the candidates will have to answer questions about their agendas and their styles of leadership. Buckhorn is vulnerable for a moralistic agenda that often smacks of political pandering. Miranda faces difficulty in making inroads outside his heavily Hispanic West Tampa base. Sanchez spent the last 20 years outside of Tampa in a variety in private-sector jobs and political appointments. Iorio made her career in county government and is not identified with city issues.

Council member Rose Ferlita may enter the race, and several other office-holders are considering it, too. This could be the richest mayoral field in years. Because of the number of people running, the winning candidate will need to appeal across ethnic lines, avoid the old game of playing neighborhoods off each other and run a clean and substantive race. This is solid ground for any administration to begin on.

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