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U.S. House map is route to battle royal
By JIM ROSS, Times Staff Writer U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman has defended her congressional seat four times. She has beaten back a lawyer, a magazine publisher, a grass-roots activist -- even a drag racer.
The other is a map. Together, they will give Thurman all she can handle this fall. Thurman, a Democrat from Dunnellon, has represented District 5 in Congress since 1993. She expected the Republican-controlled Legislature to shift the district's lines during reapportionment. Legislators crafted a district that, if it survives the inevitable court challenges, would seem to boost Brown-Waite's chances of knocking off the incumbent. If nothing else, the new lines would leave Thurman with perhaps the most difficult road to re-election of any U.S. representative from the Suncoast area. The new district no longer would include Alachua County and its reliable source of Democratic votes. It would take away west Pasco County, which Thurman has represented for years, and substitute east and central Pasco, which is Brown-Waite territory. Voters in the current district wanted Democrats Al Gore as president and Bill Nelson as U.S. senator, according to a legislative analysis. Voters in the new district went for Republicans George W. Bush and Bill McCollum. In the current district, 46 percent of the voters are registered Democrats and 36 percent are Republicans. The new district would have 42 percent Republicans and 41 percent Democrats, the state analysis showed. The new lines, and the people who will campaign within them, aren't just of local interest. Republicans enjoy a slim six-vote margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. The GOP would like to get some breathing room, and it sees this seat as a good place to start. Democrats, understandably, don't want to cede any ground. The result: "I think this is going to be a very targeted race," Brown-Waite said. Both women expect to receive help, opposition and attention from national sources. But neither is afraid of the challenge. Brown-Waite, 58, is a veteran state senator who is popular in her district and has good name recognition and fundraising prospects. Campaign records showed that she had $236,000 cash on hand at the close of the last reporting period -- a little more than Thurman had. "We are very excited about the race," Brown-Waite said. Thurman, 51, said she has represented or currently represents many areas in the new district. "The only counties we've actually not run in are Lake and Polk," she pointed out. And people there care about agricultural issues, which are close to Thurman's heart. Besides, Thurman said, she always has focused on issues that directly affect people: veterans issues, Social Security, Medicare, farming. "You can change the lines of a district, but the people's (concerns) don't necessarily change," Thurman said. "We think we go in with a very strong record." Thurman was a state senator when the Legislature last redrew Florida's political map. The courts eventually stepped in, just as they probably will this time around. Still, the resulting congressional map helped Thurman, and she made the most of it: In 1992, the former math teacher who once served on the City Council in tiny Dunnellon won the District 5 seat. She has been in Washington, D.C., ever since, despite Republican attempts to knock her out. The most spirited challenge came in 1994, the year the GOP took control of the House. That year, drag racing legend "Big Daddy" Don Garlits roared into the race, drawing on his fame to attract attention and contributions. But Thurman won. As she did in the state Senate, Thurman dedicated herself to constituent service and gained many admirers in the process. Her district changed a bit over the years and now includes Citrus and Hernando counties, west Pasco, Levy and Alachua counties and parts of Marion and Columbia counties. This year's race has a third candidate: Don Gessner, a Republican who lives in Black Diamond, the upscale golf development in central Citrus. Gessner said Tuesday that he is staying the course, even though Brown-Waite is a strong opponent with advantages in political experience, contacts and fundraising. Still, the race probably will come down to Thurman versus Brown-Waite. And that has political experts interested. Now that the district's political boundaries are more evenly drawn, "obviously we're going to be more competitive in that district," said Towson Fraser, press secretary for the Republican Party of Florida. "This is one that we're definitely going to put a big focus on," he said. Thurman said the new district doesn't lean as Republican as some might think. McCollum, for example, squeaked by with just 50.3 percent of the district's vote. And the district went for Bill Clinton in 1996. Joe Cino, head of the Democratic Executive Committee in Citrus County, doesn't care what the numbers are. Thurman "represents all the people, and she does it very well," Cino said. "That's why she's going to turn out the winner no matter where they put her."
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From the Times state desk
From the state wire
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