Democrats see Green in House contest

Some Democrats don't especially like the Green Party, even though this nationwide party advocates environmentalism and social justice.

The problem dates back to a little event called the presidential election of 2000. As you remember, George Bush beat Al Gore in Florida by a few hundred chads. In the same race, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader amassed 97,488 votes in this state -- far more than the margin of victory in the most bizarre of all presidential elections.

So it might surprise you to know that Kurt Gratzol, the only legislative candidate in Pinellas County who belongs to the Green Party, got a warm reception last week when he visited the Pinellas Democratic Executive Committee. That's the county's main Democratic party organization, consisting of precinct committee leaders and others.

"We have a gentleman here who is kind of a distant cousin of the Democrats, but he's family nonetheless," Pinellas Democratic Vice Chairman Tom Steck said, introducing Gratzol.

Gratzol is running in state House District 54, which includes parts of Clearwater and Largo and most of the Pinellas beach communities. The only other candidate is incumbent Republican Rep. John Carassas, R-Belleair. Clearly, some Democrats would rather have a Green than a Republican.

Gratzol, wearing a green name tag, was the only non-Democrat to speak at the party meeting. He said he appreciated coming to a place where "I can say things like "I support unions' " and back equal opportunity and other causes.

He offered his misgivings about a possible U.S. attack on Iraq. "Let's start a war to distract folks from Enron," he deadpanned.

Gratzol also thanked party members for agreeing to include him on printed lists of Democrat-supported candidates, though I was unable to confirm that these have been printed including his name.

For the record, Carassas says he works to represent Democrats also, and added that many supported him during his 2000 race.

If you meet Democratic House candidate Kai Rush, chances are good that he'll greet you in a booming voice and hand you a flier describing himself as "The Teacher."

As a Dunedin High School teacher, he's earned that. But he hasn't earned the endorsement of the Florida Education Association.

That plum has gone to Rep. Kim Berfield, R-Clearwater, the incumbent Rush hopes to defeat. Berfield, Rush and Libertarian candidate Brian L. Gilbert are running in District 50, which includes portions of Clearwater and Largo.

Jade Moore, executive director of the Classroom Teachers Association, said Berfield has made some difficult votes on vouchers that the teacher's union appreciated. He also pointed out that for Rush, House District 50 "is a very difficult seat for him to win."

"Kai is a great candidate, a great guy, but I think he started a little high," Moore said.

Moore acknowledged that being a teacher "is not a guarantee of endorsement."

The same was true for Mary Russell, a family literacy teacher who was not endorsed by the local teacher's union political action committee when she ran for School Board earlier thismonth.

Come to think of it, Russell is an example of something else: You can win without the endorsement.

During last week's candidate forum at the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club in St. Petersburg, Libertarian House candidate Michael Gilson-De Lemos said his party would like to do away with taxes.

"It's hard to follow a guy who's going to abolish taxes," Democratic candidate Chris Eaton quipped immediately afterward. "You win."

-- You can reach Curtis Krueger at (727) 893-8232 or at krueger@sptimes.com.

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