Kyc: 9th Congressional Distric

His first Democratic challenger in six years, Chuck Kalogianis of New Port Richey, says he has a shot at denying the 72-year-old Tarpon Springs native an 11th term. Andrew Pasayan, 85, of New Port Richey is running as a write-in candidate on a platform to reduce consumption of red meat and tobacco.

Both Bilirakis and Kalogianis are Greek-American lawyers and both intend to focus their efforts on health care. But the similarities go only so far.

"I can't say he's done a bad job," Kalogianis said. "But philosophically we are miles apart."

They agree that providing prescription drug coverage to seniors is a priority in the district, but they disagree on approach.

Bilirakis pushed a bill that has passed the House, while Kalogianis supports a broader and more expensive Senate plan endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bob Graham , D-Fla.

Seniors are more comfortable with the Senate plan, Kalogianis said. But Bilirakis calls it unrealistic.

"It's a case of telling people what they want to hear," he said, "and they know darn well it's not going to take place."

Kalogianis has criticized Bilirakis' support of President Bush's tax cut and says the federal government should expand its role in education when states fail to improve schools.

Bilirakis points to his record on health issues. In his most recent term, he wrote bills that became law designed to alleviate the nursing shortage and to increase funding for preventive health for women and children.

He has a long record on veterans' issues, including helping bring a veterans' outpatient clinic to Port Richey and a spinal cord injury center to Tampa.

"He hasn't made any bonehead errors," Kalogianis said, "but it's time for a change."

Republicans outnumber Democrats 172,378 to 143,481 in the newly redrawn district. But Kalogianis said he will court independent voters and try to steal Bilirakis' core of Greek votes.

"He can say what he wants," Bilirakis said, sounding unconcerned. "He can run his campaign. I'll run mine."

To Kalogianis' irritation, Bilirakis said he has no time or intention to debate his opponent.

"He's down here campaigning full-time," Bilirakis said. "I'm up there doing the people's work."

Kalogianis has also asked Bilirakis to prove he's healthy enough for another term by making his medical records public. Kalogianis released his records in the name of full disclosure, a concept he embraced after his previous employment as a stripper became public in his 1998 campaign for state representative.

Bilirakis ignored that request. He has plenty of energy and his health is not an issue, his staff said. Bilirakis won't speculate on how many terms he has left.

"We'll let the public and the man upstairs worry about that," he said.

THE JOB

U.S. House District 9 includes parts of Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. U.S. representatives serve two-year terms and are paid $150,000 annually.

REPUBLICAN

Bilirakis

MICHAEL BILIRAKIS, 72, is a lawyer, former restaurant owner and petroleum engineer who lives in Tarpon Springs. First elected to Congress in 1982, he is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he is chairman of the Health Subcommittee and a member of the subcommittees on Telecommunications and the Internet and Oversight and Investigations. He is also vice chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and a member of the Oversight Committee. Born in Tarpon Springs, he grew up in Pennsylvania, worked in steel mills and served in the Air Force. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Florida law school. He is married and has two children. ASSETS: home, real estate, savings, stocks, bonds, retirement accounts LIABILITIES: mortgage, personal loan SOURCE OF INCOME: congressional salary WEB SITE: www.bilirakis.com, www.house.gov/bilirakis

DEMOCRAT

Kalogianis

CHUCK KALOGIANIS, 39, lives in New Port Richey and started his own law firm there in 1993, specializing in real estate. A native of Massachusetts, he moved to Florida nine years ago. He attended Boston University and New England Law School. During that time, he was a house painting contractor, a male stripper and the owner of a male dance revue. He has served as a Pasco civil traffic infraction hearing officer and is a member of the West Pasco Bar Association, the West Pasco Habitat for Humanity, the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Sierra Club. He and his wife have three sons. ASSETS: home, businesses, investment holdings, real estate LIABILITIES: mortgages, student loans, personal loans SOURCES OF INCOME: salary, rental income WEB SITE: www.chuckforcongress.com E-MAIL: chuck@chuckforcongress.com