Kyc: Commissioner of Agriculture

Florida voters could not ask for a sharper contrast between candidates than the one offered by the race for state commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The Republican incumbent, Charles Bronson, a rancher and former chemical salesman, is a veteran of state politics.

He lost two previous races for agriculture commissioner before he was elected to the state Senate in 1994. Bronson served in the Legislature until last year, when Gov. Jeb Bush appointed him to the post he had long sought.

Now seeking re-election, Bronson has raised more than $1-million in contributions and has planned an extensive television and direct-mail advertising blitz.

The Democratic challenger, David Nelson, is a Miami teacher making his first bid for public office. Calling himself "Joe Novice," he has been running a shoestring campaign out of his house.

Yet he beat two more experienced candidates in the primary. In recent polls, he was seen as either leading Bronson or running neck and neck with him, perhaps because some voters mistakenly believe he is related to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. In contrast to Bronson's ad blitz, Nelson is relying more on the personal touch. The one-time avocado-picker has appeared at dozens of produce festivals around the state, where he handed out what he said were "thousands and thousands of cards."

Most candidates, once they win the primary, crank their campaigns into high gear as they approach the general election. Not Nelson.

Since school began in August, he said, he has campaigned only at night and on weekends because "my mortgage company doesn't understand when I'm not working."

Bronson has been regarded as vulnerable because of his previous failures in statewide campaigns.

He garnered statewide news coverage a few years ago when he wore a paper bird on his head on the Senate floor to protest a state agency's attempt to preserve the white ibis. He and other senators then threatened to cut funding for the state wildlife commission and predicted that protecting the ibis would ruin the state's economy.

But his brief tenure as agriculture commissioner has generated few headlines. The "Accomplishments" section of his campaign Web site lists none. Instead, it merely cites the awards he received as a state senator.

Nevertheless, Bronson, who traces his family's connection to Florida back to the 1830s, is popular among agricultural interests -- so much so that they joined forces to help defeat the Democratic candidate with the most potential for causing him trouble, environmental activist Mary Barley.

Among the tactics used by the group, primarily financed by citrus and cattle giant Ben Hill Griffin III, was running television ads touting Nelson, the only Democrat who had not been openly critical of Bronson's performance in office. The free publicity helped Nelson win the primary, but now those ads are no longer running.

There is also a write-in candidate, Karl Butts of Tampa.

THE JOB

The commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services oversees a massive agency that is supposed to safeguard consumers from scams and support Florida's agricultural economy. It inspects and tests food, oversees state forests, helps farmers with marketing and promotion, and regulates industries ranging from telemarketing to pawnshops. The commissioner also is a member of the Florida Cabinet, voting on a wide variety of statewide issues. The position pays $119,414 a year.

REPUBLICAN

Bronson

CHARLES H. BRONSON, 52, of Tallahassee, received agriculture degrees from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Ga., and the University of Georgia in Athens. A Kissimmee native, the rancher ran unsuccessfully for agriculture commissioner in 1986 and 1990, but won a state Senate seat in 1994 and re-election in 1998. He was appointed agriculture commissioner last year. He is married and has two daughters. ASSETS: ranch, cattle, real estate, stock LIABILITIES: credit union loan SOURCE OF INCOME: agriculture commissioner job, ranch, bank dividends E-MAIL: charles@charlesbronson.org WEB SITE: www.charlesbronson.org

DEMOCRAT

Nelson

DAVID C. NELSON, 39, of Miami, grew up in South Florida. He has been teaching middle school in Miami since 1992. This is his first try for public office. He has a bachelor's degree in science education from Florida International University in Miami and a master's degree from Nova Southeastern University. He is married and has one daughter. ASSETS: home LIABILITIES: mortgage and equity loan SOURCE OF INCOME: teaching job E-MAIL: fla@commissionernelson.com WEB SITE: www.commissionernelson.com