Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
© St. Petersburg Times, published November 6, 2002
Farkas wins close race to retain office
State Rep. Frank Farkas (Dist. 52) appeared to survive his second aggressive challenge this election season.
Farkas, R-St. Petersburg, led Democratic challenger Chris Eaton and Libertarian challenger Allison Lipscomb with 51.4 percent of the vote with 90 percent of precincts reporting. Two months ago, Farkas defeated fellow Republican Cary Burns in the primary.
"I think my opponent went negative again, just like in the primary, and that obviously didn't work," Farkas said. "I ran on my record, and I'm proud of that. The people I talked to are obviously happy with my performance."
Eaton's campaign manager, Kevin King, said late Tuesday that Eaton would not concede until all precincts were counted. Some problems with voting cartridges delayed final election results.
Farkas, a chiropractor, was criticized by his Republican and Democratic opponents for proposing a bill that would have let insurance companies offer low-cost policies that didn't cover procedures which are mandated now. Farkas maintained Eaton and Burns distorted his record.
"We had a great campaign, we had a real bipartisan campaign," Eaton said.
-- CURTIS KRUEGER
Republican Charles Dean, a Citrus County native and former sheriff, scored an easy victory in the race for state House of Representatives District 43.
Dean, who will replace fellow Republican Nancy Argenziano, defeated Democrat Jimmy Carr and Libertarian Neil Polimeni.
During his campaign, the 63-year-old Dean focused mainly on his background and experience, saying he best knew the needs of voters in the district.
"Let's face it: I'm a touchy feely kind of guy, and the public loves that," Dean said when reached at his victory party at an Inverness restaurant. He said his main goal is to shore up the county's water resources.
Dean was already well known because of his 16 years as sheriff, and his deep campaign account allowed him to spend liberally on television commercials and direct mail. He raised more than $100,000, with a good portion coming from political action committees.
Carr raised less than $2,000.
-- ALEX LEARY
David Russell, R-Brooksville, attributed his easy victory Tuesday over Democrat Greg Williams to his record in the Legislature and his positive campaign style.
"I think the people recognize that I've worked hard and have been effective in my job," Russell said.
"I think we have a mandate," he told a supporter who congratulated him Tuesday evening.
Williams said he would support Russell "in enacting legislation that's going to help the people of the district."
Russell's margin of victory was larger this year than in 2000, when Williams also ran against him and received about 45 percent of the vote.
Williams expected to do better this year, he said, because he was a more seasoned campaigner. He highlighted Russell's votes in the Legislature that he said favored corporate special interests and gave them tax breaks that could have paid for needed services.
Russell said Williams misrepresented his record.
-- DAN DEWITT
In District 45, Tom Anderson used his built-in advantages of campaigning longer, with more money, in a Republican-dominated district to cruise to victory Tuesday night with just more than 61 percent of the votes.
Anderson, according to unofficial results, defeated Democrat Kevin Jensen, who got 35 percent of the vote, and Libertarian John Doherty, who got 4 percent.
"We put in a lot of hard work," Anderson said. "Kevin Jensen ran a fine campaign."
Anderson said he was proud that neither candidate launched any personal attacks. Anderson and Jensen agreed on many matters.
Anderson, the three-time Dunedin mayor, campaigned longer than his opponents, having won a primary election, and raised three times as much money as Jensen. Doherty, who doesn't live in the district, spent no money on his campaign.
Anderson, a retired management consultant, won five elections in Dunedin before his run for the state House. Many of his ideas for office are often colored by his business background: increasing efficiency to save money and adding a more powerful auditing agency for the Legislature to study departments.
-- MATTHEW WAITE
Incumbent Republican state Rep. Heather Fiorentino won a third term to represent District 46 in the state House on Tuesday night, a post she has held for four years. She beat out Democrat Craig McCart and Libertarian Jon Kueny, taking more than 60 percent of the votes cast.
Republican Kevin Ambler took the open House District 47 seat with a convincing victory over Democrat Michael Steinberg.
Both men had promised a clean campaign. But the race turned increasingly bitter as Steinberg accused Republicans of negative push polling. He also agreed with voters who tried to get Ambler off the ballot for not resigning his elected post with the Northdale Special Tax District to run.
Ambler, Steinberg and Libertarian Rob Schwartzberg were battling to replace state Rep. Rob Wallace, R-Lutz, who was leaving because of term limits. Schwartzberg was running far behind.
The district includes Carrollwood, Northdale, Citrus Park and Keystone.
Campaigning as a social conservative, Ambler emphasized education but opposed the class-size amendment because of the costs involved. "I had the best experience, qualifications and message," he said.
Steinberg supported raising taxes to finance smaller class sizes and a statewide indigent health care plan. He accused Ambler of going negative.
"I'm very disappointed in the way Kevin ran his race," he said Tuesday night.
-- JOSH ZIMMER
PALM HARBOR -- Nothing kept Gus Bilirakis from winning his third term in state House District 48 -- not his Libertarian challenger and not an errant driver who struck the Republican incumbent as he campaigned on the side of the road Tuesday.
With more than 80 percent of the votes counted, Bilirakis held a huge lead over political newcomer A.J. Brent.
While stumping with his father, longtime U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis, R-Tarpon Springs, the younger Bilirakis was hit by a car at the corner of East Lake and Tampa roads about 5 p.m.
"My dad was next to me and he said it looked like it was coming to hit him, but it swerved toward me," Bilirakis said. "Apparently, the witnesses said it hit my legs and I went into the car but I was able to maneuver myself away from the hit."
Bilirakis was taken by ambulance to Mease Countryside Hospital, checked and released. He had sore ribs when he later attended a joint victory party at Big JR's Restaurant in Oldsmar.
Tuesday night, Brent, 55, said he was "disappointed but not surprised" with the outcome.
"As I said in my speeches, if they are happy with the mess they are in, then vote for the people who got them there," he said. "And I guess that's what they did."
-- ED QUIOCO
Incumbent Republican Kim Berfield won a decisive victory in the race for state House District 50, which covers portions of Clearwater and Largo.
By 9:30 p.m., she led Democrat challenger Kai Rush by a ratio of nearly 2-1.
The tally, Berfield said, shows she has served voters well.
"I'm very proud of that," she said. "Thank you to those people who turned out today and voted and showed their confidence in the job that I'm doing in serving as their voice."
Berfield, 31, a marketing consultant for W.G. Mills Inc., drew financial support from trade associations, insurance and health care companies and political action committees from across the state.
During the campaign, Rush, a 24-year-old teacher, vowed to move to Tallahassee and push for increased school spending, even if he lost. On Tuesday night, he backed off a plan to take a year's leave of absence from Dunedin High School.
"I'm not for sure," he said. "It will be very hard to leave my students."
A Libertarian candidate from Wesley Chapel, Brian L. Gilbert, trailed a distant third. Gilbert, 35, a software engineer, did not to accept contributions or spend money on the campaign. He has refused requests to be interviewed by the Times.
-- JENNIFER FARRELL
Republican Leslie Waters rode a landslide to a third term as the representative for state House District 51.
Waters decisively defeated first-time candidate Richard Langton, a former pro bowler. At 9:30 p.m, with 92 percent of the vote in, Waters led with 59.2 percent of the vote. Langton had polled at about 40.8 percent.
"I'm pleased that the voters recognized my accessibility, hard work, experience and results," Waters said.
"I look forward to tackling the legislative challenges of the next session and encourage the citizens of House District 51 to keep in touch with me and my staff."
Although Waters has represented District 51 since 1998, the seat's boundaries were changed in redistricting, making much of it new to Waters.
Waters said she reacted by running a hard-driven campaign with door-to-door canvassing, sidewalk meet and greets, positive literature and television ads and visits to local businesses.
District 51 includes portions of Seminole, Pinellas Park, Largo, South Pasadena and the west Lealman area.
-- ANNE LINDBERG
ST. PETERSBURG -- Democrat Charlie Justice was re-elected to the Florida House Tuesday and said he was humbled by voters' support.
"I want to just express my gratitude to the people of our community for placing their faith in me," Justice said. "I'm going to work even harder to make them proud this time."
Justice, 34, defeated Ken Feck, a Republican and small business loan officer for Mercantile Bank; and Michael Gilson-De Lemos, a Libertarian. The candidates praised each other for running clean campaigns.
"We're proud of the race we ran," Feck said, adding that "we were obviously disappointed with the results."
Justice and Feck both campaigned on their experience, with Justice pointing to his support in the House to increase teacher pay, reduce class sizes and protect the elderly, and Feck pointing to his background analyzing business finances.
Gilson-De Lemos said that as a Libertarian, he would provide a fresh approach and seek alternatives to government.
-- CURTIS KRUEGER
John Carassas won election Tuesday to a second term in the Florida Legislature as representative for House District 54.
Carassas defeated Kurt Gratzol, the county's first-ever Green Party candidate.
"I'm honored to have been elected for another two years, and I'm anxious to go to Tallahassee to get sworn in and continue serving the citizens of District 54," Carassas said.
It also appeared that Carassas won another victory Tuesday. Amendment 4, which Carassas created, appeared headed for passage late Tuesday. The rule makes it more difficult for public records to be denied to researchers.
"That is actually a great source of pride for me," Carassas said from his Clearwater Beach victory party. "We were able to give the voters an opportunity to vote to continue Florida's tradition of open government."
Gratzol found some measure of comfort in defeat.
"I got 25 percent of the vote my first time out, that's five times what Ralph Nader did," Gratzol said. "Look out Pinellas County, the Greens are coming."
-- ADRIENNE SAMUELS
Rep. Frank Peterman Jr. trounced his opponents in the race for House District 55, winning a second term Tuesday.
"We wanted a sweep in this campaign and I think this showed that this district was ready," Peterman, 40, said.
With 97.5 percent of the precincts reporting by 11:30 p.m. the St. Petersburg Democrat lead with more than 78 percent. Republican challenger Vincent Hopkins received 19.4 percent and Libertarian candidate Thomas Kilmon took home 2.3 percent.
Peterman campaigned on the strength of his first term. During his two years in office, Peterman forged strong alliances across the state that were especially key in campaign fundraising. Peterman easily raised more than $50,000, overwhelming political newcomer Hopkins, who raised a little less than $600 during the campaign.
Hopkins, who has been in Detroit since early October, said he did not vote in Tuesday's election. He left St. Petersburg shortly after reports surfaced that accused him of failing to pay employees of his temporary staffing agency and losing a lucrative state contract.
"I wish Frank all the best and hope he'll be more aggressive in serving," Hopkins said.
-- CANDACE RONDEAUX
Powerful Republican incumbent Sandra L. Murman held a commanding lead over Libertarian Mark A. Howard and write-in candidate Neil Cosentino Tuesday night in the race for the District 56 seat in the Florida House.
Murman, a three-term incumbent from Davis Islands who rose to become House speaker pro tempore, pledged to continue her legislative agenda for her south Tampa and east Hillsborough constituents.
"I've worked hard for the people in this district and they've responded," Murman said Tuesday night. "Obviously, my work on health care issues and with the Department of Children and Families resonated with the voters."
Murman, 52, who lists her occupation as "community activist," has concentrated on child-centered lawmaking in Tallahassee, sponsoring legislation in her last term to give more local control regarding foster care and to make falsification of records by child welfare workers illegal.
Howard, 38, a Seminole Heights computer programmer, was a newcomer who called for an end to discrimination against homosexuals and characterized Murman as a legislative spendthrift.
-- JEFF TESTERMAN
Republican Faye Culp completed her political comeback Tuesday, coasting to victory over Democrat Scott Farrell for the state House seat that includes South Tampa and Town N' Country.
"It just goes to prove what door-to-door campaigning does," said Culp, 62, who represented the district from 1994 to 1998.
Farrell, 35, a lawyer, hammered Culp in mailouts, saying she let the district down on education funding when she was in the House.
He also raised more money, giving Democrats hope they might pick up the seat being vacated by Republican Chris Hart.
But while Farrell struggled with name recognition, Culp ran as the incumbent, methodically picking up endorsements from police, firefighters, doctors and nurses.
The race also included Tyson Richmond, a Libertarian who did not campaign but picked up more than 1,000 votes.
-- RON MATUS
Voters in District 58 sent Democratic incumbent Bob Henriquez to a third consecutive term in the state House on Tuesday, giving him 63 percent of the votes in this mostly working class district.
Henriquez, a 38-year-old Tampa native and high school football coach, beat out 71-year-old Hector Vila, also a Tampa native.
Henriquez, who held a victory party at Midulla's Restaurant on Columbus Drive, received a congratulatory call from Vila early in the evening.
This was Vila's second attempt at the seat. He called his run "successful." He had spent the past several days knocking on the doors of Democratic households in this district, which encompasses West Tampa, parts of Town 'N Country and parts of East Tampa.
"I might just go ahead and do like Abraham Lincoln," said Vila, surrounded by supporters at the Letter Carrier's Hall on Cypress Street. "He never gave up until he won."
Both men had boasted of their Tampa roots. Henriquez ran on experience while Vila touted his political inexperience as a strength.
-- DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
Incumbent Democrat Arthenia Joyner won an easy victory Tuesday night against Libertarian Rex Curry in the race for the District 59 seat in the state House.
Joyner, 59, is a Tampa attorney who campaigned on expanding government services for the needy in her impoverished east Tampa district.
In her last term, Joyner focused on economic development issues and sought to impact the inner city area she represents. Her victory in 2000 also was sweeping, with almost 70 percent of the vote.
"I just felt the vast majority of people would bring me back because I'd done a good job on taking positions on issues that affect the most vulnerable people in Florida," Joyner said.
She monitored election returns from the Blue Shark, an Ybor City nightclub reminiscent of the one her father once owned on Central Avenue. "It takes me back to the past," she said.
Curry ran on promises to shrink government. He did not return phone calls Tuesday night seeking comment.
-- KATHRYN WEXLER
Republican challenger Ed Homan defeated Democratic incumbent Sara Romeo for the District 60 House seat two years after narrowly losing to her.
Homan, 59, an orthopedic surgeon from Temple Terrace, benefited from a district redrawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature to include sections of the solidly Republican New Tampa.
Romeo, 53, defeated Homan in 2000 by 336 votes, and Homan said he thought the race was a dead heat coming into Tuesday's election.
"I had no clue how the vote was going to turn out," said Homan from his home, where almost 60 campaign volunteers celebrated.
Both candidates mailed fliers criticizing each other in the last month of the campaign. In the final week, a group calling itself People for a Better Florida paid for an attack ad that called Romeo "the Grinch" and accused her of raising taxes.
Romeo did not return calls for comment.
Libertarian candidate and University of South Florida student Ryan Conley, who did not actively campaign, said he would be pleased with 3 percent of the total.
-- JOHN BALZ
The message from voters was clear from the moment results began trickling in for the mostly Pasco County District 61 State House race. State Rep. Ken Littlefield, R-Wesley Chapel, was swept back into office for his third term, winning big over Democrat Pat Burke and Libertarian Joe Preta.
Littlefield, 58, won in what was a quiet race, without the exchange of angry mailers or advertisements as in other races. As the votes rolled in, he said voters appeared to favor his experience in the seat held either by him or his brother since it was carved out in 1992.
The seat encompasses east and central Pasco County and a sliver of Hillsborough County along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.
With nearly all the precincts in, Littlefield had collected more than 58 percent of the votes in Pasco County and more than 60 percent of the Hillsborough votes.
Burke, 55, of Crystal Springs, said the Republican party appeared extremely strong in this election all over the state.
"It wasn't just me, it's all across the board," she said. "I don't have an answer."
She vowed to remain active in politics.
New Tampa resident Preta, 42, said he was encouraged by pulling in more than 1,000 votes without any fundraising. The Libertarian Party, he said, raised voters' awareness and made a philosophical statement. He took the opportunity Tuesday to announce he will actively campaign and raise money for a seat on the Tampa City Council next year.
-- CHASE SQUIRES
Republican incumbent Dennis Ross steamrolled over his virtually unknown Libertarian opponent at the polls Tuesday night, winning convincingly in the state House District 63 race.
Ross, a 43-year-old Lakeland attorney, faced Jason A. Downs, a mortgage underwriter who was among 73 Libertarian candidates who ran for the state House of Representatives.
Downs did not campaign in Hillsborough County. The 30-year-old from St. Augustine, like many of his fellow Libertarian candidates, ran just to get his party's name out.
Ross garnered almost 80 percent of the votes in a district that ran from southern Hillsborough County to Lakeland.
He celebrated his victory at a country club in Lakeland with fellow politicians.
-- DONG-PHUONG NGUYEN
With incumbent and fellow Republican Mike Bennett out of the race for the District 56 seat in the Florida House, Ron Reagan was coasting to an easy victory Tuesday night over libertarian Ron Stringfield and write-in candidate William Dolinski Jr.
The owner of a Bradenton insurance agency, Reagan, 48, narrowly lost to Bennett in the 2000 GOP primary. This year, after Bennett moved to a state senate race, Reagan swept through his primary in a district that includes parts of southeastern Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties.
"We worked hard to get here, we've won, now it's time to go to work for the constituents," Reagan said Tuesday night. "My number one issue will be education, and it appears we will have some challenges ahead to meet mandates for class sizes and other funding."
The conservative Reagan called for local control in areas of education and growth planning. Stringfield, a 30-year-old computer programmer, ran on a pledge to reform the electoral system and to ease curbs against marijuana.
-- JEFF TESTERMAN