Political junkie

Sanchez plays his Bill Clinton card

Mayoral candidate Frank Sanchez has finally uttered the C-word.

On radio ads on the largely black radio station WTMP 1150 AM, Sanchez touts his work for the Clinton administration. He talks about bringing the diversity of the Clinton White House to Tampa City Hall.

At other forums, Sanchez touts his work at the White House without uttering Bill Clinton's name. He just says he worked for his country for the president of the United States.

Even in Tampa, where Democrats far outnumber Republicans, an association with the former president can be a negative in some circles.

EARLY VOTING AVAILABLE: Many voters will be on spring break next Tuesday for the mayor's runoff election.

If you're planning a trip out of town you can vote early at the Supervisor of Elections office at the downtown County Center at 601 E Kennedy Blvd. downtown or at the Brandon office at 2514 N Falkenburg Road.

To find out more or to request an absentee ballot, call 272-5850.

SANCHEZ APOLOGIZES FOR NEGATIVE AD: Sanchez used his opening state Tuesday at a forum sponsored by the Tampa Bay Organization of Black Affairs to apologize to opponent Pam Iorio.

He said he had called Iorio personally and pledged not to use negative ads during the campaign, only to find out a supporter had run a negative ad on the radio Tuesday morning.

"I heard about it 10 minutes ago," Sanchez said. "It was done without my authorization. That's not the kind of campaign I intend to run.

"I apologize not only to Ms. Iorio, but I apologize to you, the public."

The statement garnered a round of applause from the audience of nearly 200 at the Doubletree hotel on Cypress Street.

COIN TOSS DECIDES DEBATE ORDER: Sanchez got first dibs on speaking at Tuesday night's forum thanks to a little luck.

The forum's organizers chose who would speak first with an old fashioned coin toss.

Iorio called heads while the quarter was in midair.

It was tails.

IORIO'S RESIDENCY IN TAMPA CITY LIMITS EXAMINED: When she comes under attack during debates, Iorio, a former elections supervisor and county commissioner, reminds Sanchez that he hasn't lived in Tampa in 20 years.

Technically, Iorio hasn't been here all that time either.

Iorio and her husband didn't live inside the city limits until August 1999. They bought their home in Beach Park for about $340,000, records show. Before that, Iorio lived in the Tampa suburbs.

She represented northwest Hillsborough, including parts of New Tampa, on the County Commission for eight years, and served the entire county as elections supervisor for the past decade.

MONDAY'S DEBATE TO RE-AIR: A tape of the mayor's debate Monday night sponsored by the League of Women Voters will air on Channel 15, the city of Tampa cable TV station, six times before Tuesday's election: Wednesday at 3 p.m., Friday at 8 a.m., Saturday at 5 p.m., Sunday at 5 p.m., and Monday at 9:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.

-- Times Staff Writer David Karp can be reached at 226-3376 or karp@sptimes.com. Times staff reporters Shelaine Peters and Brady Dennis contributed to this report.

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