Diverse donor base fuels Byrd's U.S. Senate effort
Among the contributors are some who benefited from legislation in 2003.
By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published October 21, 2003
TALLAHASSEE - House Speaker Johnnie Byrd's U.S. Senate campaign is getting financial support from hundreds of contributors, including some who benefited from legislation in 2003.
Byrd's donors include health care executives, hometown friends from Plant City, influential lobbyists and partners in the Broad & Cassel law firm that Byrd hired to oversee changes to the House computer system.
Byrd, a Plant City Republican, raised $846,000 in the three months ending Sept. 30, more than any other GOP Senate candidate. The nearly 300-page report shows most of Byrd's money came from Florida, and $50,000 was donated by Washington political action committees.
Tampa lawyer Steve Burton, managing partner of Broad & Cassel's Tampa office, and his wife gave Byrd $4,000 each, the maximum allowed in a Senate race. Five other Broad & Cassel lawyers gave $10,000.
Byrd hired Burton as a legal adviser on Election Day 2002. The firm has billed the House for more than $500,000 in fees related to changes in House computers and is representing the House in a suit filed by Hayes Computer Systems, which claims it is owed $1.9-million for installing the system.
Other Byrd supporters include executives of two South Florida hospitals that Byrd helped to win expanded heart surgery operations without lengthy state review. A state judge found the law unconstitutional.
The hospitals, Martin Memorial Health Care Systems in Stuart and Bethesda Memorial Health Care Systems in Boynton Beach, were represented by lobbyists Mike Corcoran and Brian Ballard, both Byrd supporters.
"The speaker asked me to raise money for his campaign and I did," said Ballard, who gave Byrd $1,000. "The process is, people got to know him, worked with him, liked him and wanted to support his candidacy."
Another Byrd donor is Fort Lauderdale lawyer Terrence Russell, a former Florida Bar president and a Democrat. Russell said he gave $2,000 because Byrd kept his commitment to provide state funding for legal services to the poor.
"There isn't a lot of political mileage in helping poor people, but he did it," Russell said, "and I don't forget friends like that."
Byrd's Plant City ties helped him too. They include Valrico businessman Sam Rashid, accountant Dan Raulerson and lawyers Howard Stitzel and Robert Trinkle, Byrd's law partner.
Byrd received $1,000 from Don Gaetz, the elected superintendent of schools in Northwest Florida's Okaloosa County. Gaetz said he was asked to support Byrd by two friends who are Panama City businessmen, Earl Durden and Charlie Hilton.
"Johnnie Byrd is a Northwest Florida conservative with the kinds of values that I think represent our part of the state," Gaetz said.
Lobbyists who contributed $2,000 each to the Byrd campaign include Paul Bradshaw and David Rancourt of Southern Strategy Group, one of Tallahassee's most prominent lobbying firms; Mike Corcoran of Zephyrhills, Byrd's former aide and one of his closest political advisers; Associated Industries president Jon Shebel; Larry Overton, a lobbyist for HMOs and hospitals; and Guy Spearman of Cocoa, who represents Anheuser-Busch, Eckerd Youth Alternatives and Tampa Electric.
Seven employees of FECP Cast-Crete, which makes precast concrete and is headed by Hillsborough political activist Ralph Hughes, gave Byrd $28,000.
Byrd also received $15,000 in contributions from 19 executives of WellCare, a Tampa Medicare HMO, and 15 employees of U.S. Sugar in Clewiston, a big player in the Capitol, gave Byrd $4,250.
Byrd received $2,000 donations from Richard Fain, chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines; Armando Codina, a Miami real estate developer whose former partner was Gov. Jeb Bush; Miami City Manager Jose Arriola; and Pinellas Park real estate investor Brent Sembler.
Some of Byrd's House colleagues gave too.
Rep. David Simmons, R-Longwood, who chairs the House budget subcommittee on education, gave Byrd $2,000. Rep. J. Dudley Goodlette, R-Naples, the House policy chairman, gave $1,050. Rep. Carl Domino, R-Jupiter, and Rep. Mark Mahon, R-Jacksonville, each donated $1,000.
Fundraising reports on the other Senate candidates were not yet available.
