DUNEDIN - He has no political experience and no name recognition.
He has lived in Florida only 31/2 years.
A Democrat, he has no backing from the local Democratic Party. Why bother running as a Republican? Presumably he'd be opposing an incumbent, U.S. Rep. Mike Bilirakis, R-Tarpon Springs, for the 9th Congressional District seat.
But Anthony Esposito doesn't care.
He is filing papers anyway - for the record, as an independent.
"I'm going to have to run a real grass roots campaign, obviously," said Esposito, 51.
So why bother? He wants people to remember him. Maybe Bilirakis will retire in a couple of years, Esposito said. Maybe he will get picked up by a party.
Esposito said he has always wanted to serve in Congress. When he lived in Delaware, he wanted to run for a House seat, but there was only one representative. He is hoping his chances are better in sunny Florida.
"You just had a much harder time getting into politics there on that level because the entrenched guys were there forever," he said. "At least here in Florida, you apply to a specific district, and I think it's an easier entry."
It may not be that easy. Esposito himself admits his chances are slim. Bilirakis, who was first elected to Congress in 1982, has trounced every opponent who has run against him and has given no signal that he won't seek re-election again this year.
To get his name on the ballot, Esposito said he needs more than 4,000 signatures from registered voters in District 9, which includes parts of Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties, or must pay a hefty qualifying fee. He prefers to seek the signatures.
"You have to meet people one on one," he said. "Since they haven't met me, maybe they'll give the underdog a try."
Esposito is a native of Union City, N.J. He is a graduate of the College of Chiropractic at Life University, in Marietta, Ga., and has been a chiropractor for more than 20 years. His wife, Kathryn, owns Tender Touch Dog Grooming in Dunedin.
If Esposito is elected, he plans to push for chiropractors to be covered under insurance for government employees. He also wants to focus on the issues of Medicare and prescription drug coverage. He said the system needs more checks and balances.
First, though, he has to get on the ballot. And to do that, he has to get the signatures by the April 12 deadline. That's goal No. 1.
"I think it's time," said Esposito on why he chose to run this year. "The other years, I was self-employed. You worry about making a living. It's just time to see if your dream can come true."
