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Letter to the editor

Ambler has head start in crowded House race

Facing four challengers, state Rep. Kevin Ambler is already holding community meetings and raising cash.

By JOSH ZIMMER
Published July 4, 2004

CARROLLWOOD - It's early summer, two months before the primaries and three months before the general election.

Anyone surprised to see state Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Lutz, hosting a series of community meetings?

Ambler, 43, is running for a second term in District 47, an area covering the northwest corner of Hillsborough County from Odessa and Forest Hills to Citrus Park and Carrollwood. He will have to fight for it.

As of Friday, the Florida Supervisor of Elections Office listed four candidates interested in his job, including the most recent entry, conservative Republican Bill Bunkley. The two Democrats are Jason Smith and Jeremy Zelanes. Kimberly Allison Snow is representing the Libertarian Party.

Although he butted heads with former House Leader Johnnie Byrd, R-Plant City, Ambler said he came away energized by the experience and by the sense that he can make a difference under the House's new leadership.

As a freshman, he wasn't afraid to diverge from Byrd's views on issues such as medical malpractice reform. A trial lawyer, he opposed efforts to limit liability awards against doctors and insurance companies, calling those limits unfair to victims.

"I studied the issues and followed my moral compass," he said after holding a community meeting June 26 at Chamberlain High School.

"The biggest thing I learned ... is you can't get trained for this job," he added.

But if Ambler is going to win, he will need to attract more voters than turned out for at least two of the community meetings. The sessions at Chamberlain and the Carrollwood Recreation Center drew thin crowds of about 10 people apiece, including his wife.

His money situation is good heading into the campaign. Although new filings are due July 12, current records show he is the only candidate who has received contributions - and spent them. His campaign war chest lists $56,000 in contributions and nearly $37,000 in expenditures.

Bunkley, 48, is a lobbyist for the Florida Baptist Convention and Creative Recycling Services in Tampa. He also is assisting one of the companies seeking Hillsborough's lucrative indigent health care contract.

At a 2001 rally at Legends Field in Tampa, he was one of the Republican activists who singled out several Democrats for holding anti-Bush signs. The protesters were arrested.

He could not be reached for comment. His campaign papers do not include a phone number.

Mike Steinberg, the Democrat who lost to Ambler in 2002, credits Ambler with being an effective first-term representative. But he doesn't rule out the possibility of Bunkley winning the primary because those early contests tend to bring out the party faithful, such as conservative Republicans who may be likely to back Bunkley over Ambler.

"Bill Bunkley is going to be more lock-in-step with the Republican Party," he said.

At the same time, Steinberg thinks a Bunkley win would improve the Democrats' chances in the general election. Steinberg thinks Ambler probably could attract more independents and conservative Democrats.

Steinberg, who is campaign precinct chairman for the local Democratic Party, is backing candidate Jason Smith.

Smith, 36, has worked in the mental health and foster care fields for 12 years, according to his Web site (www.jasonhsmith.com) He could not be reached for comment.

Zelanes, 23, could not be reached for comment; the phone number listed on his filing papers did not accept calls. Steinberg said he hasn't seen Zelanes actively campaign.

Snow, the Libertarian candidate, is the only woman in the race. She says she's running against Ambler because he co-sponsored a bill to widen the government's use of "eminent domain," increasing its ability to take private property.

Snow, 30, the director of a technology consulting firm, also has a Web site (votekimsnow.com).

"People sometimes think that Libertarians run in name only and don't really run," Snow said, "but I have a legitimate campaign."

- Josh Zimmer covers the University of South Florida area, Keystone and Odessa and Citrus Park. He can be reached at 813 269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 3, 2004, 09:02:07]