The 15 contenders largely share the same ideology, but they must find ways to set themselves apart for the Aug. 31 primary election.
By WILL VAN SANT
Published August 2, 2004
Fifteen Republican candidates are now on the stump, out to best their opponents and become the party's choice to capture one of three County Commission seats to be decided in November.
Some have lived in Hernando since birth and boast a native's insight on the county; others have served in elected office before and can point to their government experience. The intensity of the field's conservatism spans a spectrum from moderate to fiery.
Despite such differences, it's the candidates' similarity that poses a problem.
In essence, all 15 are making the same pitch: County government spending is out of control, they say, and the county should be run more like a business. With all the Republicans singing the same song, how does a single candidate's voice reach voters?
"I hate to say this, but most of the candidates have the same agenda," said District 1 Republican hopeful Anthony Palmieri. "It's a question of who the people are going to believe."
Palmieri, 75, a member of the county Planning and Zoning Commission, has the same criticism of county government as his Republican rivals in District 1: Rose Rocco, Richard McDermott, Jeff Stabins, Luke Frazier and Donald Whiting.
A lone Democrat, D.W. "Bill" Fagan, has no primary challenger and will face whichever Republican wins the Aug. 31 primary.
Like his opponents, Palmieri accuses the commission of a lack of fiscal restraint, passing intrusive, rights-trampling ordinances, and a failure to seriously and decisively manage development.
To stand out, he is relying on a straightforward style on the campaign trail and the exposure he already enjoys as a member of the planning commission.
"I'm just going to be myself and hope that the people will listen to me," he said. "That's about all that I can do."
Stabins, 44, was a state representative from 1992 to 1998.
According to Stabins - who puts growth management at the forefront of his platform - the trick to winning the primary is to target appeals precisely.
With so many contenders, Stabins explained, individual votes in the primary are more precious than in the Nov. 2 general election. The first step is to make sure your supporters cast ballots and then to campaign one voter at a time, he said.
"You use a hook and line in the primary election," Stabins said, "and a cast net in the general."
Frazier, 19, is perhaps the most distinctive Republican candidate in the district, and not just because of his age. Deeply conservative, Frazier said "the big, fat, ugly head of government" should stay away from jobs better handled by the private sector.
Government's proper domain is the military, law enforcement, maintaining the road network and little else, he said.
"I think they are scared of rocking the boat," Frazier said of Republicans who talk about reducing the size of government but not what parts should be trimmed. "That's something that I'm not scared of doing at all."
With just three Republicans - Mark Cattell, Art Dillman and Charles Gaskin - in the District 3 race, the attention of primary voters should not be at such a premium. And since there also is a Democratic primary in the district, between sitting Commissioner Diane Rowden and Realtor Phillip Johnson, the Republican echo chamber should not be as loud.
The district also has a no-party candidate, Steven Ashmore, who will be on the November ballot.
But in District 5, there are six Republicans with similar campaign themes, just as in District 1.
"Everybody is running on the same issues," said District 5 Republican contender Bobbi Mills. "So the question is: Which candidate do you believe can get the job done? Whose rhetoric are you going to listen to?"
Mills, 63, ran for an open seat on the commission in 1996 and won. In 2000, she lost in the primary.
Having served on the board, Mills has a level of name recognition other candidates might envy.
Her experience helps her stand apart, Mills said, adding that endorsements from business associations and newspapers, yet to be announced, will further distinguish candidates in voters' minds.
In such a crowded race with candidates offering similar platforms, Mills stressed how crucial old-fashioned campaigning will be. It was a sentiment shared by many contenders.
"You just got to talk to as many people as you can," she said. "Knock on doors, hand out as many brochures as you can."
District 5 Republican candidate J.O. "Jimmy" Batten may benefit from the recent flap over his appearance on the television program The Simple Life, in which he modeled his chaps for the show's stars - without anything on beneath them.
But national exposure aside, it is county voters who will decide the race.
And in the eastern part of the county, Batten said, he can count on overwhelming support.
Consequently, Batten, a 58-year-old farmer and rancher, has a unique take on the race.
As far as he is concerned, the more candidates the better.
Batten reasons that his base in eastern Hernando is secure. By letting the other candidates split up the Spring Hill vote and not performing too terribly there himself, Batten said he has a shot.
Another Republican in the District 5 race, Lara Bradburn, was a reporter at Hernando Today for 16 years before deciding to enter politics. She has covered county government and knows where to find facts that back up her claim that Hernando lacks fiscal discipline.
Staffing levels are increasing three times faster than the population is growing, said Bradburn, 41, and the budget is growing faster than the rate of inflation.
So where others might have broad complaints, Bradburn said she has detailed knowledge that will make meaningful reforms possible, which is just what voters want.
"Talk is cheap," she said.
The other Republicans running in the district are political activist and former candidate Janey Baldwin, former Brooksville fire chief James E. Adkins, and Anna Liisa Covell, who sits on the county Planning and Zoning Commission.
Chris Kingsley, a former county commissioner, is unopposed as a Democrat.
