Voting in District 47? You can choose from two Republicans and a Libertarian.
By JOSH ZIMMER
Published August 13, 2004
CARROLLWOOD - Northwest Hillsborough voters wondering who to elect as their next state representative can choose a staunch conservative, an incumbent lawyer or a passionate Libertarian.
Everything except a Democrat.
It's a far cry from two years ago, when the Democrats ran three candidates in a spirited primary race to represent District 47. Although Republican Kevin Ambler eventually trounced Democrat Michael Steinberg, the Democrats could take solace in having played the game. This year the party, through a combination of bad luck and thin ranks, is watching from the sidelines.
The Democrats' anointed candidate, Jason Smith, dropped out at the last minute when asked to fill a temporary job in Colorado. Over the next 24 to 48 hours, officials tried to find a replacement but couldn't.
That leaves Ambler playing defense against mortgage broker and Republican insider William Bunkley, whose campaign seeks to raise doubts about Ambler's conservative credentials, especially on malpractice reform.
And it puts 30-year-old Kimberly Snow of Carrollwood Village closer to the spotlight than her party affiliation would normally allow.
"In races with the Republicans and Democrats, the Libertarians don't get any press," Snow said.
A top manager at an area technology consulting firm, Snow espouses the party's mantra of less government and more personal freedom. The party has had a growth spurt in recent years, spreading enthusiasm throughout the ranks.
"In the last few years it has become a viable political party," Snow said. "There's an image of Libertarians as extremists. You'll find quite a few of us are just successful business people who hold sort of Republican ideas. But the Republican Party has moved so far away from its roots."
The Democrats, now in a rebuilding phase, have focused on keeping the two U.S. Senate seats - currently held by Bob Graham and Bill Nelson - while competing for governor. The result has been less money for state and local races.
Under a new party chairman, they are targeting races with open seats and incumbents considered vulnerable, said Scott Schale, who is managing the party's state House campaigns. While successful in finding challengers for District 57 - Hillsborough - and 62 - Hillsborough and Pasco County - the party couldn't field candidates for Districts 56, 61, 67 and 68.
Smith, 36, appeared to be a promising recruit, with limited government experience as a board member of the Hillsborough County Soil and Water Conservation District. He had begun walking the streets and canvassing for support, Hillsborough Democratic Party Chairwoman Janee Murphy said. His photo and resume were on a palm-sized campaign card.
"He was doing all the things to get elected," Murphy said.
The computer technician initially planned to get on the ballot by collecting enough signatures. That effort fizzled. Then, two days before the July 16 deadline to qualify by fee, he e-mailed Murphy that he had accepted the one-month assignment in Colorado. Married and expecting his first child, Smith said he took the Colorado job to protect his career.
The deadline passed without another Democrat stepping up to the plate.
Smith said he returned all the contributions people made toward his qualifying fee - about $1,800.
"It's terrible that voters aren't going to have a real choice," he said, "and a Democratic candidate to turn to that's focused on health care and long-term development issues and transportation and protecting the environment.".
Murphy described District 47 as a "could win and must win" seat for the Democrats, where the party trails Republicans by just 600 registered voters.
But they'll have to wait at least another two years to find out. Considering the Libertarians' weak standing here - they account for just 141 the district's 81,631 registered voters - the winner of the Aug. 31 Republican primary seems assured a victory.
Snow, though, remains positive, joking that "if it wasn't for me we wouldn't be having an election."
Snow arrived in Northdale when she was a youngster after living in Jacksonville and Miami. She attended Gaither High School and the University of South Florida, where she obtained a degree in English education. She moved to Carrollwood Village years ago with her stay-at-home husband and three children.
A former registered Democrat who often voted Republican, Snow said she has long been a Libertarian at heart. The party's emphasis on the individual, including the importance of charity over government social programs, touches her core beliefs.
She advocates "drastic" cuts in government spending and large-scale privatization of public services, except for schools and police and fire protection. Health care should be left in the hands of citizens, who she thinks would donate money to cover those who can't afford it, she said.
The government doesn't belong in people's personal lives, so it should legalize drugs, she said. The Patriot Act, a linchpin of the Bush administration's antiterror campaign, goes too far, she said, because "it's very difficult to get civil liberties back once you give them up."
But taxes may be her biggest issue. Like other Libertarians, she thinks property taxes are unconstitutional.
Florida Libertarian Party administrator Ralph Swanson says polling 15 percent or more would give Snow, and the party, a big credibility boost.
"If she gets a big enough percentage of the vote, then people (will) say, "Gee, she could have won,' " Swanson said. "Then we'll be way ahead of the game."'
The Democrats, meanwhile, are chalking up their missed opportunity to bad timing. And they point out that in some districts, there are no Republican candidates.
"You don't just want to put someone in the race," Murphy said. "We want someone that's going to have the passion ... to go to Tallahassee and change things. It's unfortunate Jason Smith is not running because Jason Smith would have had an awesome team of people."
- Josh Zimmer covers the University of South Florida area and Temple Terrace. He can be reached at 813-269-5314 or zimmer@sptimes.com
