Incumbent state Rep. Frank Farkas must defend his record. Liz McCallum must fight a carpetbagger label.
By CARRIE JOHNSON
Published September 19, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - This is familiar territory for Frank Farkas.
While many of his Republican colleagues coast unopposed into another term in the Legislature, Farkas is once again facing a challenge for the House seat he has had to fight to retain for six years.
If the St. Petersburg chiropractor feels threatened, he's not showing it. Just two months before the election, his campaign calendar is virtually empty. Meanwhile, his opponent, St. Petersburg newcomer Liz McCallum, is devoting most of her time to the race, knocking on hundreds of doors and distributing thousands of pieces of mail.
As in years past, Farkas has an important asset on his side: money. So far, he has raised about $130,000, about three times as much as McCallum. He also has the power of incumbency and widespread name recognition.
Some critics, however, say Farkas failed to stand up to outgoing House Speaker Johnnie Byrd, and also criticize health care legislation he has crafted as being too much of a "bare bones" policy.
"My opponent has squandered the opportunity to do something really positive for his constituents," McCallum said. "It's time for a change."
Farkas said he's not taking anything for granted.
"I'm going to run like I always run," he said. "Like an underdog."
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It's 11 a.m. Wednesday and McCallum's campaign office on Gandy Boulevard is bustling. Half a dozen volunteers stuff envelopes and make telephone calls. A sign on the wall identifies the number of registered voters, Democratic voters and how many swing voters are needed to win the election.
McCallum, who worked as a political consultant in California, has the support of some big-name Democrats. Former U.S. Representative Pat Schroeder spoke at an event for her this month, and former Florida gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride and his wife, Alex Sink, held a fundraiser for her.
McCallum also received $500 from EMILY's List, a national fundraising group that steers contributions to female candidates who support abortion rights.
But McCallum still faces some formidable obstacles, including criticism that she is a political carpetbagger. She moved to St. Petersburg from Hillsborough County in January, just a few weeks before the filing deadline.
McCallum says she and her husband planned to move to St. Petersburg for a while but remained in Hillsborough to accommodate her mother, who died in November.
"Leadership isn't necessarily about where you live," she said. "It's about your interests and understanding what your role is and who you work for."
McCallum has significantly less money than Farkas - about $40,000, campaign finance records show - so she can't afford television advertisements. She is relying on grass-roots campaigning.
McCallum also hasn't received any substantive financial support from the Florida Democratic Party. Steve Schale, field director for the party's House campaigns, said they are still evaluating McCallum's campaign before making any decisions.
Despite the hurdles, McCallum said she's confident her message is connecting with voters. "It doesn't matter where I was raised," she said. "It matters that I understand their needs."
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House District 52 includes most of Northeast St. Petersburg and extends west through Pinellas Park and Largo.
The district is one of the most evenly split in the state: 40 percent of the voters are Republicans, 38 percent are Democrats and 4 percent are independents. In the 2000 presidential election, 46 percent backed President Bush, while 50 percent voted for Al Gore. Ralph Nader won about 3 percent of the vote.
Its legislative races have been fierce. In 1996, Democrat Margo Fischer beat Farkas by 1,601 votes. Two years later, Farkas triumphed over Fischer by 1,620 votes.
In 2000, Farkas defeated Fischer by a larger margin but was criticized for running what many called an exceptionally negative campaign, including taking advantage of ill will voters had toward Fischer's husband, then-St. Petersburg Mayor David Fischer.
"I don't have anything complimentary to say about the way Frank Farkas campaigns," Margo Fischer said. "He is known for hard-hitting, combative and, in some instances, dirty campaigning."
Fischer said she has consulted with McCallum and warned her to be prepared for an attack.
"As soon as an opponent becomes a threat," she said, "you can pretty well expect he's going to have one or two zingers."
Farkas said he's proud of the campaigns he has run.
"I don't take cheap shots at people," he said. "But if they have a certain philosophy, then people need to know about it."
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Darryl Paulson, a University of South Florida professor who is writing a book on Florida politics, said the race between McCallum and Farkas will be closely watched throughout the state.
McCallum's biggest challenge will be making herself known in a short time to voters who are familiar with Farkas, Paulson said.
"He's been in this position for six years," he said. "He's a known commodity, and he has a record to offer as well as defend."
At the same time, some of the money Farkas has raised comes from special interest groups, including insurance and tobacco companies, which could turn off some voters, Paulson said.
In addition, Republicans like Farkas were criticized for failing to stop Byrd from pushing what some called his personal agenda.
But Chris Eaton, who ran unsuccessfully against Farkas in 2002, said he learned how difficult it is to defeat a sitting House member, especially someone who is adept at raising money.
"Love him or hate him, Frank is well established here in St. Petersburg," Eaton said. "I can't imagine anyone beating him this year."
