The two opponents trade accusations of ignorance and lacking a sense of humor.
By STEPHEN HEGARTY
Published October 15, 2004
NEW PORT RICHEY - Toward the end of the debate between the candidates for supervisor of elections, incumbent Kurt Browning said he might have preferred a format in which the candidates could ask each other questions. It would be, Browning mused, "more of a free-for-all."
Thursday evening's debate might not have been an outright free-for-all. But it was pretty close.
Challenger Patrick Bergy accused Browning of acting in a partisan manner, of recommending the wrong voting machines, and claimed that Browning "doesn't have much of a sense of humor." At one point, Bergy suggested that the position should be a part-time job. That comment caused a member of Browning's staff - many of whom have been working six-day workweeks as the election approaches - to cover her mouth with her hands, aghast.
Browning said his opponent knows little about elections, has mishandled his own campaign filings, and flatly stated: "Mr. Bergy doesn't know what he's talking about."
Between them, the two candidates fielded a baker's dozen of questions about the many controversies surrounding elections in Florida, as well as their fitness for the office. The two men gamely highlighted their profound differences.
When asked why Pasco voters should reject Browning, a six-term incumbent who has developed a reputation for fast and accurate election returns, Bergy returned to his theme of partisan taint.
"It doesn't matter if Mother Teresa is counting the votes," Bergy said. "If we have a problem, half of the people aren't going to trust him." Bergy was referring to Browning's party affiliation as a Republican. Bergy is running with no party affiliation.
Browning said he has always run his office in a nonpartisan manner.
Browning was asked why he chose the touch screen voting machines. He spoke of his confidence in the equipment's reliability.
"You will not find voter intent issues in Pasco," Browning said. He referred to the searches for hanging chads in the infamous 2000 presidential vote recount, when officials tried to determine what voters meant to do. With touch screen machines, for instance, it is impossible to vote for more than one candidate in a race.
Bergy described the machines as untested and vulnerable to hacking.
Bergy, 38, is a computer network administrator from New Port Richey. This is his first run for elected office.
Browning, 46, has been Pasco's elections supervisor since 1980. He is running for his seventh consecutive term. This is only the second time he has faced opposition in his bid for re-election.
The supervisor of elections oversees a budget of roughly $2.5-million. The supervisor serves a four-year term, and the job pays $107,613 annually.
The debate was held at Pasco-Hernando Community College before a crowd of about 50. Questions were asked by panelists C.T. Bowen of the St. Petersburg Times and Tom Jackson of the Tampa Tribune.
