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REBECCA CATALANELLOFinance reports show the Republican candidate in the superintendent of schools race received funding from 62 past Chuck Rushe backers.
Chip Wichmanowski is a Heather Fiorentino supporter. You can tell that by the $200 he and his wife, Deborah, have contributed to Fiorentino's campaign for superintendent of schools.
"I would like to see her become superintendent," said Wichmanowski, executive director of the Pasco Education Foundation.
It hasn't always been that way.
The Wichmanowskis were among 62 people who supported Chuck Rushe for superintendent in his primary election face-off with Fiorentino but who have since given to Fiorentino's campaign, according to campaign finance reports filed last week with the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Fiorentino's campaign donations have increased 10.6 percent to $84,505 since she narrowly defeated Rushe in the Aug. 31 primary election. About $6,885 - 85 percent - of the new dollars come from people who had given to Rushe, most of them school employees and many of them high-ranking administrators.
State Rep. Fiorentino, R-New Port Richey, faces Democrat Alice Delgardo in the Nov. 2 election to replace retiring superintendent John Long.
Delgardo's contributions now total $13,711 - $1,800 of that donated since the primary. Of Delgardo's new dollars, by contrast, only $100 came from a former Rushe donor.
Delgardo, who caps school district employee contributions to her campaign at $100 per person to avoid conflicts of interest, said the show of support Rushe folks have given to Fiorentino doesn't concern her: "Based on my experience, special interests go to the status quo ... Heather represents more of the status quo than I do."
But Ray Gadd, administrative assistant for the district's employee services and planning, said his decision to give to Fiorentino's effort was based on the same logic he had in supporting Rushe.
"We advocated for Mr. Rushe on qualifications and experience," said Gadd, who gave $500 to Rushe's campaign and, on Friday, handed Fiorentino $100. "At this point in time, it looks like Heather has better qualifications and experience."
Fiorentino, 46, was a classroom teacher for 14 years before being elected to the state Legislature in 1998. She has worked part-time at the district office for the past six years.
Delgardo, 52, is a licensed practical nurse with a master's in education. She has held a number of administrative posts over the years, many of which were in the health services field. Delgardo was politically involved in Boston before moving to Pasco two years ago.
Fiorentino said she wanted the support of the Rushe camp badly enough that she asked for it.
After the August primary, Fiorentino mailed letters requesting a buy-in from every past Rushe donor. She enclosed a return envelope, but she said she never mentioned money. She asked folks to "join my team" and to "unite" a system that became divided during her heated contest with Rushe, she said.
"I didn't request dollars. I didn't want anyone to feel pressured to give to my campaign," Fiorentino said. As of Friday, her campaign had accumulated donations from four of five members of Long's top leadership team - formerly some of Rushe's most influential supporters: Gadd, assistant superintendents Bob Dorn and Sandy Ramos and administrative assistant Ruth Reilly. (Most of those donations are not yet included in the published campaign reports.)
But Delgardo said just asking employees for political "support" from their potential boss creates a sense of obligation that she'd just as soon avoid: "I don't want anyone to feel that they have to contribute a certain amount of money to feel secure in their job."
Administrators who spoke with the St. Petersburg Times rejected the idea that they felt pressured to give to either Rushe or Fiorentino.
"Because I gave to Chuck, was there a worry that I needed to support her (Fiorentino)? No," Wichmanowski said. "None whatsoever."
-- Rebecca Catalanello covers education in Pasco County. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6241 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6241. Her e-mail address is rcatalanello@sptimes.com