Election 2004

Key lesson: Don't ignore mid county

For decades, central Pasco was no problem for politicians - few voters existed. Now they abound and are mostly Republican.

By JAMES THORNER
Published November 7, 2004

Cows and orange trees don't vote. That explains why for decades, politicians weren't forced to invest much money or energy in Wesley Chapel and Land O'Lakes.

But if votes from last week's general election are any indication, the center of Pasco County, where suburbs are swallowing ranches and citrus groves, has established itself as a power base vital to winning elections.

And considering how well President Bush racked up votes in central Pasco - he won 20 of its 21 precincts - it's a bloc dominated by Republicans.

"I don't think we can be ignored any more," said Dennis Smith, a Wesley Chapel activist who is considering a run for county commissioner.

Pasco was built on cheap housing for retirees, many Northern factory workers affiliated with the Democratic Party. But suburbanization has brought younger families - and stronger affiliation with the GOP.

The shift is reflected in voting registration rolls. Majority Democrat from the Civil War onward, the county flipped to majority Republican in 1999 and hasn't looked back.

It also is reflected in the composition of the five-member County Commission. With the defeat of Democratic Commissioner Peter Altman on Tuesday, the board is all Republican.

Altman's failure at the polls in Wesley Chapel and Land O'Lakes mirrored that of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

All but one of the 21 voting precincts stretching 20 miles from Morris Bridge Road to the Suncoast Parkway went for Altman's Republican opponent, Jack Mariano.

Those precincts hold one-fifth of the county's 266,000 registered voters. Though that may not sound like much, the area's on the cusp of a further demographic explosion.

Population in Land O'Lakes and Wesley Chapel could increase by more than 50,000 in the next 10 to 20 years. Existing and proposed neighborhoods such as Meadow Pointe, Seven Oaks, New River and Connerton account for much of that growth.

Though Altman, as a Democrat, clearly suffered in Bush's shadow, some local voters criticized the commissioner for missing opportunities to schmooze away from his base in New Port Richey.

Mariano didn't make that mistake. Recognizing what a Republican stronghold central Pasco had become, the Hudson resident sought out groups such as the Wesley Chapel Republican Club.

"I went to them every chance I got and asked them to spread the word for me," Mariano said. "I just think there's a lot of good Republicans out there pulling for me."

One of them is Lexington Oaks voter Peter Hanzel, who said he and his neighbors appreciated Mariano's attention.

"He worked this area. We had him out here a couple of times," Hanzel said. "Pete never came out here, to my knowledge."

Altman couldn't be reached Friday.

Lexington Oaks, a new golf course community of about 1,000 homes just west of Interstate 75, epitomizes the shifting political winds.

The neighborhood is home to the county's biggest precinct, the 127th, with 4,666 registered voters. Bush carried the precinct 1,709 to 983, paralleling Mariano's 1,478 to 916 victory over Altman.

Voter turnout was high, coming in at 58 percent, a number that excludes residents who voted early at centralized polling places.

Only two other Pasco precincts count more than 4,000 registered voters. Both are in Land O'Lakes: the 36th, covering such neighborhoods as Oakstead, and the 110th, serving Lake Padgett Estates and other developments.

Two years ago, to reflect the growing population, the county's supervisor of elections redrew precinct boundaries and created more polling places. Another overhaul is imminent.

"We'll be revisiting precincts before 2006 for sure. It's just boomed out there," said Melba Hamilton, chief deputy for Supervisor of Elections Kurt Browning.

Tuesday wasn't the only time central Pasco voters threw their weight around. In March, neighborhoods such as Lexington Oaks cast vital votes in favor of a 1-cent increase in the sales tax.

The tax was earmarked for construction of highways, schools and other infrastructure strained by the housing boom.

Last year, a core of Wesley Chapel residents, including Hanzel, met to discuss incorporating as a city. They thought county leaders ignored their pleas for more orderly growth in the suburb.

As Altman, and even Kerry, could remind future candidates: You ignore central Pasco at your peril.

"It's a lot of young families and retirees who have been very active in the political process," Hanzel said. "We'd like to be heard."

[Last modified November 6, 2004, 23:27:31]