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Candidate's withdrawal may delay or cancel vote

Bill Bennington, the lone challenger for the District 1 seat in Treasure Island, quits after citing health reasons

By JADE JACKSON LLOYD
Published January 23, 2005

TREASURE ISLAND - The only challenger in the race for District 1 city commissioner withdrew Friday morning, citing health problems.

By pumping the brakes on his first political foray, Bill Bennington may inadvertently have sideswiped the district's election.

Typically, this would mean an easier-than-anticipated re-election bid for incumbent Phil Collins.

Not necessarily, in this case.

Since Bennington withdrew after the Dec. 30 qualifying period deadline, leaving one candidate for that office, city code dictates that the field has to reopen immediately for potential candidates.

City officials say this could result in the city holding a special election for that office.

It depends on when - or if - a qualified candidate applies to oppose Collins, and whether the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections will be able to amend the ballot language accordingly, said Jennifer Nye, the city's deputy city clerk. The deadline to submit ballot language passed on Jan. 14, she said.

"If nobody qualifies, there will be no election," Nye said. "If somebody qualifies, we'll get down to the exact date."

Section 14-9, subsection E of the code says that additional qualification papers must be available for two weeks after the withdrawal and the City Commission must hold a special meeting within the first seven days to announce a vacancy in the candidacy, the reopening of the qualifying period and the possibility of rescheduling the election.

Bennington, a 55-year-old retiree, signed the candidate withdrawal form at 10 a.m. Friday. The qualifying period reopened as of noon Friday and will run through noon Feb. 4, Nye said.

City code says that if the closing date of the new qualifying period is less than 20 days before the scheduled election, the commission must schedule a special election. It would be held at least 20 days and no more than 35 days after the qualifying period, the code says.

In this case, the Feb. 4 closing date falls well before the March 8 election, but changing the ballot language is a concern.

However, Nye said the city has conferred with the county's elections office and "they may be able to coincide with the March 8 election for District 1."

"I don't know that this is definite at this point," she said.

Nothing will be certain until the qualifying period ends in February, she said.

To run for the District 1 seat, residents must be qualified electors of the city and must indicate the district in which they reside.

In addition, they must fill out and sign a sheaf of forms, ranging from financial disclosure to an oath of candidate; turn in at least five, signed petition cards by electors; and submit a filing fee of $104.

Bennington, who had no prior political experience, said he sought the position because the "commission we have now is not doing anything for the betterment of the city."

What would he have brought to the position, had he been elected?

"Oh, I don't know how to really put it into words," he said, laughing during a Thursday phone interview. "I think I can bring them a new insight and mixture of moving ahead and still retaining the ambience we already have."

Collins, the sitting commissioner, could not be reached for comment.

Bennington said he made the decision Wednesday to withdraw, after a doctor's visit revealed bad news. Though he declined to elaborate on the exact condition, he said it could be life-threatening and he'll have to take medication "and other things" to combat it.

"I was devastated about it," he said, during a Thursday phone interview. "... Just upset I'm not able to run."

When asked if he knew pulling out of the race might disrupt the election, Bennington said, "I was aware of that and I hate that's going to happen, but for my health, I have to look out for No. 1."

[Last modified January 23, 2005, 00:14:21]