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Political junkie

Candidates line up to replace Farkas

By Times Staff
Published March 16, 2005

Lots of credible candidates are positioning themselves to run for Frank Farkas ' state House District 52 seat, as Farkas prepares to run for state Senate in 2006. But what may prove to be the two biggest names in the state House race aren't even directly involved: developer and Ambassador Mel Sembler and stat e Sen. Dennis Jones .

Republican Roderick Jones , son of the state senator from Treasure Island, has already filed to run for the seat, as has fellow Republican Ross Johnson of St Petersburg. Sen. Jones is a chiropractor like his son, and after 27 years in the Legislature he has vast fundraising contacts to help his son's first campaign.

But another Republican strongly looking at running is Angelo Cappelli , a bank trust adviser with his own significant fundraising contacts. After all, his mother-in-law is a longtime aide to Sembler, President Bush's outgoing ambassador to Italy, who is one of nation's foremost Republican fundraisers. Cappelli was quick to note the factors going for his prospective candidacy: "I was born and raised in the district."

Meanwhile, Republican Sean Scott also is seriously looking at the race. As a moderate Republican and lawyer who specializes in senior issues, Scott said he is in touch with the electorate. Some politicos see Historic Old Northeast neighborhood association president Cathy Martin as still another Republican prospect.

The Democratic field looks a lot less competitive, with former candidate Liz McCallum the only strong contender at this point.

District 52 is a politically moderate swing district that includes parts of Gulfport, northeast St. Petersburg, Lealman, Kenneth City and Pinellas Park. Particularly if lawmakers decide against reinstating runoff elections for the primary, the race appears wide open.

ANOTHER OPEN SEAT? As if Pinellas didn't already have more than enough legislative seats coming open in 2006, observers are now increasingly expecting District 54 to reopen after former Sherif f Everett Rice jumps into the statewide race for attorney general.

Rice has barely started representing the district covering most of Pinellas's beach communities, but already buzz is starting over potential successors. Among the Republicans in the mix for the Republican-leaning seat: North Redington Beach Vice Mayor Richard Bennett and Redington Shores Mayor J.J. Beyrouti , who ran unsuccessfully for county commissioner in 2004.

"We need to pretty much wait and see what (Rice) is going to do, and it's looking like he's going to do that," Beyrouti said of Rice seeking the attorney general's post.

TAKING SHAPE: Pinellas Democrats have yet to find a candidate to run for the potentially competitive House District 50 seat which Republican Kim Berfield will vacate to run for the state Senate. Republicans in that race so far include former Clearwater City Commissioner Ed Hooper and state committeewoman Nancy Riley .

But Democrats eyeing Leslie Waters ' House District 50 seat are starting to pile up. Insurance company owner John Sinibaldi already has filed to run, while Seminole City Council member Janet Long has spoken to people about running, and former state Senate candidate and Indian Rocks Beach Commissioner Joanna "Cookie" Kennedy says she is interested in running for that seat too.

Waters' legislative aide, Bruce Cotton, is expected to run to succeed his boss.

-- Adam C. Smith contributed to this week's Political Junkie.

[Last modified March 16, 2005, 01:32:17]