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Political junkie

Ex-Buc not ready to tackle Senate race

By Times staff writers
Published August 3, 2005

Some state Democrats have been pining for a candidate with some pizzazz to run for the state Senate District 16 seat now held by outgoing Sen. Jim Sebesta, R-St. Petersburg. Their fantasy recruit: Brad Culpepper, the former defensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and University of Florida football captain.

But it seems state Rep. Charlie Justice of St. Petersburg, the only Democrat in the race so far, can breathe easy.

"I have received some calls, but at this point I'm too busy being a husband, father, and attorney to seriously consider running," said Culpepper, a Tampa lawyer. "Maybe on down the road."

Republicans in the race so far include state Reps. Kim Berfield of Clearwater and Frank Farkas of St. Petersburg.

SCARE TACTICS: There's no mystery why more than a year before the election, Democratic St. Petersburg City Council member Richard Kriseman would roll out a list of endorsements for his candidacy to succeed Democratic state Rep. Charlie Justice in House District 53. Kriseman wants to discourage fellow Democratic council member Jay Lasita from challenging him in the overwhelmingly Democratic district.

Combined with the more than $22,000 Kriseman reported raising through June 30, his supporters hoped the following list of Kriseman supporters would make Lasita think twice: Former House Speaker Peter Rudy Wallace ; former state Rep. Margo Fischer; Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch; County Commissioner Calvin Harris; St. Petersburg City Council member Jamie Bennett; St. Petersburg City Council member Rene Flowers; Largo City Commissioner Pat Gerard; Gulfport City Commissioner Michele King; Dunedin Vice Mayor Deborah Kynes; Pinellas Park Mayor Bill Mischler; Gulfport Mayor Michael Yakes; neighborhood leader and former mayoral candidate Karl Nurse.

Did Lasita get the message? "I find it flattering that a year out from the election, before anybody's really paying attention, that they would try to do things to effectively muscle me out of the race. It's flattering they see me as so formidable," Lasita said Tuesday.

He said he hasn't decided whether to run for that seat or another office, but will make up his mind by year's end. In any event Kriseman's endorsements and early fundraising will have "absolutely nothing to do with it. . . . That's not enough to scare me out."

CANDIDATES STILL FILING IN: Republican chiropractor Rod Jones, son of state Sen. Dennis Jones, R-Seminole, has decided against running in the Republican primary for House District 52. But that doesn't mean the Republican contest to replace outgoing state Rep. Frank Farkas won't be a crowded one.

Lawyer Sean Scott, a self-described moderate "new Republican" says he's leaning toward jumping into the race and joining fellow St. Petersburg Republicans Angelo Cappelli and Ross Johnson, who have already filed campaign papers and begun raising money.

Scott said waiting to get into the race helped him assess the field. Meanwhile, Republicans say still another candidate, Republican activist Sandy Curran of Clearwater, also is seriously looking at running for the district. She worked for the Pinellas GOP in 2004.

FASANO, JUSTICE LAUDED: State Sen. Mike Fasano , R-New Port Richey, and House Rep. Charlie Justice , D-St. Petersburg, were recently honored for their work helping disabled Floridians.

Fasano was named 2005 Legislator of the Year by the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged. As chair of the Senate Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations Committee, Fasano said he made every effort to support programs providing quality, cost-effective transportation service to people living with disabilities.

Justice won a legislative advocacy award by the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology, a program that provides technology aids to promote independent living.

Justice sponsored a bill during the 2005 Legislative Session which brought Florida's Assistive Technology Program in compliance with federal law.

Aaron Sharockman compiled this week's Political Junkie from Clearwater with contributions from Adam C. Smith in St. Petersburg. Contact the staff at politicaljunkie@sptimes.com

[Last modified August 3, 2005, 00:36:17]