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Political junkie

What will election among Realtors mean for House?

By Times staff writers
Published August 31, 2005

For Nancy Riley, it's one election won and another to go.

A Republican candidate to succeed Kim Berfield in state House District 50, Riley last weekend won election as the 2006 president-elect of the Florida Association of Realtors. In 2007, she will be president of the 140,000-member state Realtors Association and, she hopes, a member of the state House representing east-central Pinellas.

First, Riley has to beat former Clearwater City Commissioner Ed Hooper in a Republican primary, however, and perhaps a Democrat if one turns up to run. The Realtors are already proving mighty helpful to Riley, whom Pinellas Republicans elected as a state committeewoman in 2000. At least 70 percent of her contributions reported through June 30 came from brokers.

"I think it really seals it, because the Realtor involvement is huge," Riley said, when asked what the association election means to her own legislative race. "Our issues are quality of life issues."

65th BIRTHDAY: Some high-profile Democratic women are coming to pay homage to the Upper Pinellas Democratic Women's Club, which is celebrating its 65th birthday. Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Patricia Schroeder will be the featured speaker at the Sept. 24 luncheon, where 2004 presidential candidate and former U.S. Sen. Carol Moseley Braun also will be honored.

After extensive research, leaders of the club have concluded it's the oldest Democratic women's club in the country, said president B.J. Star. Star has known Moseley Braun for years and persuaded her to come. State Democratic chairwoma n Karen Thurman, a former congresswoman, arranged for Schroeder, who was one of the highest profile Democrats in Congress and considered running for president in 1988.

"People should be excited that we have kept the vision of the pioneers who started this club," Janet Goen, a past president of the 120-member club and a member of its anniversary planning committee, said in a statement.

The Sept. 24 luncheon will be at the Marriott Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, and membership in the club is not required to attend. A silent auction will include donated items from the likes of former President Jimmy Carter and political consultant James Carville. Tickets are $65, and proceeds will create a scholarship fund for young Democratic women to attend conferences for political training. For tickets, call Lois Fries at (727) 581-2146.

McCOLLUM'S CHOICE: Former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2000 and 2004, is taking sides in the crowded GOP state House primary to succeed Gus Bilirakis. McCollum and his wife, Ingrid, headlined a fundraising reception tonight for Tarpon Springs City Commissione r Peter Nehr.

Nehr backed McCollum in his unsuccessful Senate primary against Mel Martinez last year, and said in an e-mail that McCollum was his "inspiration and mentor" on the issue of restricting medical malpractice lawsuits. McCollum tried to make restricting lawsuits a centerpiece of his campaign in his race against Martinez, a former trial lawyer.

Joining McCollum in headlining the Nehr fundraiser were state Reps. Ed Homan, R-Tampa, and John Legg, R-New Port Richey.

Nehr's Republican primary opponents for state House District 48 are former Safety Harbor City Commissione r Robin Borland, businessman and Republican activist Brian Flaherty, and chiropractor and Palm Harbor Fire Commissioner Ken Peluso. The Democrat in the race, Carl Zimmerman, has launched a campaign Web site: www.carlzimmermann.com

PINELLAS PUSH: Most of the voters deciding who should replace Jim Davis in Congress reside in Hillsborough, but Scott Farrell, an underdog in the Democratic primary, is making inroads in the south Pinellas region.

Craig Sher, CEO and ranking Democrat in the Republican-heavy Sembler Co. development firm, will help host a St. Petersburg fundraiser for Farrell in late September. Sher's daughter, Stacy Elise Sher, earned a degree in political science and international studies from Yale and has been helping Farrell out occasionally on policy issue research.

Also backing Farrell in the crowded primary is St. Petersburg City Council member Jamie Bennett. The race will be all but decided in the Democratic primary, where the candidates also include Hillsborough County Commissioner Kathy Castor, state Sen. Les Miller of Tampa and Tampa lawyer Michael Feinberg.

Political Blog: For regular updates on political events across Florida, check out the Times' new online blog at www.sptimes.com/blogs/buzz

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

[Last modified August 31, 2005, 01:21:25]