House seat opportunity is knocking for Democrats

By ADAM SMITH
Published November 30, 2005

With so few competitive legislative seats in Florida, you'd think Democrats would jump at a rare open seat they have a shot at winning.

Take House District 50, which Democrats Al Gore and Bill Nelson won in 2000 and which Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Betty Castor last year comfortably won. John Kerry lost the district, which includes Clearwater, Safety Harbor and Feather Sound, by less than 1 percentage point.

Republican Kim Berfield is preparing to vacate to run for state Senate, and two strong Republicans, Ed Hooper and Nancy Riley, have been campaigning for months without a Democrat in the race.

That could soon change, however.

Candice Jovan, a real estate agent and Pinellas organizer for the Howard Dean-created Democracy for America group, says she's seriously looking at running. Jovan, 60, works in Clearwater, lives in Safety Harbor and expects to make up her mind by year's end.

"I've been here a long time, and I've seen a lot of changes," Jovan said. "I've been in business. I understand people. I think I could do a very good job for the people in this area, and it's about serving people."

Former Indian Rocks Beach city commissioner Joanna Kennedy, who ran against Republican Dennis Jones for state Senate in 2002, is also considering it but worries the cash-strapped state party won't be able to help much.

"They say it's a winnable seat but basically they want you to get in there, say you're going to run, and then they'll let you know in August of next year if they're going to help you," Kennedy said.

DRILLING DEBATE: Clearwater City Council members are thinking of taking a stand on offshore oil drilling.

Now, which side will they take?

Hoyt Hamilton wants to support Gov. Jeb Bush's plan, which would bring drilling within 125 miles of the Gulf Coast. Carlen Petersen is uncomfortable with any relaxation on the drilling ban, siding more with Florida Sens. Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson.

"This is kind of bigger than a city issue," Jonson said Monday, after Clearwater's Gas System director asked the council to support Bush's compromise stance.

Hamilton, who owns a Clearwater Beach hotel and restaurant, said oil and natural gas rigs would not threaten the tourist economy. Natural gas platforms pose no significant ecological threat, Hamilton said, and oil platform technology is constantly improving.

Plus, he said, "you're not going to see oil rigs off our coast. You're not going to see anything."

Council members agreed to delay a decision Monday, until they know more.

Said Petersen: "There has got to be another solution."

LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW: The Pinellas County legislative delegation will hold the second of two public hearings Thursday on potential bills and issues that could be brought up for consideration during next spring's legislative session in Tallahassee.

The hearing will be 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Safety Harbor City Hall, 750 Main St.

Scheduled topics for discussion include the Bishop Creek drainage improvement project, brick street restoration and improvement, state aid to libraries, a library construction grant and local governance of fire protection services. Nearly four dozen people are signed up to make presentations on a wide variety of issues.

The meeting is open to the public, but the agenda has been set, so you shouldn't show up expecting a chance to address the delegation.

YOUNG GUN: With all the potentially competitive legislative races gearing up in Pinellas, state House Democrats have signed political consultant Kevin King of St. Petersburg to serve as local field director, helping candidates with grass roots organizing and fundraising.

A St. Petersburg native and graduate of Gibbs High and University of South Florida, King in 2002 managed his first campaign at age 23: Chris Eaton vs. state Rep. Frank Farkas.

Most recently he worked on Darden Rice's St. Petersburg City Council campaign.

Never before has the state party hired a field director so early, said state House Victory committee's political director Steve Schale, underscoring the importance of Pinellas this election cycle.

But Democrats had best avoid getting cocky about their new hire: the state GOP has had paid staff in Tampa Bay since before the 2004 election and currently has three people working in the area: Mike Manley handling state House races, Mike Norris focused on state Senate campaigns and Jim Brown working on party development.

FOX PAYING FOX?: Campaign finance reports often include curious nuggets, but the federal report last month filed by Albert Fox, a Democrat running for Jim Davis' congressional seat had a particularly curious tidbit: The Fox campaign reported paying Albert Fox $4,900 for consulting services. A candidate getting paid by a campaign?

Fox said it was a reporting error and that the money actually went to his campaign manager, Joe Johnson, who no longer is with the campaign.

"It looks like I'm raising money and then I'm writing myself a check for consulting. That's just not the case," said Fox, a Washington lobbyist running against Hillsborough County Commissioner Kathy Castor, Tampa lawyer Scott Farrell, state Sen. Les Miller, and Tampa lawyer Michael Steinberg for the Democratic nomination. The 11th Congressional District includes Tampa, parts of Hillsborough County, southern St. Petersburg and northern Manatee County.

Fox's report also highlights the "trust but verify" political maxim. Two weeks before the federal report was due, he announced that he had raised an estimated $170,000 in six weeks. His report actually showed him raising less than $148,000, and more than $30,000 of that included in-kind contributions.

[Last modified November 30, 2005, 05:03:12]