State Democrats start licking their chops
With fields set, the party trains its sights on congressional seats held by Bilirakis and Harris.
By ADAM C. SMITH
Published May 13, 2006
The field is set for the busiest round of congressional races Tampa Bay has seen in ages, and the specter of an unpopular president looms large.
The deadline passed Friday for candidates to qualify for federal races, with Democrats talking up their prospects for winning congressional seats that until recently were seen as virtual Republican locks.
"People are rightly concerned about out-of-control gas prices, they are concerned about the war in Iraq and its progress, and I am hearing a great deal about how people are yearning for a change in direction in our national politics," said Phyllis Busansky, a Democrat running in the heavily Republican district represented by Rep. Mike Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor.
Bilirakis is retiring after 24 years representing that district, which stretches from eastern Hillsborough County to north Pinellas to west Pasco. The other open seat in Tampa Bay is District 11, a heavily Democratic area covering parts of Hillsborough, St. Petersburg and Bradenton.
Jim Davis is leaving Congress after 10 years to run for governor, and one Republican and five Democrats qualified to run. The Democrats are Hillsborough Commissioner Kathy Castor, state Sen. Les Miller, lawyers Scott Farrell and Michael Steinberg and activist Al Fox. The lone Republican is Temple Terrace businessman Eddie Adams Jr.
The front-runner in Congressional District 9 is Bilirakis' son, state Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Tarpon Springs, who faces a primary challenge from chiropractor David Langheier. Langheier suggested voters want fundamental change and that would not be accomplished by electing the younger Bilirakis.
Bilirakis, who is scheduled to hold a fundraiser with Newt Gingrich in Tampa next week, said he won't distance himself from the president.
"He's doing a good job," Bilirakis said. "I don't think any president in modern day history has faced these kinds of problems, and I think he's hanging in there."
Among Florida's 25 congressional seats, four Democratic incumbents won new terms Friday when no one qualified to challenge them: Allen Boyd of Monticello, Corrine Brown of Jacksonville, Robert Wexler of Delray Beach and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston.
Only a handful of Florida congressional races are deemed truly competitive.
The most vulnerable incumbent: Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, who faces Democratic state Sen. Ron Klein of Boca Raton.
Democrats say they have a real shot at winning two open seats that Republicans won handily in 2004 - Bilirakis' District 9 seat and Katherine Harris' District 13 seat around Sarasota.
Harris is running for the Senate, and five Republicans and two Democrats are vying to replace her.
The Republicans are state Reps. Nancy Detert of Venice and Donna Clarke of Sarasota, Manatee County GOP chairman Mark Flanagan of Bradenton, Sarasota businessman Vern Buchanan and Tramm Hudson, a banker from Sarasota. The Democratic primary pits lawyer Jan Schneider and banker Christine Jennings, both of Sarasota. Schneider beat Jennings in a primary two years ago but lost to Harris, as she had in 2002.
A crowded field of Democrats is running to succeed Davis in District 11.
Castor said she will demonstrate her dedication by working hard as a commissioner.
"Whether as a commissioner or congresswoman, I'm going to be focused on my neighbors and the policies that affect them," she said.
Fox, who runs an accounting business and advocates for opening relations with Cuba, said he is optimistic but acknowledged he will have to step up fundraising to keep pace with Castor and Miller.
Farrell, who has focused his campaign partly on promoting alternative sources of energy, said he is eager to begin debating that and other issues.
Three Democrats in Congressional District 5 are vying to take on Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Brooksville. They are Richard Penberthy of Wesley Chapel, John Russell of Dade City and perennial candidate David Werder of Hudson.
Staff Writers Bill Varian and Nicole Johnson contributed to this report. Adam C. Smith can be reached at 727 893-8241 or asmith@sptimes.com