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Kriseman's going gets tougher in state House race

Once the frontrunner, the councilman now has a tough competitor, who is winning endorsements.

By SHADI RAHIMI
Published June 22, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG — Until recently, City Council member Richard Kriseman was the clear frontrunner in the race to replace Rep. Charlie Justice in the state House.

Kriseman raised more than $50,000 and had Justice’s backing in the heavily Democratic House District 53.

But in March, Charlie Gerdes, a former Pinellas fundraiser for the Bill McBride gubernatorial campaign, jumped in the race. And in May, the Federal Education Association and the Florida AFL-CIO both threw their support behind Gerdes, a commercial litigator.

Kriseman, a 42-year-old lawyer, said he did not know the reason for the endorsements.
“It’s not going to impact my views toward education and my commitment toward doing everything I can to make Florida have the best education system in the country,” Kriseman said. “The same thing goes for business and the union.”

He was less diplomatic when Gerdes entered the race, saying the move was an example of why Democrats have had difficulties: “Because we don’t work as a team.”

More recently, Kriseman has said he and Gerdes are “going to have a spirited dialogue,” while also admitting that many of their views are fairly similar. “It will be more a matter of style,” he said.

No debates are scheduled, but the two candidates have been meeting with groups in the past few months to garner endorsements.

Kriseman said he has probably raise more than Gerdes has in the past month but is likely to spend most of the money in the party primary.

“Whoever comes out on top, we’re going to have to have money to compete,” he said. “The Republican Party always has more money.”

House District 53 covers part of western St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Lealman, Kenneth City and Gulfport. It is widely viewed as a safe seat for Democrats.

Also running in the Democratic primary is Michael Derry, a first-time candidate who has kept a relatively low profile.

The Republican candidates are Christopher K. Ah Leong, who has been quiet, and Thomas Piccolo, a recent graduate of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

Kriseman was appointed to the council in 2000 to fill a vacancy and won elections in 2001 and 2003.
His term expires in 2008, but state law requires Kriseman to resign his council seat by November 2006 in order to run for the state House.

His top priorities are education, affordable housing and health care.

Kriseman said he wants higher pay for qualified teachers and a better system for the FCAT than the current method of “teachers teaching the FCAT instead of the subjects they’re supposed to be teaching.”

A 34-year resident of St. Petersburg, Kriseman graduated from USF and the Stetson University College of Law. He established his private practice in St. Petersburg 13 years ago.

He is married and has two children, ages 8 and 3.

[Last modified June 22, 2006, 21:20:49]