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Pinellas activist joins governor's race

Max Linn is the Reform Party candidate.

By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published July 21, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Max Linn, a Pinellas County political activist best known for his advocacy of eight-year term limits, will run for governor of Florida in November as a Reform Party candidate.

Linn filed qualifying papers Thursday and announced he has hired two strategists: Doug Friedline, who worked on Jesse Ventura's victory as Minnesota governor, and Russell Verney, who managed Ross Perot's Reform Party presidential bids in 1992 and 1996.

Linn said his travels around the state have revealed "deep frustration with the mainstream political parties." As president of Florida Citizens for Term Limits, Linn opposed a legislative effort in 2005 to ask voters to extend term limits from eight to 12 years. Lawmakers reversed themselves and voted in May to strike the proposal from the 2006 ballot.

Linn lists a net worth of $15.9-million, far more than any of the four major candidates running as Republicans or Democrats. His holdings include real estate worth $3-million in Treasure Island and $750,000 in Dunnellon, and a Cessna airplane valued at $361,000.

Linn is the fourth minor-party candidate for governor to quality. The others, all carrying no party affiliation, are Karl C.C. Behm, Richard Paul Dembinsky of Port Orange and John Wayne Smith of Plantation.

The qualifying fee for a gubernatorial candidate is $7,744.

[Last modified July 20, 2006, 23:27:19]