Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Solidarity no mark of GOP right now

The county's Republicans haven't been getting along well. But disputes within the party, a state representative says, are normal before primary elections.

By DAVID DeCAMP
Published August 30, 2006

PORT RICHEY - Instead of swinging at partisan rivals, wings of the Pasco County Republican Party have aimed some of their strongest blows at each other this election season.

The party's executive committee and the West Pasco Republican Club - one of the party's more entrenched arms - have supported different slates of candidates in the Sept. 5 election. Some top elected officials, including state Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, also endorsed candidates the executive committee did not.

The differences have prompted harsh words from Pasco Republican Executive Committee chairman Bill Bunting for West Pasco members. It also laid bare the wrangling within a party that controls most of Pasco's elective offices - and has eyes on nonpartisan School Board posts.

Since July, consider these fissures:

- The county executive committee overwhelmingly endorsed School Board candidate Cathi Compton over Allen Altman. But Fasano, state Rep. John Legg and County Commissioner Ann Hildebrand backed Altman. Altman advocated the Penny for Pasco sales tax increase the party committee opposed.

- The executive committee failed to muster enough votes in July to endorse three-term Commissioner Pat Mulieri in her Sept. 5 race against Republicans Larry DeLucenay and Christie Zimmer.

Fasano said the Mulieri vote never should have happened because it risked the perception the party does not support an incumbent.

"I believe when you have a hard-working Republican incumbent like Pat Mulieri, you automatically support her," Fasano said. "There shouldn't be any question."

- Days after the executive committee acted, the West Pasco Republican Club announced it would give contributions to Mulieri, Commissioner Steve Simon and School Board candidates Michele Chamberlin and Frank Parker. But it did not contribute in the Compton-Altman race.

Bunting downplayed the West Pasco club's relevance Tuesday, saying "there are only two major clubs in Pasco ... the Spirit of '76 Club which he cofounded and the Central Pasco club."

The seniors-dominated West Pasco club served as Fasano's bully pulpit during his rise to power in the 1990s. Unlike that club, Bunting said, Central Pasco Republican Club members "actually get up and work campaigns."

The Central Pasco club also endorsed only Compton, which club president and party vice chairman Steve Graves said was done to follow the executive committee's lead.

West Pasco club president Chris Sprowls said his club and others like it helped make Republicans a majority party, and elect Republicans like Sheriff Bob White, Fasano and Legg.

"Truth is, our membership does what's best for their philosophy," he said, and being the governing party means having different wings.

Fasano, Bunting and other Republican officials downplay the long-term effects on party unity and leadership. The value of a party or club endorsement also is hard to gauge, party members say. But Compton and Altman highlighted endorsements in their mailings to voters.

Legg said the differences are "healthy."

"It's what happens before every primary. You get two weeks out, and people get really heated up," Legg said. "And they get back together before November."

But Bunting chalked up Fasano's moves to lingering anger from two disagreements with Bunting.

In 2001, as the legislative districts were being redrawn, Bunting wanted three state Senate districts covering parts of Pasco, while Fasano supported one district for the entire county. Bunting also opposed a sales tax increase for indigent health care that Fasano proposed but abandoned this year.

Democrats proceeded differently. Alison Morano, chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Pasco County, said party executive committee members decided this month not to endorse candidates in School Board races.

The Republican Party's involvement was noted during the Democrats' August meeting, but Democrats did not want partisanship inserted in nonpartisan races, Morano said.

"I think what it does is make the candidate accountable to the party, and then you inject partisanship into your child's education," Morano said.

David DeCamp covers Pasco County government for the Times. He can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6232 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6232. His e-mail address is ddecamp@sptimes.com

[Last modified August 30, 2006, 06:48:04]