2006 Know Your Candidates

Democratic challenger faces uphill battle against incumbent

State House of Representatives: District 56

By Rick Gershman
Published October 25, 2006

In the race for state House District 56, it's not hard to see the distinctions between Anthony "Trey" Traviesa and his challenger, Lee Nelson.

Traviesa: Incumbent.

Nelson: Political newcomer.

Traviesa: Republican.

Nelson: Democrat.

Traviesa: Though he has lived elsewhere, he is a fourth-generation Tampa resident whose great-grandmother rolled cigars in Ybor City.

Nelson: Moved to Tampa four years ago after living in upstate New York, California and Denmark.

In his first run at public office, Nelson, 29, faces an uphill battle against a perennial overachiever who rose quickly in his first term. Gov. Jeb Bush selected Traviesa to sponsor a bill to expand school vouchers.

But Nelson hardly plans to concede the race to Traviesa, 36.

"I've met the right people at the right time, and we've analyzed the right precincts. I think it's going to be a close race, but I think we'll win," he said.

Nelson said "voters have a choice between a staunch conservative, or a moderate who's not beholden to corporate interests. This is such a diverse district, it represents such a large area, you really need someone who can represent everybody."

Traviesa said he's done exactly that in his first term, and, if he is re-elected, constituents can expect more of the same. "I've been able to put some points on the board, but I've got to continue to prove myself to the people," he said.

Project Vote Smart lists rankings of legislators by interest groups. For 2006 Traviesa got 98 percent agreement by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and 100 percent by the Associated Builders and Contractors.

The Christian Coalition rated him 100 percent as well, while the state AFL-CIO said Traviesa agreed with it on eight out of 25 issues.

Some of the issues Traviesa plans to focus on include growth management, education, transportation and economic development.

Growth also is a major concern for Nelson, who also wants to see the state take a proactive approach to the crystal meth problem.

The candidates

Democrat

Lee Nelson, 29, has lived in Tampa for four years. A New York native, he visited his late grandmother once a year and always wanted to live here. He works for Infinite Computer Solutions Inc. of Rockville, Md., an information technology consulting firm, at its Temple Terrace center. He has a B.S. in management information systems from the Rochester Institute of Technology's College of Business and is pursuing a master's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, Tampa campus. He and his wife live in East Tampa. Assets: Home, investments. Liabilities: Mortgage, student loans. Source of income: IT consulting salary. Web site: www.electlee nelson.com.

Republican

Trey Traviesa, 36, is a fourth-generation Floridian. Ware Boulevard, in the heart of Brandon, is named after his grandfather, Earl Ware. Traviesa earned his bachelor's degree in finance from Florida State University, where he was student body president, and a master's in business administration from University of Texas at Austin. He lives in South Tampa with his wife and two daughters. Assets: Home, stocks. Liabilities: Mortgage. Source of income: Salary as adviser to a real estate services company, state representative pay. Web site: www.treytraviesa.com.

The job

State representative, District 56

This district extends east from Davis Islands to Valrico and south from Mango to FishHawk, Boyette and Riverview. House members serve two-year terms and earn $30,996 a year.

[Last modified November 3, 2006, 14:39:09]