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Politics

Reed's door-to-door push pays off

The Democrat wants to focus on job training and closing the achievement gap in public schools.

By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published November 8, 2006

	"I like to speak to everybody that's working," said Betty Reed, left, who made the rounds to polling places in District 59 to shake hands with campaign workers like Karen Porter, right.
[Times photo: Daniel Wallace]

TAMPA - Education has been the cornerstone in Betty Reed's life, and that's what she built her platform on - a topic she says helped persuade voters in District 59 to choose her as their state representative Tuesday.

Reed, a Democrat who dropped out of school to take care of her siblings and received her high school diploma as an adult, was leading her Republican opponent, Willis "K.C." Bowick, taking 84 percent of the votes with 38 of 40 precincts reporting.

"I didn't think the lead would be that large," Reed said at an election night party just after her lead was announced to applause. "I'm happy. I'm truly, truly happy."

She said her ability to identify with her district's concerns and a successful door-to-door campaign put her in position to win.

Reed, 65, attended college at the same time as her son and earned a bachelor's degree in behavioral science. She went on to serve Remington College as director of career services before retiring. She's served on PTAs, the Children's Board of Hillsborough County and the NAACP.

She lobbied legislators to make air-conditioning mandatory in every school and urged them to make college courses more transferable between private and public colleges.

She wants to close the achievement gap in her district and make businesses create more job training programs for adults.

Reed replaces Arthenia Joyner who was winning a state Senate seat Tuesday.

Justin George can be reached at 813 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com.

[Last modified November 8, 2006, 01:36:08]