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Politics

Did voters send message?

Victories by two City Council outsiders raise that possibility and a few other theories.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published November 8, 2007

Bill Dudley and Wengay Newton celebrate together at Ferg's as old friends and newly elected City Council members Tuesday.
	[Willie J. Allen, Jr. | Times]

ST. PETERSBURG - A day after two political outsiders landed seats on the City Council, political operatives, city leaders and the candidates themselves turned to a time-honored election tradition - speculating what the voters were trying to say.

Are residents fed up with their government?

Is Mayor Rick Baker's political capital waning?

Is it all just a cosmic coincidence?

It's hard to draw any solid conclusions from a series of City Council elections where 14,500 votes were cast out of a possible 156,146 - a record low turnout of 9 percent.

But that didn't stop people on Wednesday from trying.

- - -

To some, the improbable victories of Bill Dudley and Wengay Newton over a pair of establishment candidates could signal a warning for the status quo in City Hall.

But it also could be that Dudley and Newton plain worked harder.

Dudley, 63, offered both possibilities the morning after his 1-percentage-point victory over Ed Montanari.

"It shows people are willing to take a chance for change," said Dudley, who ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2003. "I really think that was the message. I'm independent. I'm not beholden to anyone, and I think people like that."

Dudley said the hiring of a political consultant, Neil Brickfield, also helped propel his campaign in the final days.

At Brickfield's urging, Dudley targeted specific neighborhood's in the campaigns last 72 hours, did four robo-calls and sent out a last-minute mail piece.

In the end, Dudley took a 356-vote disadvantage from the primary election and turned it into a 257-vote victory.

"Mr. Dudley worked very hard to deliver a message that he would be an independent voice," Brickfield said. "And that message seemed to resonate."

Newton, who beat Gershom Faulkner by more than 600 votes, said the message from voters was clear.

"The people want something done," said Newton, 44. "All of my energy and my allegiances are going to the citizens. Those are the people that made this possible when I was up against the so-called 'machine'. "

Firefighters, others claim victory, too

There was plenty of other fist-pumping Wednesday.

At some point during the day, the St. Petersburg firefighters union, a politically active gay rights group and the local Democratic Party all declared victory.

Even Baker, who some considered a loser on Election Night he endorsed Montanari and Faulkner, seemed unfazed by the results.

Baker's most forceful critic, Bob Kersteen, lost his bid for office against Herb Polson.

"We'll be able to move forward," Baker said. "You have new folks. But that's okay, they come with a new perspective. My approach had always been to try to look for common ground."

The firefighters' candidates won in all four council elections. Their union president is Newton's brother.

And the two candidates who said they would not attend the St. Pete Pride Parade - Montanari and Faulkner - both lost.

"I couldn't be more pleased with the election results," said Rick Boylan, president of the Pinellas Stonewall Democrats, a group that promotes gay rights issues. "There are a variety of issues people vote on. But I think the fact that some people voted on the fairness and openness issues is encouraging."

Happy electorate behind low turnout?

City officials and others said Wednesday that there may be as much to learn from the 140,000 people who didn't vote as the small number that did.

Some believe those folks didn't vote because they're happy the way things are.

"The people that are less critical of the city and the mayor's record probably stayed home," said Darden Rice, who worked on both Polson and Jamie Bennett's successful re-election campaigns.

"With a low turnout election, surprises happen," she said.

Rice, who ran for council in 2005, said the more appropriate barometer may be the work of the individual campaigns.

In the three contested races, the person who put in more time prevailed, Rice said.

"The people with the most spirited campaigns, the ones working the hardest, they are the ones who won," Rice said. "Wengay was trying to fight hard to come from behind, so was Dudley. And Herb (Polson) didn't take anything for granted."

It could be that simple, or it could be something more. Either way, the new council has four years to figure it out.

Aaron Sharockman can be reached asharockman@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2273.

[Last modified November 8, 2007, 01:32:53]