Voters pick one veteran, one rookie

Dade City returns former commissioner Lowell Harris to the City Commission and welcomes newcomer P. Hutchison Brock.

By CHASE SQUIRES

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 12, 2000

DADE CITY -- Lowell Harris got his job back, 30 years later, and downtown attorney P. Hutchison Brock won his first race as voters filled two vacant City Commission seats Tuesday.

In a contest that drew a 20 percent turnout to the city's two polling places, voters overwhelmingly brought back 65-year-old former commissioner Harris, who last served on the five-member panel in 1970.

Harris joined Brock at east Pasco's election headquarters about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday as the final tally came in. The two shook hands, congratulating each other.

Harris, a semi-retired pharmacist, garnered 420 votes, 71 percent of the ballots, to win the seat held by retiring Mayor Charles McIntosh. Political newcomer Joseph Gude, 30, was second with 113 votes, about 19 percent, followed by Kathryn "Kathy" Lambert, 49, who collected 57 votes, just under 10 percent.

In the race for the seat vacated by Gregg Lynch, who opted not to run for re-election, Brock defeated school teacher Steve Van Gorden, 395 votes to 200. Brock collected about 66 percent of the vote to Van Gorden's 34 percent.

Both Brock and Van Gorden were making their first runs for public office.

Harris served on the commission in 1969 and 1970 before deciding not to run again. Since then, he remained active in a variety of charity and social projects, but didn't re-enter politics until this year.

After the election, a smiling Harris said he was pleased with the city's 20-percent turnout and with the results.

"I'm very appreciative of all those people who got out and voted, especially those who voted for me," he said with a laugh.

Harris echoed sentiments expressed by all the candidates when he commented on the lack of negative campaigning in the race.

"All the candidates ran a good, clean campaign," he said. "That was very nice to see."

Gude, a teacher at Zephyrhills High School, said he was not disappointed with his second-place showing and planned to be more involved in city issues. He said he would volunteer for city boards and would even consider another run some day.

"I'm going to be more involved. That has been the whole reason I ran," Gude said. "This is just the beginning."

Lambert said she was not unhappy with her showing and said that collecting 57 votes showed she touched people with her calls for better social programs, youth recreation, and services for the citizens of Dade City.

"I thank every one of those 57 voters for going along with the black sheep of the group," she said.

Brock, 35, said he was pleased with the results and worked hard with his troupe of volunteers to meet as many voters as he could.

"I think we walked every neighborhood in the city," he said.

All of the candidates were out for at least part of election day, meeting voters at the precincts and talking issues among themselves and with supporters.

Both Brock and Van Gorden, 24, congratulated each other on a clean race.

"Steve, in my opinion, really generated a lot of interest in this race," Brock said.

Van Gorden countered by offering Brock his full support in the coming term.

Voter turnout

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