USF administrator joins House race

By DAN DeWITT

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 9, 2000

Diane TeStrake, an associate dean at the University of South Florida, has joined the crowded field of candidates for the District 44 state representative's seat now held by Republican David Russell.

TeStrake, a 65-year-old Democrat, has lived near Istachatta since 1993 and has worked at USF for 33 years. She decided to run, she said, partly because she was disappointed with the Legislature's performance this year.

"I was not at all pleased with the whole tenor of the thing," TeStrake said. She objected to the last-minute passing of many bills and several attacks on the state's environmental and growth management laws.

She also is running because, she said, "I decided that, at this point in my life, there were other contributions I could make. Accepting the fact that Florida government is run by citizens, I decided to play my role as a citizen."

TeStrake, who earned a doctorate from Duke University and taught biology at USF for many years, said her academic background has given her knowledge of environmental, health care and education issues.

She offered few specifics about her platform, except to say that she generally agrees with traditional goals of the Democratic Party.

"I want quality education and appropriate funding to ensure the quality of our teachers. I want to move forward with issues that will benefit senior citizens who are on very low incomes and to see that our very young children have appropriate support," she said.

TeStrake's opposition in the Sept. 5 primary will include Gregory Williams, who lives in Ridge Manor and works as a probation officer at the Sumter Correctional Institution, and Shirley Johnson, a Spring Hill insurance agent. The Republicans are Russell, Spring Hill lawyer Sabato DeVito and Brooksville engineer Nick Nicholson.

The general election is Nov. 7.

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