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Lawyer dipping toe into St. Petersburg mayoral campaignBy LEONORA LaPETER © St. Petersburg Times, published November 4, 2000 ST. PETERSBURG -- Rick Baker, who advised David Fischer during all three of his mayoral campaigns, has joined a crowded field of candidates seeking the mayor's job. Baker, a corporate lawyer who wrote a historical book about St. Petersburg and was chairman of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, filed papers this week indicating he has opened a campaign account. But he said he is still in the exploratory stage and will make a formal announcement on his candidacy sometime after next week's general election. "Well at this point, what I'm trying to do right now is go around the city and do more listening than anything else," said Baker, indicating he doesn't have to file qualifying papers until January. "I'm listening to neighborhood leaders, business leaders. ... I don't think it's right for anyone to jump into office and say I know all the answers, here are all the answers. I think the first stage is going out to listen to people, and that's what I'm going to do." Baker, author of Mangroves to Major Leagues, has never sought elective office before, but he has been active in the St. Petersburg community. He is cochairman of George W. Bush's Pinellas County campaign for president, as he was for Jeb Bush's campaign for governor two years ago. He also is president of the Suncoast Children's Dream Fund and is now chairman of the Florida International Museum's board. He also is president of an 11-lawyer firm, Fisher & Sauls. Originally from Chicago, Baker has lived in St. Petersburg since 1981. He and his wife, Joyce, have two children, a 3-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl. He said he decided to run because he thinks it's time for a change. He said there are a lot of obvious issues important to St. Petersburg, such as the school system, the neighborhoods, economic development and job creation, and downtown development. But most of all the next leader needs to provide a vision for the city, he said. "I would say I think it's time for fresh leadership in the community," Baker said. "I've been going around talking to a lot of people in the city for some time, and everywhere I go, they talk about the need for some new leadership, some new direction. It's time." Baker, 44, said he called Fischer about his plans to run for the job, and the mayor wished him well. Fischer has said he is leaning toward running for another term, but he said he won't formally announce those plans until after Tuesday's election. Should both men run as expected, they could split the vote of traditional downtown business interests on which Fischer has relied in his successful campaigns. That could open the door for others in the race, such as City Council members Larry Williams and Kathleen Ford or former Planning Commission chairman Karl Nurse, to amass votes in other parts of the city for a spot in the runoff. Also declared in the race are former City Council candidate Ronnie Beck and St. Petersburg resident Harry Kitchen.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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