53° P/CLOUDY, -
Wednesday, December 03, 2008, 6:09 pm
Jennings not likely to run again for Congress
Even if U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan leaves the 13th District to run for the U.S. Senate, Democrat Christine Jennings appears unlikely to run for the vacated seat.
Jennings, who has twice lost to Buchanan for the 13th Congressional District, left a message with me today to make it clear she’s not thinking about running again, especially just four weeks after the last campaign.
“Right now I have no intention of running again,” Jennings said.
Another State Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota, said he too isn’t thinking about the race right now. He said he is still recovering mentally from his Nov. 4 campaign over Republican Laura Benson and doesn’t even want to think about running again right now. -
Wednesday, December 03, 2008, 1:04 pm
Detert not likely to run for Congress, but many others on the list
If U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan opts to run for the U.S. Senate seat in 2010, don’t expect to see State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, on the list of potential candidates for Congress.
Detert finished second to Buchanan in 2006 in the GOP primary, and won Sarasota County.
But having just won a seat in the state senate, Detert said she feels an obligation to serve as the state senator.
Even without Detert, the list continues to grow. Here’s my updated list of people I’m trying to get a hold of as potential candidates (in no particular order) for the 13th District should Buchanan depart.
- State Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton. Bennett is not termed out of the Florida Senate until 2012, but given he already represents a district that covers the same counties as the Congressional District he would be well positioned. What he’s said so far: He might have a lot to think about if Buchanan jumps.
- Tramm Hudson, Sarasota Republican. Sure he lost the last election, but Hudson has deep Republican roots still and has shown an ability to raise money even when he faced Buchanan in 2006. What he’s said so far: He doesn’t rule it out.
- State Rep. Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton. Galvano announced his intentions to run for Congress in 2006, but dropped out of the race three weeks later to help pave the way for Buchanan, who he has built an alliance with since. What he’s said so far: He’s had interest before but its too early to say right now.
- State Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton. Reagan, like Galvano are termed out of the Legislature in 2010. If Bennett runs for Congress both could seat the state senate seat. If not, with a name like Reagan in a crowded Republican primary he might be tempted. What he’s said so far: Did not call me back yesterday.
- Nora Patterson, Sarasota County Commissioner. Patterson expressed interest two years ago. What she’s said so far: She didn’t encourage me to put her on my list, but she also didn’t discourage me.
- Pat Neal, developer and former state senator. The Republican and former Democrat has an ability to self fund and statewide political connections as the former state director of the Christian Coalition. What he’s said so far: He was quite cryptic when reached yesterday. He refused to say if he’s considering it or not.
- Henry Rodriguez, Osprey developer and businessman. Those close to Rodriguez say he’s considering the seat, though Rodriguez has previous expressed little interest in running for office himself. What he’s said so far: Hasn’t returned my call.
- Joe Gruters. Twice the Republican has tried to run for the state Legislature and was Buchanan’s campaign manager in 2008. He’s expected to take over as the county GOP chairman this year, but he has as up-to-date of a view on the 13th District as anyone by running Buchanan’s campaign. What he’s said so far: He hasn’t returned my call.
- Joe McClash. The Manatee County commissioner, a Republican, seriously considered running for Congress in 2006. What he’s said so far: I haven’t reached him.
-State Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota. Democrats don’t have a lot of options here, but Fitzgerald’s success in a Republican-heavy state house district could make him a focus of Democrats who might want him to run for the seat. What he’s said so far: I haven’t reached him yet.
-Morgan Bentley, Sarasota Democrat. Bentley lost his state senate bid this year, but as a conservative Democrat with great charisma he could be encouraged to run. What he’s said so far: I haven’t reached him yet.
-Christine Jennings. Three times the Sarasota Democrat has run. Not sure she would want to take a fourth shot, even though an open seat offers a better opportunity. What she’s said so far: She hasn’t returned my phone call yet.
-Jan Schneider. Hey, she’s run four times already. She certainly should be on the list right? What she’s said so far: I haven’t reached her yet. -
Monday, December 01, 2008, 3:43 pm
Locals give more money to Obama transition
It’s nowhere close to the $827,154 Barack Obama raised during the campaign in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, but the Democratic president-elect continues to collect money from donors in the area for his transition team.
According to newly posted data on the transition teams official website, Obama has raised, as of Nov. 15, about $1.2 million from 1,776 donors. That list includes five donors from the Sarasota-Manatee region that chipped in a total of $1,200.
Here’s the list of local donors:
Linda Burke, Oneco, $250
George Keane, University Part, $100
Lee Lumpkin, Osprey, $200
Britta Mackey, Sarasota, $250
Nancy Wilkins, Sarasota, $500
The Obama campaign is posting the data as part of its pledge to be transparent. They say they will post new donors monthly. Check out the full list of donors here: http://change.gov/page/content/donors/
Again, this is nothing close to the stunning financial boost Sarasota-Bradenton gave Obama during the campaign. How stunning was the $827,154 that Obama raised? Go back four years ago and you will see John Kerry raised just $251,000.
John McCain, meanwhile, raised almost the exact same dollar amount from the region that George W. Bush raised four years ago. McCain raised $584,266 while Bush raised $583,668.
However, the 2008 numbers are not complete. Both campaigns still have to file and end of year campaign report that could increase the donation numbers in this cycle. -
Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 3:46 pm
For Bentley, the money just ran out
State Senate candidate Morgan BentleyMorgan Bentley has no regrets about running for the State Senate. Though the Democrat won just 42 percent of the vote against Republican Nancy Detert on election night, Bentley said he’s not discouraged at all about politics.
“Absolutely it was a great experience,” Bentley said.
Speaking with me earlier this week, Bentley said he and state Democrats honestly thought they had a formula to beat Detert in District 23.
But, he said, neither he nor the state party had the money left in the bank at the end of the campaign to do the type of television advertising he had expected the campaign was going to end with.
That lack of advertising hurt Bentley badly as he tried to overcome a barrage of negative ads from the state Republican Party. Those ads branded him as an attorney who represented unsavory characters. Bentley never was able to define himself in the way that he said he wishes he would have been able to.
He said there was one positive ad he shot with his family that barely made it to the airwaves.
Bentley said it isn’t like he is so green that he didn’t understand the role of money in politics. But he said his race really showed how critical money is because of the size of the district he was running in. The 23rd District runs from Manatee County’s islands to the Charlotte County border with Lee County.
“I really, really learned that lesson,” Bentley said.
Detert partly gets an assist from Mike Grant, the former state representative who ran against her in the GOP primary. It is clear his campaign also knew that Detert had once sponsored legislation to allow DUI offenders to get their drivers licenses back after a five year suspension. Detert pulled the bill after just two weeks, but the information could have been the difference in the race against Grant. However, Grant never used the information in his campaign in losing by 4 percentage points.
Republicans say there was a lot of pressure from Tallahassee on both Grant and Detert to refrain from getting too rough with one another, fearing damaging one another would open the door for Bentley.
Bentley said if that information had been out sooner, it may have had a better chance of sticking. But, he said he’s not sure the public had a chance to hear the information by the time they went to vote.
Also, Bentley was no big fan of my column on Monday, where I pointed on that he was among the candidates not to call their opponents on election night to congratulate them.
“I forgot,” Bentley said.
He said he wasn’t trying to be a jerk about it. He said with all the emotion on election night, he just forgot. -
Wednesday, November 12, 2008, 2:34 pm
McCain’s margin in Sarasota shrinks to 207
Sarasota County is still red.
Revised results posted on the Florida Division of Elections website now shows Republican John McCain won Sarasota County by just 207. That’s 20 votes less than initially reported last week.
The latest number includes provisional ballots and absentee ballots which were counted on Friday, Sarasota’s assistant supervisor of elections Scott Farrington said.
(Oddly, seven voters instead of bubbling in the circle for either Obama or McCain, hand wrote their choice on the ballot. Five were for Obama and two for McCain.)
The number can still change some more on Friday, the deadline for overseas ballots to arrive. Farrington estimated the county has about 100 ballots that still could come in by Friday.
On Sunday, the election results are scheduled to be certified by the state.
The race between McCain and Barack Obama was no where near as close in Charlotte and Manatee counties.
In Charlotte, McCain won by 6,174 votes. In Manatee, McCain won by 10,686.
-Jeremy Wallace -
Tuesday, November 11, 2008, 12:54 pm
Less business, more politics for Buchanan
U.S. Rep. Vern BuchananVern Buchanan is out to shed more of his stake in the business community as he prepares for his second two-year term in office.
Following his election, Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, said the string of lawsuits filed against him and his businesses were a lesson. He said his aim now is to sell more of his business empire to curtail the people who might target him for legal action to embarrass him politically.
Buchanan and his companies were sued by several former employees and customers alleging consumer fraud and campaign violations. Buchanan has denied the charges and his companies have sued Duane Overholt, a consumer advocate working with some of the people who have sued Buchanan.
“We’re going to reduce my exposure,” said Buchanan who had more than 60 businesses, including 19 car dealerships two years ago.
Buchanan is down to less than a half-dozen car dealerships and hopes to sell others. Given the state of the auto industry, Buchanan said he wished he sold them off two years ago.
Also, keep an eye out for possible new committee assignments for Buchanan in the next Congress. With fewer Republicans returning to the House, there will certainly be a reshuffling of committee assignments. Buchanan said he’s in no rush to change his committees, which include Transportation, Veterans and small business, but if another plum spot opens up he’ll look into it.
-Jeremy Wallace -
Monday, November 10, 2008, 7:01 pm
The political divide, a.k.a. University Parkway
Sarasota and Manatee counties are separated by University Parkway, but politically the road is looking like a much greater chasm following last week’s results.
No race showed that more than the Public Defender race, which covers three counties. Democrat Adam Tebrugge won both Sarasota and DeSoto counties by a more than 6,000 votes over Republican Larry Eger.
But those gains in two traditionally Republican voting areas disappeared in Manatee County. Eger won Manatee by more than 9,500 votes.
“If Adam Tebrugge had just been running for Public Defender in Sarasota County he would have won,” Sarasota Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Ferrandino said in a statement sent out this morning to the party faithful recapping the 2008 elections season.
The divide between the two counties could also be seen in the 13th Congressional District again.
Just like in 2006, Democrat Christine Jennings did better in Sarasota than in Manatee County in the five county district.
Jennings won almost 40 percent of the vote in Sarasota County on Tuesday, but had less than 35 percent of the vote in Manatee County.
In 2006, Jennings won Sarasota County with almost 53 percent of the vote, but again in Manatee County had a noticeable drop off. She won just 47 percent of the vote.
Democrats say Manatee County Democrats just don’t have the organizational structure that Sarasota County has developed over the last three years.
Tebrugge said another factor was that there were not a lot of other Democrats on the ballot in Manatee. While Sarasota had 20 candidates on the ballot, Manatee had only two Democrats running countywide: Barack Obama and Tebrugge. The 13th Congressional District doesn’t include downtown Bradenton or parts of Palmetto.
In Sarasota the result was that there were more Democratic candidates out trying to get voters to the polls.
That makes Manatee County a serious Republican counter-weight to Sarasota’s recent Democratic advances.
The disparity between the two counties didn’t suprise anyone, least of all organizers with the Christine Jennings campaign. Jennings’ campaign manager, Lonny Paris insisted early on that Jennings would do better in Manatee County in 2008 because of the extra focus they were trying to put on the county. Jennings picked up an endorsement from former Bradenton mayor Bill Evers early, hoping it would help her do better in Manatee.
--Jeremy Wallace -
Tuesday, November 04, 2008, 2:57 pm
Odds for presidential race...in 2012?
Las Vegas oddsmakers are already turning the page on the 2008 presidential elections and setting odds for 2012.
Americasline.com rolled out their odds today. Barack Obama leads the field, while Democrat Hillary Clinton is at 7 to 1 odds, and Mitt Romney is at 8-1.
John McCain sits at 10 to 1 odds, while Sarah Palin is at 12-1.
Florida has two people on their list. Gov. Charlie Crist is 25 to 1 while Gov. Jeb Bush is at 50 to 1. -
Monday, October 27, 2008, 6:46 pm
Detert reports death threat
Republican State Senate candidate Nancy Detert said the campaign for District 23 has taken a nasty turn.
Detert said she had to file a police report today about a threatening email she said she received over the weekend. Detert said the email says she will be “shot by a high powered rifle and you’ll never see it coming.”
Detert would not say who sent the email. She said she’s turning it over to the police to handle it.
“I want to know who did it,” Detert said.
She also said someone hacked into her email and is sending out messages using her account.
Detert and Democrat Morgan Bentley are locked in one of the most heated election contests in the region.
update: Bentley put out a statement last night condemning the attacks.
"This type of behavior is outrageous," Bentley said. "I hope the authorities quickly find the person responsible and my sympathy goes out to Nancy."
Both Bentley and Detert have been the subject of negative campaign mailers.
In the most recent mail pieces, a group called Council for Stronger Neighborhoods calls Bentley “Taxzilla” and questions whether he wants a state income tax. Bentley has opposed having a state income tax.
The Florida Democratic Party fires back saying a bill Detert sponsored in 2002 when she was in the Florida House would have allowed people convicted of four DUI’s to petition to get their drivers’ licenses back after five years.
Detert did sponsor the bill, HB 211, but pulled it from consideration a little more than a week after she proposed it. -
Thursday, October 23, 2008, 6:01 pm
"Joes" pack McCain rally
Joy Summers of Clermont sells buttons of Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. John McCain prior to the arrival of Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain for a rally at Robarts Arena in Sarasota on Thursday. (STAFF PHOTO / CHIP LITHERLAND)There are no shortages of Joes in Robarts Arena.
Among the estimated 2,000 people already in the facility, there is a contingent of about a dozen on the northside of the arena waving signs that play off of the now famous Joe the Plumber theme.
“I’m Joe the Doctor,” “I’m Joe the tailor” and “I’m joe the retailer” are among the group.
And of course there’s a guy waving an “I’m Joe the Plumber” sign.
But not that Joe. This Joe is actually Luis Cartaya, an Orlando plumber.
“Obama is going to destroy the American dream,” Cartaya, 46, said.
He said he’s convinced Obama will tax business like his, creating disincentive to grow his business.
It was a similar story from Eileen Blackmer, who runs a benefits company in Sarasota. Blackmer spoke to the crowd warning them that the details of Obama’s plans are filled with danger for small business owners. Blackmer said taxes and regulations already make it hard to survive.
“If Obama wins, I’m really going to be in trouble,” Blackmer said.
Blackmer was one of the warm up acts before McCain, who is scheduled to speak at 6 p.m.
Not everyone who came out to Robarts is going to leave happy. Because there is a concert here Friday, a quarter of the building has been partitioned off where the band’s equipment is. That has cut the amount of seating at the usually 4,000-seat arena to about 3,000.
Sarasota GOP chairman Eric Robinson said they are going to play the speech outside the building for the thousands who won’t get in. He said 12,000 tickets were given out.
Robinson said he was initially worried he’d have trouble getting people to the event, fearing media reports of Obama’s growing support in Sarasota would keep McCain backers away. -
Thursday, October 23, 2008, 1:19 pm
Former GOP candidate backs Democrat for Sarasota Sheriff
Former Sheriffs Candidate David Gustafson, a Republican, backs Democrat for Sheriff.Former Republican candidate for Sheriff David Gustafson is crossing party lines to back Democrat Curt Lavarello for the position he once sought.
In a statement sent to the media earlier today, Gustafson said he was backing Lavarello over Tom Knight, the Republican who beat him in the Republican primary.
“This is not a time for partisan politics, but a time for voters to elect the person that brings the highest level of qualities to do the job,” Gustafson said. “There should be little doubt, Curt Lavarello is that person.”
Knight won the Republican Primary in August with 61 percent of the vote. Gustafson won 23 percent of the vote. The remaining 16 percent went to Larry Dunklee.
Knight has no shortage of endorsements at this point, even without Gustafson. Three Sarasota County commissioners, Public Defender Elliott Metcalfe, and State Attorney Earl Moreland have all backed Knight. -
Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 5:35 pm
Head count politics
Shane Hughes of Sarasota displays a sign Sunday during the march over the Ringling bridge in support of Barack Obama. (Staff photographer Tom Bender)John McCain and Barack Obama supporters in Sarasota finally have something they can agree on. Neither thinks I can count.
In today’s story about McCain coming to Sarasota, I noted that Obama supporters had a massive rally on the Ringling Bridge on Sunday. I said “thousands” participated.
Well this morning, McCain and Obama supporters both took issue with my estimate. Obama supporters told me they had between 5,000 and 10,000 people at the event. The McCain people scoffed, saying there weren’t even 500. One McCain backer even said my math was the last straw.
“This is just another reason I will not be re-subscribing to the Herald Tribune when it runs out,” wrote reader, er former reader Jane who insisted there were 700 people at the bridge.
So how many people were on that bridge?
I didn’t cover the event live, but reporter Anthony Cormier said there were 2,000 people. Local television reports put the total at 10,000.
It seemed reasonable to say “thousands” in this case, given both independent sources had it at least 2,000.
Still, regardless of the number, the point I was making in today’s story is the same. The high profile event coupled with internal polling data, shows why the McCain campaign needs to boost their campaign presence here.
One thing is certain, at tomorrow’s McCain rally at Robarts, you can bet I’ll be making a very careful tally of the crowd. -
Wednesday, October 22, 2008, 2:18 pm
Sarasota Obama supporters protest negative ads
State Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, D-Sarasota, was among the Obama supporters today protesting negative ads in Sarasota.About a dozen Barack Obama supporters, including state Rep. Keith Fitzgerald, held a demonstration in front of the Sarasota Supervisor of Elections office earlier today to protest what they say are negative campaign tactics being used by the John McCain campaign.
Fitzgerald said television ads, mailers and automated telephone calls used by the McCain camp are trying to link Obama to terrorists.
“It’s what desperate campaigns do,” Fitzgerald said about ads that distort the truth.
There have been no reports in Sarasota of the type of smear phone calls that Fitzgerald said were going on elsewhere in the country.
Still, Fitzgerald said he objects to the television commercials that try to convince voters that Obama cannot be trusted because he served on a board in Chicago with William Ayers, a 1960s radical. -
Sunday, October 19, 2008, 10:08 pm
Eisenhower’s kin touts Obama in Sarasota
Susan Eisenhower, granddaugher of Dwight D. Eisenhower, was in Sarasota to promote Barack Obama.Democrats in Sarasota had a surprise guest at their fundraising dinner tonight.
Susan Eisenhower, the granddaughter of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, surprised the crowd by making a surprise stop in Sarasota to talk about why she is supporting Barack Obama.
Eisenhower, a Republican, was one of the key speakers on the night Obama delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention.
On Sunday in Sarasota, Eisenhower said Obama must be an exceptional individual to bring Republicans like herself, Colin Powell and Chris Buckley, the son of William F. Buckley, to support him.
She said Obama is going “to bring this nation together in a way that has never been brought together before.”
Eisenhower spoke just minutes before civil rights legend John Lewis took the microphone.
“Whenever I find out that John Lewis is going to be somewhere I screech on the break,” said said.
Eisenhower said she and Lewis had a “moving experience” a year ago when they met in Little Rock, Ark., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of when Eisenhower sent federal troops to Arkansas to ensure the admission of black students into Central High School.
“I’m very proud of that moment,” Eisenhower said of her grandfather.
Eisenhower is president of the Eisenhower Group, Inc, which provides strategic counsel on political, business and public affairs projects.
For more on why she’s backing Obama, check out her website here: http://www.susaneisenhower.com/2008/02/02/why-im-backing-obama/
Check out Monday's Herald-Tribune for more coverage on Lewis' speech. -
Sunday, October 19, 2008, 6:21 pm
Buchanan on why he left the biz world for politics
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan talks about why he wanted to go to Congress.Before he ran for Congress in 2006, Vern Buchanan was one of the region’s richest and most prominent businessmen.
Through a printing business then an auto dealership empire, he amassed a fortune estimated to be as much as $400 million.
But Buchanan, 57, told me in a recent interview that he is walking away from business in part because he wants to do something more with his life.
“It’s not about just continuing in business,” Buchanan said, adding that in another 20 years he could amass more millions. “I’m over that. I’ve done it for 32 years. They have a saying in the factories in Detroit: 30 years and out. Well I put my 30 years in. I’m out.”
Buchanan, whose father worked in a factory, said public service is new venture for him.
“I’ve been pretty good at making money, but that is not my main motivation in life,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan, a Longboat Key Republican, is running for re-election against Democrat Christine Jennings and two independent candidates in the 13th Congressional District.
It’s during this conversation, that Buchanan showed me glimpses of his childhood growing up in working class neighborhoods outside of Detroit. Buchanan’s voice dipped a little as he talked about how his parents worked all the time and struggled to make ends meet on a blue collar budget.
“That’s probably what drives me a lot and why I don’t go out and play golf five or six days a week,” Buchanan said. “I’ve gotta feel like I’m making more of a contribution.”
That contribution he said is doing the constituent service work I wrote about in Sunday’s H-T. Buchanan said it means something to him on a level that is hard for him to explain sometimes.
“I really want to give back,” Buchanan said. “I feel that emotionally in a way that some people just don’t understand.”
