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Candidates aplenty in county
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer For those of you just tuning in, today is election day. So if you're registered to vote, you can stop at the polls before or after work, or simply shut off the TV for a few minutes to cast a vote. Polls in Pasco County are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. At stake are a slew of local races that election officials say have a more direct impact on the wallet than presidential races. "You're talking about election choices of school board and county commissions, (both) directing budgets that have a direct access to my pocket book, probably more so in the scheme of things than Congress and state legislators," said Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Kurt Browning. Browning is hoping for a turnout of up to 40 percent of the 228,503 registered voters in Pasco. The ballot includes a high-profile Democratic primary for governor, the winner of which will face Gov. Jeb Bush in November. Also to be decided today in the Pasco Democratic primary is the race between County Commissioner Steve Simon, running for re-election, and former commissioner David "Hap" Clark. Because there is no Republican opponent, the race will be decided today. All registered voters across the county can cast a vote. Simon, 50, says he's the better candidate, given his real estate background and initiative on impact fees to make growth pay for itself. Clark, 80, says his previous eight years on the commission, before he decided to run unsuccessfully for tax collector, give him familiarity with county operations. In the race for state Senate District 11, former Pasco County Sheriff Lee Cannon faces retired autoworker Joseph "Steve" Mattingly. The district runs from northern Pinellas north to the Citrus-Levy County line. The two agree that more needs to be done for education and health care. Cannon, 56, a former prosecutor and civil attorney, says he has the experience to make change happen. Mattingly, 57, says his lack of political experience and his community service on health issues lends a fresh perspective. The winner will run against Republican state Rep. Mike Fasano of New Port Richey in the November elections. In the redrawn Florida House District 45, Republicans Tom Anderson and John Legg compete across county lines. The district extends from the Dunedin/Palm Harbor area up along the coast into a small area of Tarpon Springs, into Holiday/Trinity and eastern New Port Richey. Anderson, 70, the mayor of Dunedin, and Legg, 27, a teacher from New Port Richey, have walked voting precincts in each other's home county. Both agree that education and senior care are important issues, but differ about how to improve conditions in Florida. The District 3 School Board seat will be decided today because it's a nonpartisan race. Incumbent Cathi Martin, elected in 1998, faces Len Trubia of New Port Richey. Martin, 47, is next in line to be board chairwoman. Her goals include improving parental involvement in the schools, developing more vocational programs and alternative placements for disruptive students. She's a former PTA president and chairwoman of the Seven Springs Elementary school advisory council. She also sits on the board of directors of the Suncoast YMCA and the Salvation Army. Trubia, 66, ran for the board once before, losing the Republican primary in 1998. He is the president of Coldwell Banker Action Realty and is the vice chairman of the Pasco County Housing Authority. Trubia has a platform similar to the one he ran on last time. He pledges to pay teachers more, return to the old "Richey Fundamental" type of schools and boost academic standards. He says current board members don't ask enough tough questions and, in campaign fliers, has taken credit for a recent teacher pay raise. Democrats Gregory Williams and Bruce Donovan are running in the House of Representatives District 44 primary. Williams, 42, a classifications supervisor with the state Department of Corrections, won the primary in 2000 but lost in the general election to Republican incumbent David Russell. Russell, who is running again this year, has no Republican opponent. Donovan, 48, a retired major for the U.S. Marine Corps, is a newcomer to Florida and to the Democratic Party, having switched from the Republican party last year. Both emphasize the need to improve the state's education system. Republican voters in east and central Pasco will help select the GOP nominee for the 5th Congressional District. The winner -- either state Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite from Brooksville or semiretired businessman Don Gessner from Citrus County -- will take on longtime Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Karen Thurman in November. The district also includes Citrus, Hernando and Sumter counties and parts of Levy, Marion, Lake and Polk counties. Declan Mansfield and John Renke III, both New Port Richey lawyers, are vying for Pasco-Pinellas Circuit Judge Group 25, a seat left open by the retirement of Judge Joseph Donahey Jr. Mansfield, 51, is a former state prosecutor who handles criminal defense and personal cases out of his New Port Richey practice. Renke, 33, specializes in deed restriction cases, family law, wills and trusts, and works in his father's firm. -- Times staff writers Matthew Waite, Jim Ross, Kent Fischer, Cary Davis and Dan DeWitt contributed to this report.
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From today's Pasco Times Editorial Letters |
