The DPC in TPA
August 7, 2007 at 4:35 pm by Wayne GarciaFor Democrats in Tampa, where an ultraconservative GOP machine ran them out of power a decade ago, there is hope indeed. A recent Democracy for America training session in Ybor City drew more than 100 grassroots activists, the largest DFA has ever had. The local Democratic Party, the victim of infighting for years, has settled down so much that it reinstated its Jefferson-Jackson Dinner two weekends back, drawing more than 260 people and raising thousands of dollars for their coffers.
The strongest signal to date that the Dems are serious about challenging the Republican power structure here may just have occurred during lunchtime today.
More than 40 progressive businesspeople gathered at Mise en Place near downtown and heard how Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern went from a part-time art critic for CL to an incumbent killer in under five years.
“We won by being smart and organized,” Mulhern said of her spring victory over incumbent Shawn Harrison. “We just worked.” And she appealed to the crowd of 30- and 40-something attorneys, business owners and other professionals by talking about things they can do to help Democrats win: contribute their marketing expertise to local campaigns or give money early.
“Before the primary, give money to local people. They really need it,” Mulhern said. “If you give $100 to Barack Obama, who’s going to really notice. But if you give $100 to Lee Nelson [running against Republican Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson], how many pieces of mail will that send out?”
Mulhern also said she looks to an unusual source for political inspiration: her recent reading of the final Harry Potter book. She commended its message of good triumphing after years of setbacks and defeats in a world filled with some really bad characters.
“There is evil out there,” Mulhern said. “There are death eaters. There are dementors.”
There are even Republican county commissioners who want to gut wetlands rules and discriminate against gays and lesbians. But she didn’t mention them. By name.
It was the first meeting of the Democratic Professionals Council in Tampa, a group designed to engage professionals in the party and to put a business face on Democratic activism. The council will meet at Mise en Place on the second Tuesday of the month, at 11:30 a.m. The Sept. 11 meeting is scheduled to feature former Congressman Jim Davis as the speaker.
The new group is part of a statewide expansion by a organization started in West Palm Beach. The prominent DPC there regularly draws the highest-ranking local Democrats, and even potential presidential candidates like Mark Warner have made lunchtime stops.
At the kick-off meeting Tuesday were Nelson, former state Senate candidate Stephen Gorham, county party Chairman Mike Suarez, vice-chairwoman Deborah Cope, former congressional candidate Scott Farrell, former state House member Sara Romeo, New Tampa activist Maria Cohn and West Tampa urban advocate Jason Busto.
Jennifer L. Fenn, one of the co-founders of the group along with Evelyn Hale, Kirk Sander from the FDP and Gil Sanchez, was typical of many in the crowd: politically aware for a long time but not politically involved until recently. The Carlton Fields lawyer moved here three months ago and got swept up in the DPC effort. Fenn and Hale said they were delighted with the inaugural turnout and the way the group is shaping up.
“We want the party to have that professional look,” said Hale, a former congressional assistant to Davis.
Judging by the pink power ties and dark suits on a few attendees, they got that right, at least.
