Qualifying week: Opening day wrap-up
June 17, 2008 at 10:51 am by Wayne GarciaIt started at noon Monday and ends at noon on Friday, but it is the biennial spectacle of Qualifying Week, during which campaigns for local and state offices (minus the judicials; they’re already qualified) must officially put their candidates on the ballot in a process called qualifying.
The dailies don’t cover this stuff much any more; plus, with state candidates qualifying in Tallahassee and locals qualifying in their respective counties, you have to have several reporters making the rounds, and there just aren’t that many political writers left ’round these parts.
Locally, The State of Sunshine has a good wrap-up of Tampa Bay legislative seats and who is (and isn’t) qualified so far. The only surprise so far is to see local Democratic and Obama activists and fundraiser Yvonne Yolie Capin throwing herself into a race against the practically unbeatable Faye Culp, a Republican who represents a South Tampa district in the Florida House. It won’t help that Capin didn’t open a campaign account and fundraise early — unless she has a wad of personal fortune she wants to throw into the race.
In Hillsborough County, the following incumbents have qualified: Property Appraiser Rob Turner, Tax Collector Doug Belden, County Commissioners Al Higginbotham and Brian Blair, and School Board Members Susan Valdes, Jack Lamb and Doretha Wynn Edgecomb.
In Pinellas, the following incumbents qualified: Supervisor of Elections Deborah Clark, Clerk of the Courts Ken Burke, County Commissioner Karen Williams Seel, School Board Member Carol Cook and Sheriff Jim Coats. The following challengers have qualified: For Elections Supervisor, Democrat Jack Killingsworth; for County Commission, Democrat Paul Matton; for School Boar, Jennifer S. Crockett, Nina Hayden, Ken Peluso, Robin Wikle, and Chris Hardman.
We’ll keep our eyes peeled for any more last-minute challengers or dropouts.
Bonus cuts: Qualifying elsewhere in the state, in Orlando and West Palm Beach.
