The Political Whore

In the endless cycle that has become the modern campaign seasons, we’re already hot and heavy into the next go-round for the 2010 elections (skipping entirely the marquee St. Pete mayor’s race for now). Here are some early observations on local, state and national races of importance:

• Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman is trying to move up to the Florida Senate, and he will face state Rep. Kevin Ambler in a Republican primary. This is the Hillsborough-Pasco seat now held by Sen. Victor Crist of Tampa, a Republican.
  Norman has already raised more than $215,000, according to state records; Ambler has raised just $750, as most of his 2008 contributions went to his House re-election campaign.
• Speaking of Crist, it is expected that he will seek a seat on the County Commission. Most think that it will be Norman’s vacant seat (Crist lives in the district), but it’s possible Crist could run for the seat now held by Commissioner Ken Hagan and Hagan could run for Norman’s seat, gaining additional years on the commission (Hagan would be term-limited in 2012 without such a switch).
• Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair surprised local politicos when he all-but-announced late last year that he would seek Ambler’s House 47 seat. Lining up for that race was Rich Reidy, a Republican aide to Commissioner Hagan who was not expecting Blair to get into the race. Neither possible candidate has opened a campaign account yet, but word is that Blair is trying to line up Doug McAlarney, a Republican political consultant who helped get state Rep. Ed Homan, R-Temple Terrace, elected.
• Ronda Storms? The rumor mill is rife with the idea that, having given birth to a second child in 2008, she would opt out of the 2010 elections and stay home. But she has opened a campaign account for re-election and was “incensed” when the Times asked if her future plans included leaving the Senate.
  
• Pinellas County’s District 4 County Commission seat (held by Susan Latvala) has already drawn two challengers: former Tarpon Springs Mayor Beverley Billiris and Ray Brooks, who dropped out of a 2008 bid for Ronnie Duncan’s open seat.
• Speaking of Tarpon Springs, Democrat Tom McKone has announced a challenge to two-term state Rep. Peter Nehr, a Republican.
• Former Tampa City Councilman and TBARTA board member Shawn Harrison is preparing a run for Homan’s House 60 seat in New Tampa/Temple Terrace. Homan is term-limited in 2010.
• A great South Florida race to watch will be in Senate District 38, where two Hispanic state Reps. — David Rivera and Marcelo Llorente — are going head-to-head in a race that is already getting down and dirty.
• Polk County’s boy-wonder congressman, Adam Putnam, is lining up to run for Agriculture Commissioner against state Sen./gun-shop owner Carey Baker.
• Here’s a round-up in Palm Beach County, where the top race could be to see who succeeds five-term County Commissioner Mary McCarty.
• No Florida seats on the list, but here are the 10 closest US House races in 2008 and whether they are up for grabs in 2010.
• And finally, two views of the GOP in FLA: It needs Jeb! to run, and 2010 marks the Republican resurgence.

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