On this website we have been very critical of the Florida Democratic Party and its failure to take advantage of numerous opportunities afforded it to win back seats in the Florida Legislature. It seems time and again the party itself takes the path of least resistance and diverts attention from its pitiful record by talking about national politics and the system being rigged in Florida.
But today we come not to continue our burial efforts of the FDP but to actually praise them, or praise one party leader. Senator Chris Smith has taken it on the chin from us for failing to field a Democratic candidate in the St. Petersburg-based 22nd Senate district, a seat that supported both Barack Obama and Alex Sink. However, Smith did successfully recruit candidates in several other seats prior Democratic Senate leaders failed to target and had he been running the House Victory effort it is possible that so many marginal seats would not have been left uncontested this election cycle.
Democrats have filed 30 candidates in Senate districts across the state. Incoming Senate President Don Gaetz has attacked Smith and the Democrats for fielding candidates. Heaven forbid in this one party state that voters may actually be able to choose their Senator in the General election. Thanks to the incompetence of Florida’s Democrats over the past decade, over half the GOP Senators elected during the time did so with no Democratic opposition, and thus did not face general election voters. It’s a small wonder few, if any, voters can identify who their State Senator is.
No election cycle provides better opportunities for the Democrats to “steal” a seat or two that may not be on anyone’s radar than a redistricting year that coincides with a Presidential Election. This is the first such cycle since Florida began trending Democrat at the Presidential level. It is a pity the House Democrats, who quite honestly have far more pick up opportunities since they are competing on a fairer map, did not follow the same strategy as the Senate ones.
No Dem in SD-22.
The most winnable seat north of Palm Beach not contested.
You are wrong.
By placing candidates in all of these seats we cannot win, the Republicans retaliated. We had a verbal agreement to let Joe Abruzzo go unopposed and had acquired some Republican backing, but Rod Smith, Chris Smith and the local DEC screwed that all up. So this hurt Democrats.
oh poor Abruzzo can you tell us how many threatening phone calls were made to make sure he would go unopposed? No one is backing Rod and the local DEC is a joke. How do you leave seat unopposed and then cry about it. Get over yourself.
So you made a deal with the devil and you got screwed.
Since when do we make these kind of deals and allow REPUBLICANS to tell us what seats we can contest. Oh yes, I almost forgot about that deal a few years ago when Abruzzo pulled out at the last minute and gave Republican Mary (jail Bird) Mc Carty a free pass. This is what we get year after year from the Delray Mafia and their associates. Then you wonder why we loose and good people do not run. The current deck id totally stacked against them. You I am Right Morning Star !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t you know MS has been making deals and playing both sides for years? Just ask Kelly Skidmore or Maria Sachs, or Loranne Ausley. The crook Scott Maddox isn’t the only one that kisses that ring.
Marvin,
Don’t blame MS if they are still playing with MS for years. You pay Johnson off what else would you expect. And people say Laxer was stupid. Damn smart for running the other direction instead of for office.
Now let’s actually win some of these races.
The problem here is that Senate Victory got the candidates in but have now abondonded them and besides they can’t win s*** .
We got screwed by good candidates in a few seats, SD-7 being one.
In 22 our candidate failed to qualify.
Still better than the House. We will do better than the House.
This is one of the things that has been going on for years. The Democrats just throw races over and over again and now that they put some people up the GOP throws a hissy fit.
Some of the Democrats like the ones in Palm Beach where Abruzzo is from always make BIG DEALS WITH THE REPUBLICANS.
A start but now we need to recruit candidates eaier and actually work for them. But it’s better than leaving everything uncontested.
well at least you can be objective every now and then …
An improvement over past cycles but several seats still uncontested including Nancy Detert whose seat almost went for Obama.
Until we run candidates in every seat south of Gainesville, we aren’t there yet.
I agree and have made that point repeatedly. Still this article was focused on the progress of actually fielding candidates in other races.
Heaving forbid we actually competitive elections in this state. I am not sure what deal was cut for Abruzzo of if an actual deal was in place but we need to be fielding candidates and have done so in many districts this time.
This is sad but true.
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