• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
WRITE=IN: Diary of a 2004 Congressional Candidate
Friday, May 7This evening, the Florida Division of Electionswebsite posted the names of all the qualifying candidatesfor Congress. I am one of three candidates in the FourthCongressional District in the Jacksonville area.Ander Crenshaw, the conservative Republicanincumbent, faces a primary challenge from Deborah KatzPueschel, who thinks he isn't right-wing enough to reversewhat she calls our "current course of gradual socialism."Two years ago, Crenshaw beat her with 90 percent of thevote, and he's sure to win the G.O.P. nomination again.I'm the only registered Democrat in the race. But,unable to afford the nine-thousand-dollar filing fee to getthe official party designation, I'm a write-in candidate.Under Florida's bizarre election laws, write-in votes countonly if they're for "qualified" candidates like me.If I weren't a candidate, Congressman Crenshaw'sname wouldn't be on the November ballot. There justwouldn't be an election. Four of Florida's twenty-fiveHouse members were elected this afternoon when theydid not get a primary or write-in opponent.Over 90 percent of Americans live incongressional districts that are essentially one-partymonopolies. Of Florida's twenty-five House seats, seven1
 
are safe for Democrats, and sixteen are safe for Republicans.The Fourth is the most Republican district in thestate. But I'm hoping to give anyone opposed toCrenshaw's positions a chance to vote for someone else.In the last Congress, Crenshaw voted for moreBush tax cuts and the war in Iraq. He supported oildevelopment in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,limiting the Patients' Bill of Rights, and banning "partial- birth" abortion. Crenshaw voted against campaign-financereform.As of March, his campaign committee had$612,691 in cash.Mine had bupkis.- - - -Saturday, May 8When I was out last night, I got a phone messagefrom a Pueschel supporter who wanted to know howmuch Rep. Crenshaw had paid me to "close" theRepublican primary.In Florida, everyone, regardless of partyaffiliation, can vote in a primary when only one party isrunning candidates for a particular office. But as a write-in candidate, I've created at least theoretical competitionin November, so now Democrats and independents can'tvote in the Republican primary.2
 
Given that Pueschel is even further to the rightthan Crenshaw, I can't imagine why the caller thoughtshe'd do better in a primary that included Democraticvoters.Besides, the Congressman would never paysomeone like me to manipulate the election. As acandidate in the 1994 G.O.P. gubernatorial primary—inwhich he finished fourth—Crenshaw publicly vowed thathe would never hire anyone who was gay.- - - -Monday, May 10This morning the
 Florida Times-Union' 
s "PoliticalTicker" column listed my name with other candidates.The item said all five local members of Congress weresure bets for reelection. It noted that Rep. Corinne Brown,the Democrat whose district includes all of Jacksonville'snonwhite neighborhoods, is facing two "virtualunknowns" named Prince Brown and Johnny Brown.I've run twice before as a write-in candidateagainst Republican House members, and experience tellsme that press coverage can make a big difference.In 1994, when I ran against Rep. Michael Bilirakisof Clearwater, the
Tampa Tribune
published a story aboutme on the front page of the local-news section. AnAfrican-American newspaper noticed I supportedreparations for slavery and endorsed me. I got 153 votes.Two years later, as the sole opponent of Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami, I got no publicity and onlyeight write-in votes.3
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...