09.07.2003

Democrats wait for Graham's next move

By NANCY COOK LAUER, Tallahassee Democrat

Like a gaggle of bridesmaids jostling to catch the bouquet, a diverse group of candidates is waiting to see what the state's top Democrat will do about the race for U.S. Senate.

While the field for the Republican nomination narrowed last week after the exit of U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, five Democratic hopefuls still don't know whether they'll be running at all.

It all depends on whether Sen. Bob Graham decides to pursue his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination - and if he doesn't, whether the most popular Democrat in modern Florida history will seek a fourth Senate term.

"All of us wannabes ought to stand on the corner somewhere and wait for Senator Graham to make up his mind," said U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings of Miramar, one of three congressmen hoping to move across the Capitol rotunda in Washington.

U.S. Reps. Allen Boyd of Monticello and Peter Deutsch of Lauderhill also hope to leapfrog to the upper chamber if Graham doesn't run. Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas and former state Education Commissioner Betty Castor of Tampa round out the field for the winner-take-all primary.

The candidates bring their own constituencies to the race - and each is confident he or she has the edge over the others. Because state lawmakers did away with the runoff election this year, a candidate could win the party nomination with less than 30 percent of the vote.

Geographic diversity, too

Boyd's camp, for example, points out that he's got strong support in the northern half of the state, where 30 percent of registered Democrats live. Castor's camp says her strong name recognition as the only candidate who's won a statewide race will help her prevail through the long-term.

Hastings , on the other hand, has strong appeal among fellow black Floridians and a storied history of public service. If he's elected, Verdana;color:black'>Hastings Verdana;color:black'> would be the first black in a partisan race elected statewide since Reconstruction. Castor would be the first female Democrat and only the second woman sent to the Senate by Florida voters.

"We have an outstanding crop of candidates. Any one of them can beat the people that are being talked about on the Republican side," said Democratic Party Chairman Scott Maddox, who classifies the current four GOP hopefuls as having "very extreme conservative views that are out of step with the people of Florida."

The Republican Party of Florida disagrees.

"If you look at all the Republicans that are in the race now, they're all running on issues that most Floridians support," said party spokesman Geoffery Becker.

Foley, of West Palm BeachVerdana; color:black'>, was considered the most moderate of the Republican Senate candidates. He dropped out of the race Thursday, citing his father's battle with cancer. The remaining candidates appeal especially to conservative voters in northern and fast-growing Verdana;color:black'>Central Florida with their tough stances on abortion and lowering taxes.

The Democratic candidates seem to have a common message: improve education, enact social reforms to help the elderly and the most vulnerable, protect the environment.

Opponents exchange barbs

But Maddox's attempt to keep the Democratic flock grazing in the same pasture has met with some setbacks. During the party's annual Jefferson-Jackson Gala in July, and again at a public appearance last month, bitter exchanges between Deutsch and Penelas brought negative headlines statewide. The Deutsch campaign has since filed an elections complaint against Penelas for, it says, accepting illegal campaign contributions.

Becker predicts the pair will "rip the party to shreds if they keep up what they're doing."

Castor campaign manager Jeff Garcia describes the two as "slugging it out for second place," noting polls show she's got the name recognition the other candidates lack.

And Maddox just wants it to stop.

"I hope that the candidates will refrain from personal attacks," Maddox said. "The days of a circular firing squad in the Democratic Party have got to be over, and we have to concentrate on winning in November."

Boyd builds consensus

Allen Boyd is in his fourth term in Congress, having won re-election by convincing margins in previous elections.

A lifelong farmer, Boyd began his political career in the state House, where he served 31/2 terms before moving to Capitol Hill. He's voted, on average, right down the middle on liberal and conservative issues, according to National Journal ratings.

Boyd is generally known as a behind-the-scenes consensus builder and Blue Dog conservative Democrat, favoring a strong military and voting for a ban on late-term abortions. He's favored campaign finance reform and lobbied for a balanced budget amendment, calling himself "a moderate Democrat with a social conscience."

"If this seat is ultimately open, I think Democrats should choose a nominee who can unite liberals and conservatives, North Florida and South Florida," Boyd said.

Castor well-known

Betty Castor is the only one of the five probable candidates who has won a statewide election, having been elected and re-elected education commissioner more than a decade ago. That name recognition is paying off in the early race - two August polls have shown Castor the most well-known of the five candidates.

But Castor, an educator, former president of the University of South Florida and former president of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, is struggling to raise funds to finance her campaign.

She got some help Thursday from Emily's List, a 73,000-member national organization that has given almost $10 million to pro-choice Democratic women candidates over the past 18 years. Because Florida is considered a key state, it's not unlikely that Castor could get as much as $1 million from the members during the crucial early push of the campaign, said Emily's List spokeswoman Melissa Schiffman.

"There will be a similarity among the Democratic candidates on the issues," Castor said. "Being the only woman in a large group of candidates makes me distinctive, and I see that as an advantage."

Peter Deutsch is in his sixth term in Congress, where he leans toward the liberal side of the issues in National Journal ratings, yet is seen as a moderate by many Capitol insiders. If elected, Deutsch would be Florida's first Jewish senator since Dick Stone was elected in 1974.

He's run unopposed since 1996, and he already has a substantial war chest of $3 million to campaign in the crucial early days of the contest. A member of the New Democrat Coalition, Deutsch has championed Everglades restoration and pro-Israel bills. He's also favored military force in Iraq and allowing commercial airline pilots to carry arms.

Deutsch points to his 21 years in Congress as good preparation for a Senate term, and says he of all candidates best reflects the makeup of Florida voters.

"I've struck that balance of being fiscally responsible and socially conscious," Deutsch said. "I'm in touch with the people of the state of Florida and the hopes and aspirations of this state."

Hastings 'not a rookie'

Alcee Hastings, a former judge and the son of a hotel maid, is now in his sixth term in Congress and has trounced the past two Republican attempts to unseat him. He ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 1970, more as a civil-rights statement than with any hope of winning.

His voting record is considered more liberal than other Florida congressmen in the race, and he is seen as charming, but hard-edged. He's the only member of Congress ever to have been impeached and removed from office as a federal judge - his name was cleared after a federal investigator admitted lying under oath.

Hastings is proud to be a fifth-generation Floridian; his great-grandmother lived in Quincy. He's lived the hard life all over the state, he said, and knows firsthand many of the small towns his primary opponents haven't even heard of.

"If you stack all of the potential candidates together, none of them know Florida as I do," Hastings said. "I'm not a rookie. "

Penelas focuses on education

Alex Penelas, a longtime Miami-Dade public official, gained some statewide recognition last year when he led a successful constitutional amendment drive requiring the state to offer pre-K education to all 4-year-olds.

He calls Miami "America's laboratory" and cites his success in reducing crime and improving living conditions there as a good indication of the success he'd have in Washington. As a local official, Penelas said he's especially cognizant of the paucity of federal funds that make their way to Florida, compared with how much in taxes Floridians send to Washington.

Teacher compensation and retention, health care for the working poor and Medicaid reform are among his priorities, he said.

"The issues we deal with every day are issues other states don't even think about," Penelas said. "This would help me represent the people of Florida well in the United States Senate."

Contact Capitol Bureau Chief Nancy Cook Lauer at (850) 222-6729 or nlauer@tallahassee.com

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