Mike Smith for Congress

Race for Central Florida congressional seats get crowded, heated

Feb 1, 2008

Race for Central Florida congressional seats gets crowded, heated
Tamara Lytle
Chief Washington Correspondent
February 1, 2008

WASHINGTON
Central Florida will have some of the nation's most competitive congressional races this fall, and at least one of the challengers has begun an aggressive fundraising drive, according to Federal Election Commission reports due Thursday.

Democratic former state Rep. Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach raised $363,000 -- twice as much as Rep. Tom Feeney of Oviedo, the three-term Republican she'd like to unseat. And that's one of what could be three hot races in Central Florida.

Candidates from both parties are lining up to run against five-term Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando. And Indialantic Republican Rep. Dave Weldon's decision last week not to run again for his Space Coast seat has set off a scramble of potential candidates.

"The I-4 corridor is going to be seeing plenty of action," said David Wasserman, who studies House races for the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Fundraising will be especially key this year, he said. "The question is whether candidates with relatively little name recognition can break through the cacophony of the presidential race."

Kosmas got off to a fast start with $360,000 raised during the fourth quarter, compared with $153,000 for Feeney. But Feeney, who raised most of his money from political action committees, still had $455,000 in the bank, including money raised earlier.

Republicans discounted Kosmas' total, saying new candidates can tap the "low-hanging fruit" of close friends and family for large initial donations. Kosmas raised money from party activists and local people such as the France family, owners of the Daytona International Speedway.

Keller raised $183,000 and had a hefty total of $617,000 in cash on hand, far more than his GOP competition.

Trial lawyer/talk-show host Todd Long raised $41,000 during the quarter, but Bob Hering raised no money. Hering, a Clermont business owner, said he has fundraisers planned this quarter and pointed out that he kicked in his own money -- about $173,000 -- when he ran in 2000.

Of his Democratic challengers, attorney Michael Smith reported raising $120,000 during the quarter, with $271,000 cash on hand. Alan Grayson, another attorney who ran in the 2006 primary, loaned $25,000 to his campaign and raised almost $20,000.

Totals for Charlie Stuart, the motivational speaker who lost to Keller in 2006, were not available.

Since Weldon only announced last week that he would not be running, the candidates seeking his seat won't show up in fundraising tallies until the first quarter.

Veteran State Sen. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, is expected to jump in if another senator, Mike Haridopolos of Melbourne, announces today that he is staying in the state Senate.

Democrat Nancy Higgs, a former Brevard County commissioner, has already said she would run.

Weldon is one of 24 House Republicans retiring after this election -- the biggest number in 50 years. Democrats already control the House, 232-to-199, and have had just five retirements so far.

Wasserman said Democrats benefit from public unhappiness with President Bush and issues including the war and slumping economy. But, he said, a strong presidential candidate could help Republicans.

"Where 2006 was a [Democratic] wave, 2008 is at a crosscurrent," he said.

Other Central Florida lawmakers have not drawn much opposition so far. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, reported what may be the largest war chest in the state -- $2.34 million.

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Race for Central Florida congressional seats get crowded, heated