Castor (D) enters race for Senate (Florida)

Tallahassee Democrat ^ | 6/12/03 | Bill Cotterell

[LdSentinal]

Former Education Commissioner Betty Castor, who left the Cabinet to become president of the University of South Florida 10 years ago, announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Monday.

Castor named former Auditor General Charles Lester as her campaign treasurer. She also put together the nucleus of a campaign staff that will be headquartered in Tampa, Castor's political base as a county commissioner and state legislator.

"After three weeks of exploring a candidacy, I have been encouraged both by friends and people I've never met before, in Florida and in Washington, to run for the U.S. Senate," she said. "I'm excited at the challenge and the opportunity."

Castor hired pollster David Beattie, who advised Sen. Bill Nelson's 2000 campaign, and political consultant Linda Hennessee of West Palm Beach to work on her campaign. Hennessee ran two congressional campaigns for ex-Rep. Jim Bacchus of Orlando and the last statewide race of ex-Attorney General Bob Butterworth. Campaign spokesman Stephen Gaskill of Broward County also joined the Castor team.

Hennessee said Castor won't run if U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, D-Miami Lakes, drops out of the presidential race and seeks a fourth term in the Senate. But she said Castor's plans will not be changed by whatever the Legislature does with runoff primaries.

If the Republican-run Legislature eliminates the runoff, as expected, long-shot candidates could be nominated with as little as 35 percent to 40 percent of the vote in a crowded field.

"We'll take it any way they give it to us," Hennessee said. "But Betty is obviously stronger without a runoff."

Castor, 62, was a Hillsborough County commissioner before her election to the Florida Senate in 1976. She lost a bid for lieutenant governor in 1978 but returned to the Senate four years later and was elected education commissioner in 1986 and took office in January 1987.

She was USF president from 1993 to 1999, when she became president of the National Board of Professional Teacher Standards.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas and U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, D-Pembroke Pines, also are running for the Democratic nomination to succeed Graham. Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, is considering the campaign, along with Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-West Palm Beach.

Bob Doyle, Boyd's campaign adviser, said Castor would be a formidable candidate, with her populous base in the Tampa Bay area and two previous successful statewide campaigns. But he said she has not been on the ballot since 1990 and that current members of Congress would have a better chance.

"Allen Boyd thinks very highly of Betty Castor, but it remains to be seen what kind of campaign they can put together, considering all the years she's been out of public life," said Doyle.

U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of West Palm Beach and ex-Rep. Bill McCollum of Altamonte Springs are running for the Republican nomination, regardless of whether Graham stays in the presidential race, retires or runs again for his seat. First-term Rep. Katherine Harris of Sarasota, the former secretary of state, also has said she might seek the GOP nomination if Graham doesn't run for re-election.

[stboz]

I remember her from my days in Tampa. A political opportunist if there ever was one. Just another Bob Graham.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Another 'Rat in the FL Senate seat mix *ping*

[Impy]

We need Weldon or Harris in this race.

[windchime]

Betty Castor, former president of the University of South Florida.

The Sami Al-Arian, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, mess at USF began under her watch. Castor left the wreckage of Al-Arian's association with terrorism and the university for her successor to deal with. President Judy Genshaft took the appropriate action after Al-Arian was arrested and is taking the heat from the academic community (and others) today.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/929153/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/915948/posts

The following link provides reports in the Tampa Tribune and stories by Michael Fechter on Al-Arian since 1995 (links are to the right of the bottom of the page):

http://reports.tbo.com/reports/alarian/

[flrepublican1]

McCollum!

[Impy]

Isn't he a boring wussy loser?

[TontoKowalski]

Former Education Commissioner Betty Castor, who left the Cabinet to become president of the University of South Florida 10 years ago, announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate on Monday.

Isn't she the President of that University that had terrorists teaching in classrooms?

[flrepublican1]

actually hes the guy that was one of the impeachment managers in the Clinton Impeachment hearing. Where was Foley then?

[Impy]

I didn't say I was for Foley. :)

Didn't McCollum run a poor race in 2000?

[flrepublican1]

I am glad your not for Foley.:) Foley isnt a bad guy, he's just too moderate to represent our party in a Senate race. He's run in Palm Beach as a moderate Republican which he has to do in Palm Beach but now hes in a US Senate race and hes running as a conservative, I want a true conservative representing our state in the Senate, a conservative with experience and knowledge of the issues facing our nation: Bill McCollum.

Everyone says McCollum ran a poor race in 2000. The fact of the matter is McCollum ran against a very popular Democrat in Bill Nelson and President Clinton made McCollum a prime target in 2000. Bill Nelson was not a weak candidate, the guy won two statewide races and ran for Governor in 1990 and he's not a liberal Democrat. 2004 Democrats will probably nominate Deutsch since south FLA controls the DEM primary and Deutsch will not appeal to Central and North FLA like Nelson did.

You mentioned Weldon and Harris, both good people with baggage. Harris will not only lose the Senate race but she will drive Democrats out to the polls to vote against her, President Bush and other Republicans running in what might be close Congressional races;IE: Ginny Brown-Waite which may be a very close Congressional race if Karen Thurman runs. Weldon was elected to Congress in 1994 on a term limits pledge which means he should of left in office in 2002 but he failed to do so breaking his term limits pledge. Also, Weldon represents a small District on the west coast and only has about $150,000 in his Congressional campaign acct., hes not a strong fund raiser.

[Impy]

Well you're the only person I've seen post something nice about McCollum. :)

You can read my musings about the various candiates in the topic below.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/931353/posts


As to Thurman running again I'm not too worried about that. Rematchs usually tend to go poorly for the loser.

[flrepublican1]

I read your "musings" about the other various candidates. I agree if Foley was pro-life and pro-family values, he would be a great Senate candidate but then again if he was pro-life, pro-family, he wouldn't be a Congressman from Palm Beach. He should stay in Palm Beach as a Congressman.

I like McCollum a great deal and support him very strongly. He's a good man, visit his web site: www.mccollumsenate.org

I think Ginny can topple Thurman in 2004 but it will be another close race, Thurman has her supporters.

Who do you like for Governor in 2006?

[Impy]

Martinez or Tom Feeney (I don't know if he's interested)would be great.

I don't know if I trust that new LT. Governor.

Too bad Frank Brogan quit to be a university president. He'd be great for Governor or Senate.

I think Foley could win if he was more socially conservative. Bush won his seat and according to my research has been help by a Republican since it was created in 1972.

[flrepublican1]

I am with you on that, I do not like our new Lt. Governor at all and was very surprised when Jeb appointed her. She worked against him in the Senate and I found it odd that she dropped out of the Insurance Commissioner's race in 2000. She won't be my choice for Governor in 2006. Martinez is the man for Governor in 06 and will most likely have White House support.

I liked Frank Brogan a great deal too. He would of make a great candidate for Governor in 06 and Jeb would of been great for Senate, Jeb still is great for the Senate.

FYI-Weldon is running. www.politics1.com has him listed as a US Senate candidate and he is traveling the state lining up support. Will be interesting to see how this impacts Webster. Feeney will most likely endorse Webster or Weldon if Webster doesn't run. I am sticking with McCollum and still think he can pull of a win regardless of Weldon.

[KQQL]

Matched up against Democrat Castor,


• Castor, 42; Harris, 37; undecided, 21 percent
• Castor 35; Martinez, 32; 33 percent undecided

McCollum got 35 percent; Castor, 36 percent,
and 29 percent are undecided.