………. The race is on for the Florida House of Representatives District 94.
The seat is currently held by Perry Thurston, but he is term limited, and running for Attorney General.
Thurston
I live in that District, and have made some noise about possibly running for the seat, but for now, I’m just blogging about it!
It is an interesting race. The District runs from Lauderdale Lakes down through Fort Lauderdale, up into Wilton Manors, and finishes in Oakland Park. Currently, these two men are running.
Bobby Dubose and Levoyd Williams
Dubose is a Commissioner in Fort Lauderdale, Levoyd a Commissioner in Lauderdale Lakes.
The District is almost 60% black, and nearly 90% democrat ! So, the winner will be decided in the primary in August, as no republican has a chance of winning in the November General election.
But here’s the rub – whichever candidate can capture the white (and considerably gay) Wilton Manors and Oakland Park vote, could win.
They had a debate at last week’s gay Dolphin Democrat meeting, and here are the highlights –
Dubose says he is in favor of gay marriage, as does Williams. That is significant, as the black community has long opposed it.
And Williams is in favor of medical marijuana, as is Dubose!
Both men also state that they will be there to fight for the gay issues, but Dubose admitted to a somewhat strained relationship with his colleague, famous gay politician Dean Trantalis.
Williams tried to separate himself from Dubose by saying that the difference between he and Dubose was that he “was a fighter”, grew up in North Florida, and “knew how to talk to them”. He told the group he grew up in the civil rights era and “felt their pain”.
Dubose said the Pledge of Allegiance called for justice for all, and said he was committed to that. He pointed to support for “family recognition”, and “hospital visits”, and said he would be “championing those issues”.
The men differed somewhat on juvenile crime. Dubose favors a “holistic” approach, concentrating on the “front end”., but Williams, pointing to the current problem with juvenile burglaries, said “there has to be a limit”, and that you can’t “placate and pamper them”.
I’ll keep you informed …. Tim
Tim,
Your description of this voting District just jumped out at me as an illustration of a larger problem and a key cause of much that is wrong with our political system today…the GERRYMANDERING of voting districts that has gotten so wholly out of whack with any semblance of what our founders had intended for a ‘representative democracy.’ Irrespective of my own personal political beliefs and/or affiliations, I have come to believe that this gerrymandering of voting districts…designed to ensure that a political party (both are guilty!) will almost always control the election for a representative seat…is the single most important impediment to the effective functioning of our government at the state and federal levles. Unfortunately, to change this practice to create more community, geographic and demographically-sensible representation districts, it requires the very people and political parties who created today’s morass and benefit from it to be the ones to change it…and I don’t see that being very likely any time soon. A unique exception to this problem, however, has taken place right here locally in our own City of Fort Lauderdale, where our elected local officials recently were responsible for making some sensible and more equitable changes to our local city voting districts. Though that was but a small step, I take it as being a sign of hope that reforming our state and federal gerrymandering practices might yet be possible…and I urge anyone else who sees this issue as a major problem to speak out against it until we have enough voices to not only be heard, but to overcome the self-interest of this abominable affront to the idea of democracy.
Shoplifting deserves a slap on the wrist. Crawling into the smashed out window of someone’s home (forever taking away their family’s sense of safety and security)deserves JAIL TIME. If Dubose loses does he run for his own seat back in a special election ala Charlotte? Hope the City has the money set aside.
A vacancy on the Fort Lauderdale City Commission, per the City Charter, after the commissioner’s term is half over (18 Months) because they are elected for 3 year terms, the vacancy is filled by appointment. This may not be the exact language of the Charter. But, I believe that this is how a vacancy is filled. If the Commissioner has completed less than 18 months of their term, then there would be a special election to fill the vacancy. The next General Election for Fort Lauderdale Mayor and Commissioners, will be in March of 2015. A primary will be held in February if necessary.
Did some research into district 94.
94 is available to any good citizen that can inspire the voters.
Smaller Swing Vote needed it appears.