Millions of dollars are being spent to elect Florida's next governor, but what happens over the next four years may hinge just as much on little-noticed races going on in Gainesville, Sarasota, Tampa and West Palm Beach.
The veto has been a major political force in Florida government under Gov. Charlie Crist, who has repeatedly used it to turn back some of the Republican Legislature's biggest initiatives, including one to allow property insurance companies to raise rates without government approval and another to end tenure for public teachers.
But Florida's next governor may not have that power.
"Regardless of who wins the governor's race, I expect the legislative branch to be stronger in the next two years than it has been in a long time," predicted incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park.
Democratic legislative leaders, of course, reject the notion that the GOP will pick up enough seats to reach the magic number needed to get a veto-proof majority.
You can read the entire story here at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
The math is this: Republicans currently hold a 76-43 majority in the House, with one seat vacant. Democrats will pick up the vacant seat since there is no GOP opposition. In the Senate, the breakdown is 26-13, with one seat vacant. Rep. Maria Sachs, however, will keep that seat for the Democrats since no one ran against her.
The seats that could make or break the GOP goal of a veto-proof majority as follows:
STATE SENATE:
District 8: Currently held by Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, this district is rock-solid Republican. But Democrats remain hopeful that newcomer Deborah Gianoulis - a former television anchor with high name recognition - can pull off the upset. A recent internal poll showed Gianoulis ahead and the GOP has recently put up money for television ads to help Thrasher.
District 14: Democrats are targeting incumbent Sen. Steve Oelrich, R-Gainesville. Oelrich, a former sheriff, is being challenged by former Rep. Perry McGriff, D-Gainesville.
District 16: Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, gave up what could have been a relatively-easy re-election to run for Congress, but instead of getting a shot at an open seat incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Young opted to seek another term. Former State Sen. Jack Latvala appears likely to take back this district for the Republicans.
District 25: This South Florida seat is currently held by Senate President Jeff Atwater and it features a battle between two legislative veterans - Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff and Rep. Kelly Skidmore. Bogdanoff went through a bruising primary, but indications are that this seat will likely remain Republican.
District 27: This seat - which stretches from Palm Beach County to Charlotte County - is held by outgoing Sen. Dave Aronberg. Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach, is the Democratic candidate, while Wellington Village Council member Lizbeth Benacquisto is the GOP candidate. Radar, who was hammered over his insurance votes by his primary opponent, is coming under fire again. Republicans are hopeful that they can pick up this seat. If the GOP holds its own seats and picks up District 16 and District 27 then they a veto-proof majority in the Senate.
STATE HOUSE
District 11: Rep. Debbie Boyd, D-Newberry, barely won this North Florida legislative seat two years ago. Boyd beat former Columbia County Commissioner Elizabeth Porter by 179 votes and now Porter has returned for a re-match.
District 34: Democrats contend that they can defeat Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary in this seat. Dorworth, who is in line to become House speaker, has had his share of high-profile financial troubles that have made the news. The race includes a Tea Party candidate and Democrat Steve Barnes, a former journalist and teacher.
District 51: Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole, is one of two Democrats in Pinellas County who has been targeted by Republicans since their legislative seats were once held by the GOP. Long is being challenged by Larry Ahern, who runs his own swimming pool remodeling and commercial fountain business.
District 52: Rep. Bill Heller, D-St. Petersburg, is the other Democrat that the GOP wants to take out in Pinellas. Heller is being challenged by Jeff Brandes, a political newcomer who has been able to put his own money into the race.
District 57: This is an open seat that had been held by Rep. Faye Culp, R-Tampa. Democrats are optimistic that Stacy Frank, an attorney and daughter of Hillsborough County Clerk of the Courts Pat Frank, will take this seat. The GOP candidate is Dana Young, an attorney who once worked for the powerhouse firm of Fowler White Boggs.
District 81: This is a battle between incumbent Rep. Adam Fetterman, D-Port St. Lucie and former Rep. Gayle Harrell. This seat was held by Harrell, R-Stuart before she mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Congress.
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