Jim Waldman Prepares For State Senate Run
BY BUDDY NEVINS
State Rep. Jim Waldman is quietly preparing to run for state Senate..if.
Waldman
- If Gov. Charlie Crist quits the governor’s mansion to run for the U. S. Senate.
- If Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink then runs for governor.
- If State Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Parkland, then runs for Sink’s seat. He already expressed an interest in it.
If that scenario happens, Waldman says he’s running.
It’s looking more and more like it could happen.
Ring’s departure would set off a cascade of falling political dominoes other than Waldman. It would open seats across northwest Broward.
Waldman’s entrance in a senate race would come at an opportune time for the silver-haired Democratic lawmaker from Coconut Creek. He is having a very visible year in Tallahassee.
As the sponsor of a higher tax on cigarettes to help balance the budget, Waldman has gotten a lot of media attention. He has been unable to get the bill past Republicans in the House.
Still, polls indicate most Floridians support such a tax.
Let the Republicans argue they are for keeping cancer cheaper. Waldman is on the right side of this issue.
Waldman has other positives in a senate fight.
He served a decade on the Coconut Creek commission and has strong ties to voting blocs in that city. He also has been involved in Broward’s Jewish community for years, which won’t hurt in the condominiums.
Waldman, a lawyer, has plenty of personal wealth. He also is general counsel to Keiser University, whose multi-millionaire owner Art Keiser will surely help in a campaign.
In addition to Waldman, here is what could happen:
*State Rep. Ari Porth, D-Coral Springs, will look at Ring’s senate seat.
*Coral Springs Mayor Scott Brooks may run for the senate seat, too.
*Coconut Creek Commissioner Lou Sarbone could run for Waldman’s seat.
One politician with a big future in northwest Broward Parkland Mayor Michael Udine will probably wait to run for county commission. Broward Mayor Stacy Ritter has hinted that she if she serves out her term, it will probably be her last.
April 20th, 2009 at 7:29 am
There are several commissioners in Margate that could run for Waldman’s seat.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:08 am
Waldman would have lost his last race if it hadn’t been for the fact that Republicans were able to vote in it. His next DEMOCRATIC opponent won’t make that same mistake.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:19 am
I agree with Broward Voter. Waldman almost lost, despite having much money. He had an amateur campaign and was opposed by several on the county commission and Lori Parrish. That is more of the reason he almost lost than Republicans.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Parrish and the other Commissioners would have only influenced Democratic votes. Jim Waldman knows he would have lost a Democratic primary and if they hadn’t been able to get that write-in candidate out of the race, he wouldn’t be in the legislature today.
Jim Waldman lost every city in District 95 other than Coconut Creek. The Senate District includes a lot more of Coral Springs and Tamarac, where either Porth or Brook have a much stronger base.
April 20th, 2009 at 8:38 am
What’s also interesting is if this scenario doesn’t work out, just wait until term limits come up in the next 3 years.
This area will see new State Senators, Representatives and County Commissioners.
FROM BUDDY: In three years, reapportionment will almost be upon us.
April 20th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
A political insider called me with the comment that Waldman would have problems with the teachers’ union in any future Democratic primary. This is because of a vote he cast to weaken the Class Size Amendment. Maybe this is true.
The story about Waldman’s vote from the Sun-Sentinel is here:
April 20th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
The Republicans are locked out of the primary this time as Scott Yardley has already filed for District 95.
http://www.ScottYardley.com
April 21st, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Whatever he runs for, Jim Waldman can’t win a Democratic primary when only Democrats are voting.
He never has, and with his current record it Tallahassee, he never will.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I am a Tamarac voter and I’d welcome Jim Waldman as my State Senator. He was the ONLY democrat to vote against the republican budget and he was awarded the Legislator of the Year Award from the state cancer society for working to increase the cigrette tax to help keep teens from starting to smoke. Good for you Mr. Waldman and good for us Tamarac democrats if you run for the Senate. You can count on my support and all my friends and neighbors.