State Rep. Marty Kiar’s Future in Limbo Because of Redistricting
BY BUDDY NEVINS
State Rep. Marty Kiar is not going to be deterred by the Republican leadership in the state Senate.
Marty Kiar
Kiar woke up this week and discovered that the district he was running for during the past year may be drastically altered by reapportionment.
The Florida Senate leadership has taken a Broward-based district now held by state Sen. Nan Rich and given it largely to Palm Beach County.
District 34 now is dominated by South Broward voters with a few from Miami Dade thrown in.
The Senate wants the new district to lose any connection to Miami-Dade. In the future, the Senate believes the overwhelming majority of District 34’s voters should live in Palm Beach County.
“I view this as the first shot,” Kiar said. “This (plan) is going to change in the end. I’m staying in the race.”
If the plan doesn’t change, Kiar is sure to face a candidate with a base in Palm Beach County.
But Kiar has a fallback: the Broward County Commission.
Every since the Senate reapportionment plan was released this week, Kiar’s name has been bandied around as a potential candidate for the seat now held by Ilene Lieberman. She’s term limited out in 2012.
Commissioners appear to be ready to place the future commission district – the final boundaries will not be drawn until later this month — mostly in northwest Broward. Kiar lives in Davie. That little dilemma has never deterred candidates.
At least three members of the county commission in the past decade have at times not lived in their districts – Ben Graber, Lois Wexler and Stacy Ritter. The law requires your legal residence to be in the district, while apparently your physical body can sleep somewhere else.
Kiar said this week he remained focused on winning a state Senate seat. His mind might change in the future.
“In politics, you never knows what opportunity opens up,” Kiar said, leaving the commission door wide open.
December 4th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Give the dist 1 seat a shot…now it will be Berger, Kaplan, you and Hazel…will b a good race
December 4th, 2011 at 6:10 pm
The House does not mess with senators plans for their own Senate. It won’t change that much unless a judge changes it.
Kiar would make a great county commissioner. His biggest asset is his accessibility and openness. Run, Marty, Run.
December 4th, 2011 at 6:50 pm
It will be interesting to see what happens. I was talking to a current Broward Senator who told me that the Senate map is very gerrymandered and does not comply with Amendments 5 and 6. The Senator also stated that a big problem is the District 34 seat that Marty is running for. The Senator told me that it will likely change in that a district starting on the south Broward line has nothing in common with the north Palm Beach county line. Also it is unfair to both of the Counties. I hope Marty continues to run for the Senate as I think it will work out. However, I have to say that if he runs for the County Commission, the current candidates should be nervous because he has a large campaign war chest. Regardless of what he does, he will have my full support.
December 4th, 2011 at 8:49 pm
Changes to each district can not be done without affecting other districts. The plan is like a house of cards. You can’t change one without the other, because all districts must be close in populatoin.
December 5th, 2011 at 1:07 am
I hope he is a good politician, because he has a face like Milton the Monster.
December 5th, 2011 at 8:04 am
To Sam the sham,
Although this is really irrelevant, I have to stick up for Marty on that one. The picture above is a bad picture that really doesn’t look like him. Trust me, he is a good politician with the looks go with it.
December 5th, 2011 at 8:05 am
I should have said, “with the looks to go with it”
December 5th, 2011 at 4:29 pm
Bob, are you sure you aren’t Monroe Kiar?
December 5th, 2011 at 8:13 pm
Marty is a good and decent public servant. He would do well as a County Commissioner.
December 6th, 2011 at 8:16 am
I have met Mr. Kiar many a time in Parkland. He is one of the few politicians I find acts on behalf of the constituents and does what he can to do to make their lives better. Talk to him for yourself.
In other news. Has anyone else noticed how Cheap AM radio Tea Partier Brian Criag has used clever tricks to promote racist hatred against Public service employees? Over the years I noticed that Steve Kane would attack public employees for being lazy, shiftless and arrogant while Side Kick Brian Craig would say “of course” and how many of those employees are from non white countries? Steve would then ask if his listenrs have been to the Post Office lately.
Same thing with foreclosures in blaming the poor and minorities for the housing crash. I had no idea that Blacks and the Hispanics did the ratings and bundling of mortgage securities. I must be hallucinating when all of those clever poor blacks and Hispanics bought house enmasse in gated Parkland communities.
December 7th, 2011 at 3:35 pm
As always, a very well written story Buddy. I just wanted to post and thank all of the folks who have posted for their kind words.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:26 pm
Seth,
I am definitely not Monroe, I just happen to be a fan of Marty and I am also a political junkie. Also, I do have an update in that I spoke to someone very close with him who is on his campaign team and he is now strongly considering the County Commission.
December 8th, 2011 at 8:35 pm
Kiar is a nice guy. However, he does not live in the district, and doesn’t know the district. I know that a lot of people think this isn’t relative, but it is.
It also doesn’t help that he represents Davie, and Weston (which is often at odds with Davie) would be in the District.
He may have connections for money, but his name is virtually unknown in most of the proposed district.
FROM BUDDY: Just remember that being under investigation is not guilt of anything.
Somehow in the end I am sure he will have a Senate District he can run for.
Rumor about Rogers running for District 1 is probably dead now. She doesn’t live in the district, and doesn’t have much support in the district.
Now add to Bob Norman’s report, “State Rep. Hazelle Rogers (D-Lauderdale Lakes) is under criminal investigation for a $50,000 payment she received from a construction contractor, the State Attorney’s Office confirmed today.” I think that pretty much ends it for her if she was thinking about it.
December 9th, 2011 at 8:12 am
FROM BUDDY: Just remember that being under investigation is not guilt of anything.
True, but the timing couldn’t have been worse for Rogers. Unless it drops immediately, it will linger throughout the campaign season, and this is a brand new territory for her. The voters will be constantly reminded by the newspapers every time her name comes up.
Plus, if she is charged, isn’t she suspended from office until it is resolved, like Poiter? That doesn’t help either.
She would be far safer in holding her present State Representative seat if she can.