Third County Commissioner Dreams of Congress; Gunzburger Endorses Lois Frankel
BY BUDDY NEVINS
It’s getting interesting at the Broward County Commission.
Republican County Commissioner Chip LaMarca is forming a committee to explore a run for Congress.
Chip LaMarca
He becomes the third commissioner interested in a congressional seat. Democrats Kristin Jacobs is running, while Democrat John Rodstrom is thinking about it.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Sue Gunzburger rejected all three. She endorsed the Palm Beach County candidate in the race — Lois Frankel. It won’t make her popular with the three others lusting for Congress.
It should be fun times on the ol’ dais.
This will frenzy of political ambition will have consequences:
- Commissioners will be grandstanding shamelessly.
- Jacobs, LaMarca and Rodstrom, if they run, will duck tough votes.
- Absences will go up as commissioners campaign instead of do their $90,000-plus-a-year job.
- Commissioners will be putting the arm on every lobbyist they can contact for contributions.
Lobbyists are already quivering because federal races have a higher contribution limit than state and local campaigns — $2500 compared with $500. And that doesn’t include political parties and PACs.
I can’t blame these commissioners for running, since they have nothing to lose. The state law that requires elected officials to resign office doesn’t apply to federal races.
LaMarca will have an uphill battle. He has been a disappointment even to some Republicans.
He is largely lacking major accomplishments on the commission and tainted with the stench of political deal making—-the jockeying over reapportionment and gubernatorial appointments are just two examples.
Also, the district in northeast Broward and Palm Beach County leans slightly towards the Democrats. The numbers are so bad for a Republican that incumbent U. S. Rep. Allen West jumped to another seat.
LaMarca would face former state Rep. Adam Hasner in the Republican primary. Hasner, who was running for U. S. Senate before switching to the congressional racer, was endorsed by three Republican office holders today — State Sen Ellyn Bogdandoff of Fort Lauderdale and state Reps. Bill Hager of Boca Raton and George Moraitis of Fort Lauderdale.
Bogdanoff said in a news release from the Hasner campaign: “In our seven years serving together in the Florida House, Adam and I worked side by side representing the people of Palm Beach and Broward Counties. He is a friend I believe in. Today, I know Adam continues to be a tireless advocate for economic growth and the critical issues we face. I trust him to go to Washington and continue the fight to protect Florida families.”
On the Democratic side, Frankel has numerous Broward endorsements in addition to Gunzburger. They include state Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich of Weston, next year’s Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale, incoming House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston of Plantation and State Rep. Joe Gibbons, D- Hallandale Beach.
Frankel, a former Florida House member and former mayor of West Palm Beach, is running for the seat, also. She has raised almost $2 million.
LaMarca and the other Broward commissioners have a lot of catching up to do.
February 10th, 2012 at 3:55 pm
Also, Buddy, as you know history is not on the side of a Broward County Commissioner prevailing in a run for Congress.
I believe Herb Burke was the last county commissioner to prevail in the 60’s and 70’s County commissioners Anne Kolb (did NOT have to resgin), Jerry Thompson (did NOT have to resign), and Nicki Grossman (DID have to resign) all failed as county ocmmissioners to make it to Congress.
County commissioners back then ran countywide. For the past decade, county commissioners have run from single member districts. Ed Stack, a sitting sheriff at the time and elected countywide,switched parties and did prevail as a newly minted democrat, winning a congressional race in 1978. Iroincally, I believe he had lost to Herb Burke in a republican congressional primary years before.
Also, ironically, Ed Stack was a one-termer, losing two years later in a democratic primary to attorney Alan Becker. Stack then lost again to incumbent Congressman Clay Shaw in a comeback attempt in 1982.
FROM BUDDY:
Very good recap of Broward political history.
February 10th, 2012 at 4:07 pm
I can recall in the mid-’70’s there were three county commissioners running for congress and every traffic light, street light, pot hole and bus shelter became a congressional issue!
February 10th, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Finally a true conservative is stepping up to fill the shoes of Congressman West. Congressman Lamarca!
February 10th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Here is an idea, the whole commission runs for congress and we let Adam Hasner and Lois Frankel run Broward. Chip a conservative, what are you smoking lady. Chip’s lips are stuck to Charlie Crist’s bee-hind
February 10th, 2012 at 5:19 pm
How did that endorsement of Rick Perry work out for you, Chip?
February 10th, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Hasner and LaMarca are empty suits. The GOP is throwing away that seat. It really doesn’t make any difference because they are picking up seats elsewhere in Florida.
February 10th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
WHO DARES DISTRUB ME FROM MY ETERNAL SLUMBER!
(BTW Chip LaMarca Stinks)
February 10th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
Good 3 of them running for Congress…I wish they all had to resign. If they were all really serious, they WOULD resign and stop being greedy!
February 10th, 2012 at 5:54 pm
SRP – Nicki Grossman did not HAVE to resign. She chose to resign so that her successor would be elected, not appointed.
February 10th, 2012 at 6:06 pm
Chip has too much baggage to win. The drunk driving conviction. Stealing from his boss. He is lucky he road the republican wave right onto the county commission. He is a lucky sob. But lightening doesnt strike twice.
February 10th, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Nicki did have to resign, she could have played with the effective dates of her resignation but had to resign to run nevertheless – check the law in 1992 or give her a call.
Or, I will.
February 10th, 2012 at 11:52 pm
Stern meets with Gov Scott about Elections Committee the same time LaMarca is in Tally.
Scott shocks everyone and appoints Stern to the Elections Commission.
Judy Stern has been running the campaigns for the Mayor of Pompano for years. Stern it has been reported helped create and solicit donations for Sylvia Portier’s defense fund.
Chip runs for Congress in a District which covers a significant portion of Deerfield and Pompano
Not to hard to figure out.
February 11th, 2012 at 12:35 am
Many thought Chip couldn’t beat Keechl either. A DUI from college is all they dug up on the guy incidentally.Check your facts Chippy girl, stealing from his boss? WTF are you talking about?
He’s worked hard since elected to the BCC and would make a great congressman.
February 11th, 2012 at 9:42 am
Of all these contenders and pretenders “thinking” of getting in, at least Kristin Jacobs had the guts to do it. That’s why she’ll be the next Congresswoman from FL-22.
February 11th, 2012 at 10:34 am
Let’s handicap this race. First the Dems. Frankel got 2 million, name recognition and chutzpah. She campaigns like an sob…does anything needed to win. Jacobs got nothing to start. Limited platform, slow decision maker not well liked by many in party. Rodstrom has baggage and arrogance. Only wins a plurality in elections, former Repub. Repubs, Lamarca too new, doesn’t know Iran from Bosnia. Hasner’s been around but jumps from race to race. But may appeal to members of the tribe in this district…My money is on a Frankel- Hasner race in November. The others just want the press.Odds 10-1.
February 11th, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Lois Frankel has the momentum to win this seat. Sue Gunzburger is only the latest community leader to endorse Lois Frankel. Others who have recently endorsed Lois include State Senate Democratic Leader Chris Smith, former State Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich, incoming State House Democratic Leader Perry Thurston, State Rep Joe Gibbons, Betty Castor, Alex Sink, Kendrick Meek, EMILY’s List, National Organization for Women, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and many others. Cold, hard truth: Jacobs is a day lot and dollar short, with little to offer as a candidate. Lois Frankel will be our next representative in Congress!! Go, Lois, Go!!
February 11th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Fifteen comments into this post and no mention of gunzburger’s endorsement which says nobody cares and she’s irrelevant.
February 11th, 2012 at 3:01 pm
Chip isn’t an empty suit, he’s only 5’7 everything looks big on him. Go Kristin
February 11th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Why don’t we change the rules in Broward. If you want to run for congress, great. It must be tough being a commissioner in Broward, what with only making three times the household average at 90K. If they don’t want to be a commissioner now, why do we want them when they loose? I say make them resign one public position to run for another. Why should we pay for their time off to campaign?Oh wait, THEY make the rules and we just slough along. What a load of crap. We deserve better than that, Broward.
February 11th, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Karnack says Hasner was at the BREC candidates meeting this AM and received a huge ovation. No Chip to be seen. All the major Republicans have or will come out for Hasner. Setting up….
Think Crist…..
Chip opens the press conference opens with “I didnt leave the Republican Party, they left me”.
LaMarca then goes Independent.
February 11th, 2012 at 6:31 pm
This claim that Frankel has 2 million dollars is just not true.
As of the last FEC report filed, she had raised $1,429,904 (certainly not 2 million) but had spent $405,592.
This results in just over 1 million on hand, not 2 million.
Certainly not a shabby amount, and obviously she’s built up some infrastructure having spent $400k, but it certainly doesn’t put her out of reach.
A well connected candidate can raise fistfulls of money very quickly in a race like this.
February 12th, 2012 at 10:20 am
ann is correct. You don’t start a run on this without already knowing where your base is coming from. Ludicrous to think that those getting in now don’t already have good financial support ready to go.
February 12th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
…which says to me that Kristin Jacobs must have really thought this through before getting in. That’s the kind of thought I want from my next Congresswoman. Frankel just has nasty politics (especially if aligned with the irrelevant Gunzberger) and a boatload of baggage. I think Kristin takes it this August and again in November.
February 12th, 2012 at 5:40 pm
Joe Eggelletion has to stay in jail longer and it appears a commentator named Judy Stern is sad about it….
http://discussions.sun-sentinel.com/20/soflanews/fl-josephus-eggelletion-release-20120211/10
February 12th, 2012 at 7:06 pm
Cut the crap with how wonderful or thoughtful Jacobs is. The ONLY, ONLY reason Jacobs is running now is that she is just another term-limited politician looking for her next office (so she can keep taking all of those expensive junkets/vacations). Maybe its time for her to get a real job in the private sector and pay for her own vacations (just like the rest of us).
February 15th, 2012 at 12:00 am
Funny how Jacobs “changes her mind” on redistricting today…seems like she is working to get LaMarca not to run against her…Just sayn