Judicial Candidates: Cash and Experience vs. Political Pull
BY BUDDY NEVINS
This judicial race promises to be experience and money vs. political pull.
With a stellar resume and lots of cash, Stacey Schulman opened her campaign for circuit court on Tuesday. Schulman is taking on Julie Shapiro Harris, whose husband is a Democratic political operative.
Shapiro Harris was alone for weeks in the race for the open circuit court seat. Now that Schulman jumped in, the race promises to be a free spending, dizzying trek until next August.
Schulman’s filing kicks off the traditional period when a large number of candidates begin campaigns – October through the Holidays in the year before an election.
In the next few weeks expect everybody from gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist to more local candidates to open their 2014 campaign accounts. The earlier they file in October, the more time they have to raise an impressive amount of money for the year since anytime after Thanksgiving is considered a dead period of campaigning.
The Schulman vs. Shapiro Harris race has fascinating dynamics.
Normally Schulman’s resume and money would easily eclipse Shapiro Harris.
A Cornell graduate and Numero Uno in her University of Miami law school class, Schulman worked for State Attorney Mike Satz for nine years handling roughly 80 trials for everything from capital sex battery to attempted murder. She has been in private practice for two years with major firms.
In addition, Schulman’s family has enough money and connections that financing the campaign should be easy. Her father is an insurance executive and past president of the Jewish Federation. Stacey Schulman is on the board of the Jewish Federation.
Shapiro Harris has a masters degree in social work. She is a staff attorney for Broward Clerk of the Courts Howard Forman’s domestic violence division, essentially a political appointment.
If that was the end of Shapiro Harris’ story, she would be easily written off. However, she is married to Broward Democratic political workhorse Barry Harris.
Although Barry Harris is far from the most successful campaign professional in Broward, he has been involved in elections on many levels for years and knows a lot of grass roots activists.
The race would warrant a lot of attention if it was only Schulman and Shapiro Harris. It may not stay just that way for long. The latest rumor is that another woman could jump in this race.
If that happens, it can only get more interesting.
October 1st, 2013 at 5:10 pm
Buddy
You previously covered the who’s who and the whose that???? of Julie’s last fundraiser co-hosted by Crazy Ray.
Barry Harris is expected to be a key witness in the Mayor Talibisco corruption case as he ran the ECO which is alleged to have helped Beth out.
Her Treasurer is Ed McGee most rencely known for unsuccessfuling defending convicted corrupt Commissioner McLean from Margete.
One thing guaranteed about Shulman, there will be no Crazy Ray on her host committee. I would imagine Mitch Ceaser and many other long established major politicians without taint will be supporting Shulman.
Few if any trial lawyers in Broward support or even know Harris. Shulman is a well known and respected trial attorney who even at young age is far more accomplished than Harris.
While Harris is a nice woman and probably better suited for County Court, the reality is her legal career is based on patronage from Howard Forman and the biggest legal decision she makes is whether someone was the victim of a domestic battery and if so, should there be a restraining order. Sorry it does not take a great legal mind to determine this.
Also, no one is forgetting about what appeared to be a friend of Barry and Julie filing a elections complaint against now Judge Rothschild on a bs issue about congratulating Lori Parrish on getting reelected unopposed.
Friends of both Judges’ Rothchild know that Barry did this and more in their race and it is not forgotten.
Shulman in a landslie.
October 1st, 2013 at 7:44 pm
I’ll take the” Political Pull” over the “experience/money” any day of the week.. And to all the “Political Pull” thank you for helping me back in January…..
October 1st, 2013 at 8:10 pm
Will Schulmans campaign have the stones to tie Shapiro Harris to all the corruption in Tamarac??? I for one am not comfortable with a judge being married to someone with questionable ethics. ( Birds of a feather.)
October 2nd, 2013 at 6:15 am
@1 – Mitch Ceasar is “without taint”?!??? NOT!!!
October 2nd, 2013 at 8:35 am
Julie has had two quarters to raise money so lets judge by the latest report. This will tell us about her support, is she more than someone who can fund a campaign out of her trust fund or not.
October 2nd, 2013 at 9:58 am
Boys and Girls, here is how it works for the un-informed Broward voter. In a Judicial race, top name on that group gets selected. Many people still think the one on top is the current judge. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to the voters and the system doesn’t help matters. BTW, I have to agree with Ha Ha Ha, Mitch has skeletons.
October 2nd, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Still running with that 1994 logic.
Under your thought process the following would have been elected Judges last year;
Rocque over Ross
Banks over Diaz
Gonzalez over Watson
Lieberman over McHugh
Golden over Miller
October 2nd, 2013 at 4:12 pm
Just a few quick facts:
1. Julie already convinced in excess of 50,000 voters she is qualified to be a Circuit Court Judge.
2. Everyone seems to KNOW exactly what Julie does professionally but I doubt 100% any of you have ever bothered to ask her (or Howard Forman) what she does. I doubt any of you have any proof that her join was a “political appointment.”
3. Barry is not running for election. No person should be judged based on what their spouse does. FWIW, everyone is pretty sure in the end this whole Talabisco thing is going to get tossed. At worst, Barry was a cog in a scheme but hardly a guilty party.
October 2nd, 2013 at 5:23 pm
Bob Nichols barely lost to judge Rebollo and then last year he lost by even more. How about going to your local Publix and ask shoppers how many people ever heard of Julie, doubt you find 2.
Shulman has this in the bag. Team Julie and their blog posts just reek of desperation
October 3rd, 2013 at 8:56 am
If the voters of Broward want a good Judge, Stacey Schulman should win. She has the experience and intelligence to be a great Judge. I have tried cases against her, tough cases, and she has always shown the decorum and demeanor a good jurist requires. All Rise for the Honorable Judge Schulman.