Legislature: State Senator James E. King, Jr. Loses Battle With Pancreatic Cancer
State Sen. James E. “Jim” King, Jr., (R-Jacksonville), died on July 26, 2009, at the age of 69, three months after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Sen. King served as Chair of the Energy, Environment, and Land Use Policy and Steering Committee and the Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities Committee. He also served as Senate President from 2002 – 2004 and as Senate Majority Leader from 2000 – 2002.
Sen. King was one of the longest-serving members of the Legislature. He represented the Jacksonville area in the House from 1986 – 1999 and in the Senate from 1999 until his death. He was generally considered to be one of the most respected and most collegial members of the Senate.
A special election will be held in Senate District 8, probably in October 2009, to elect a senator to fill the unexpired portion of Sen. King’s term. Candidates had already been actively campaigning for the 2010 election to replace Sen. King, who would have been barred by term limits from seeking reelection.
Economy: Revised State Economic Forecasts Predict Later Recovery
On July 21, 2009, Florida state economists issued revised economic forecasts, which indicate that the state’s economic recovery will take at least six months longer than had previously been estimated. The state Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research now projects that the state will not emerge from the recession until July 2010.
Under the new projections, unemployment is expected to peak at 11 percent in the second quarter of 2010 and will remain at 10 percent or more through the end of 2011. Under the previous estimate, unemployment had been expected to peak at 10.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010 and to drop into single digits in the third quarter of that year. Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.6 percent as of June 2009.
The office also projects that Florida’s population growth will remain below one percent through the first quarter of 2012.
The new economic projections may mean that revenue estimates for the fiscal year 2009 – 2010 state budget were overly optimistic and that legislators and state agencies may need to address another budget shortfall before the end of the fiscal year.
Politics: State Senate Races to Watch
Most observers are expecting closely contested races for many state Senate seats in 2010. In addition, two special elections will occur later in 2009 to fill currently vacant Senate seats. Here is a rundown of the races for open seats and the major candidates.
- Senate District 2, currently represented by term-limited Sen. Durrell Peaden (R-Crestview): Announced candidates are state Rep. Greg Evers (R-Milton) and state Rep. Dave Murzin (R-Pensacola). Term limits prevent both Rep. Evers and Rep. Murzin from seeking reelection to the House.
- Senate District 6, currently represented by term-limited Sen. Alfred “Al” Lawson, Jr. (D-Tallahassee): Announced candidates are former state Rep. Loranne Ausley, who served in the state House from 2000 – 2008, former Leon County School Superintendent Bill Montford, and former state Rep. Curtis B. Richardson, who also served in the state House from 2000 – 2008. All three announced candidates are Democrats from Tallahassee; there are currently no announced Republican candidates for Sen. Lawson’s seat.
- Senate District 8, previously represented by Sen. King until his death on July 26, 2009: Announced candidates for the 2010 election include former state Rep. Aaron Bean (R-Fernandina Beach), who served in the state House from 2000 – 2008, and former state Rep. John Thrasher (R-Orange Park), who served in the state House from 1992 – 2000, including a term as Speaker. There also are two other announced Republican candidates and no announced Democratic candidates. No candidates have yet made any announcements regarding the 2009 special election to fill the unexpired portion of Sen. King’s term.
- Senate District 12, currently represented by term-limited Sen. Victor P. Crist (R-Tampa): The announced candidates are state Rep. Kevin Ambler (R-Tampa), who cannot run for reelection to the House because of term limits, and Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman (R-Tampa). Mr. Norman has been endorsed by several Senate leaders, including Senate President-Designate Mike Haridopolos (R-Melbourne), Senate Ways and Means Chair JD Alexander (R-Winter Haven), and Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Fort Walton Beach).
- Senate District 16, currently represented by Sen. Charlie Justice (D-St. Petersburg), who has announced his intent to run for U.S. Congress: The only announced candidate to succeed Sen. Justice is former state Sen. Jack Latvala (R-Largo), who served in the Senate from 1994 – 2002. Press reports have indicated that other potential Republican candidates include former state Reps. Kim Berfield (R-Clearwater), who served in the House from 2000 – 2006, and Sandra Murman (R-Tampa), who served in the House from 1996 – 2004. Democrats that have been mentioned as potential candidates include state Reps. Bill Heller and Rick Kriseman of St. Petersburg, both of whom were first elected to the House in 2006.
- Senate District 20, currently represented by Sen. Carey Baker (R-Eustis), who is running for Commissioner of Agriculture: The only well-known announced candidate is state Rep. D. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla), who has served in the House since 2004. He is opposed by Republican Michael Bakich of Umatilla.
- Senate District 22, currently represented by term-limited Sen. Lee Constantine (R-Altamonte Springs): The only announced candidate thus far is former state Rep. David Simmons (R-Altamonte Springs), who served in the House from 2000 – 2008.
- Senate District 25, currently represented by Senate President Jeff Atwater (R-North Palm Beach), who is running for state Chief Financial Officer: Announced Republican candidates include state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff of Ft. Lauderdale, who has served in the House since 2004, state Rep. Carl J. Domino of Jupiter, who has served in the House since 2002, and environmental consultant Nick Loeb of Delray Beach. Democratic state Rep. Kelly Skidmore of Boca Raton, who was first elected to the House in 2006, also is running to succeed Sen. Atwater.
- Senate District 27, currently represented by Sen. Dave Aronberg (D-Greenacres), who is running for attorney general: Republican candidates include former state Rep. Sharon J. Merchant of Palm Beach Gardens, who served in the House from 1992 – 2000, and Wellington Village Council Member Lizbeth Benacquisto. According to press reports, Ms. Merchant has been endorsed by nine current senators and Ms. Benacquisto has been endorsed by eight current senators, including Senate President Atwater and Senate President-Designate Haridopolos. On the Democratic side, state Rep. Kevin Rader of Boynton Beach, who was first elected to the House in 2008, announced his candidacy on July 23, 2009.
- Senate District 28, which was represented by Sen. Ken Pruitt (R-Port St. Lucie) until his resignation in May 2009: Candidates in the August 4, 2009 special election to fill the unexpired portion of Sen. Pruitt’s term are former state Rep. Joe Negron (R-Stuart), who served in the House from 2000 – 2006, and Bill Ramos (D-Jensen Beach), a mortgage broker who has not previously served in any elective office.
- Senate District 35, currently represented by Sen. Dan Gelber (D-Miami Beach), who is running for attorney general: Former state Senate President Gwen Margolis (D-Miami Beach), who served in the Senate from 1981 – 1992 and again from 2003 – 2008, is an announced candidate for her old Senate seat. Press reports have indicated that other potential Democratic candidates include former state Sen. Ron Silver and current state Rep. Richard Steinberg, both of Miami Beach.
- Senate District 36, currently represented by term-limited Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla (R-Miami): Candidates include former state Rep. Gus Barreiro (R-Miami Beach), who served in the House from 1998 – 2006, current state Rep. Julio Robaina (R-Miami), who was first elected to the House in 2002, and Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, a former Miami-Dade County commissioner and a brother of the current senator.
- Senate District 38, currently represented by term-limited Sen. J. Alex Villalobos (R- Miami): In one of the most closely watched races of the current election cycle, two Republican state representatives from Miami are vying to succeed Sen. Villalobos: Rep. Anitere Flores, who was first elected to the House in 2004, and Rep. David Rivera, who was first elected to the House in 2002.
- Senate District 40, currently represented by term-limited Sen. Rudy Garcia (R-Hialeah): The only currently-announced candidate is former state Rep. Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah), who served in the House from 2000 to 2008.
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