Joe Henderson
If everything goes as planned, Democrat Susan Valdes will travel to Tallahassee early morning and file paperwork to run for House District 62.
Normally, this would be an uneventful event, barely noteworthy.
But, of course, that race has become anything but uneventful since Valdes’ surprise and controversial decision to resign from the Hillsborough School Board to run for the House seat being vacated by House Minority Leader Janet Cruz, who is challenging for Dana Young’s state Senate spot.
At issue is the charge by a consultant for the Michael Alvarez campaign that Supervisor of Elections Director Craig Latimer’s office accepted Valdes’ irrevocable letter of resignation from the School Board — a mandatory first step to run for another office — after the deadline to make such a declaration.
Political activist Chris Cano also is running.
What is clear so far is that Valdes’ resignation letter arrived and was certified after the close of business at the elections office, but before midnight.
People I have spoken with say the law doesn’t specify that the letter had to be in by the end of the business day, so long as it arrived by the calendar day.
Latimer’s acceptance of the letter would seem to validate that position, although it did open a legitimate question about whether any other candidate would have such an accommodation.
On the other hand, it doesn’t appear that any other candidate asked for that.
Either way, it’s a big deal for Alvarez, who might have been the favorite in that race before Valdes — popular in that heavily Hispanic district — joined the party.
The protest coming his camp, amid suggestions that Latimer’s office unfairly played favorites, would indicate he understands that his campaign just got complicated.
All I can say is this: While it’s obvious that the Valdes resignation came in after the close of business (it was time-stamped at 7:30 p.m.), there is nothing in prior campaigns to suggest Latimer’s office bent the rules for one candidate’s benefit.
Alvarez likely will have to win the Democratic primary on Aug. 28 — and, with that, likely secure a seat in the House — the old-fashioned way: on the merits of his campaign, which are not insignificant.
It won’t be easy, though.
Valdes has the support of both Cruz and Hillsborough Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez, who also served in the state House.
The outcome, however it goes, seems unlikely to have much impact on the big picture for the balance of power in Tallahassee, though. The seat almost certainly is going to remain in Democratic hands.
Lest we forget, this also impacts the School Board, where Valdes, first elected in 2004, had two years remaining on her third term. It means the potential for four new Board members at a time when the school district is undergoing considerable financial pressure.
And she also faced two state ethics charges from her time on the Board, which undoubtedly will lead to uncomfortable questions during the campaign.
For now, though, she sounds like someone not worried about anything but running for the state House. She plans to be in Tallahassee bright and early Thursday to make it official.
