Trump voter David Straz, launches new attack on Jane Castor tying her to Trump

David Straz is out with a new attack against his opponent, former Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor.

A campaign mailer went out to voters this week attempting to tie Castor to President Donald Trump.

“Jane Castor exposed,” the mailer reads under black and white photos of an unsmiling Castor and a goofy looking Trump wearing his token MAGA hat, which is in red. “Former Republican’s close ties to Trump-linked lobbying firm revealed.”

The back of the mailer explains “Castor’s significant other” was named managing partner of the Tampa offices of Ballard Partners, “a prominent lobbying firm with close ties to the President.”

It quoted a report from Sunshine State News, a conservative news site that has been critical of both candidates calling them both a “cabal.”

The ad is referring to Castor’s partner Ana Cruz. Cruz is a lifelong Democrat who has worked as a Democratic pundit and served previously as the executive director of the Florida Democratic Party.

Ballard Partners is technically a bipartisan firm, but it has become best known in recent years for its work with prominent Republicans including Trump. Its head, Brian Ballard, was a top Trump fundraiser in 2016.

However, Cruz has never worked for Republicans. She served on campaigns for Al Gore and Hillary Clinton and worked for other Democrats like Bob Henriquez and Bill Nelson.

Asked about the mailer, the Castor campaign responded, “seriously?”

“This is another absurd attack from Mr. Straz that’s all the more bizarre coming from a candidate who, unlike Jane, voted for Donald Trump and welcomed him in Tampa,” said Castor campaign manager Tim Wagner.

Straz admitted he voted for Trump, but has since said it’s a decision he regrets. However, as early as late 2017 when he traveled to Cuba, Straz said he still supported the President, according to the Tampa Bay Times. A month later, as he was mulling a run for mayor, Straz said he would not vote for him again and has maintained that stance throughout his campaign.

Since making the runoff last month, Straz has launched a series of attacks at Castor accusing her of double-dipping because, if elected, she would be collecting a Mayor’s salary and her $113,000 a year police pension. He has also accused her of manipulating crime stats during her time as police chief, a claim to which the campaign offered no tangible evidence. The accusers the campaign cited were both disciplined for major infractions while working on the force.

Straz has also hit Castor in campaign ads and mailers over the controversial policy the police department used while she was chief that disproportionately affected African-American bicyclists.

Castor’s campaign has stayed mostly above the fray and has remained focused on policy issues. With each new attack, the campaign calls on Straz to do the same.

“Enough is enough,” Wagner said. “Mr. Straz needs to at long last tell Tampa what, if any, vision and plans he has.”

The Straz campaign did not respond to a request for comment.