Joe Henderson: Trouble coming at Ross Spano re-election bid from all sides

Ross Spano faces agressive attacks from both sides.

Many Florida political observers consider Republican U.S. Rep. Ross Spano the state’s most vulnerable incumbent.

And why not?

Look at the obstacles to his re-election in Florida’s 15^th Congressional District.

Spano has a strong primary challenge from Lakeland City Commissioner and former Navy combat aviator Scott Franklin, and few will be surprised if Spano loses. That would defy most of the political norms because Franklin didn’t enter the race until mid-March, just as the pandemic curtailed conventional campaigning.

Even so, Franklin has more cash than Spano, along with something that may be just as valuable: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd’s endorsement. We’ll get to that in a bit, but first, let’s recap some of Spano’s self-inflicted wounds.

He faces investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the House Ethics Committee, and the Florida Bar, all over loans Spano accepted from friends during his 2018 congressional campaign. He borrowed $180,000 in total from two friends, then put the money into his campaign account.

Can’t do that because the law says it’s an end-run around campaign finance rules.

Spano, who holds a law degree and flirted with running for Florida’s Attorney General seat in 2018, called the loans an “honest mistake.”

Even so, it’s sticking like chewing gum on the sole of his shoe.

Franklin said the controversy is why he got into the race.

“As a fellow conservative, I don’t harbor any disagreements with any votes that he’s taken. A lot does come down to the issues that are hanging over him,” Franklin said in a Bay News 9 interview.

A TV ad from a PAC supporting Franklin notes, “Corrupt Congressman Ross Spano, under criminal investigation by President Trump’s Justice Department (for the loans) … Ross Spano says, ‘it was a mistake.’ But lawyer Ross Spano knows it’s illegal. We can’t trust Ross Spano. Vote No on Spano.”

Ouch.

Still, should he survive the primary, he’ll get much worse from the Democrats in the general election. They’ll call him a cheat, crook, and liar about a few hundred times a day leading to November. Even in a generally red, conservative district, those body blows will leave a mark.

Democrats really believe they can flip this district and they have two strong candidates vying for the nomination: Alan Cohn and state Rep. Adam Hattersley. They’ll throw everything they can find at Spano if he is the nominee.

That brings us back to Grady Judd and his endorsement.

In the 2018 primary, a Spano mailer included a quote from Judd that said, “Ross Spano is a hero in my eyes.”

That made it seem like Judd endorsed Spano in a field of five Republican candidates.

He did not.

“Hello. I’m Sheriff Grady Judd, and I’m angry,” the Sheriff said in an audio ad. “Ross Spano is trying to trick you. He used my picture and a quote from a press conference, then mailed it to thousands of people, giving the false impression I’m supporting him. I’m not supporting Ross Spano.”

But this time around, Judd is taking sides in the primary, and we can guess why.

“I know Franklin is honest and honorable,” Judd said.

Double ouch.