Ryan Ray
With Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner set to term out in 2016, two Tampa Bay area Democrats are now gearing up for what should be an intriguing Democratic primary to succeed her, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
St. Petersburg Rep. Darryl Rouson and former Tampa Rep. Betty Reed both opened campaign accounts for the stalwart Joyner’s District 19 seat this week, a long and winding district that runs from North Tampa to Bradenton. Their filings are set to give the seat its first competitive race in nearly a decade and will set into motion campaigns on behalf of two very different aspects of the Senate minority.
Rouson, who has long had a way of finding his name in the news for personal issues and political ones, is a former Republican and noted wild card in the House Democratic caucus. Reed, who termed out after eight years representing a Hillsborough-based House seat, is a more conventional Democrat, but the politics of this minority-access Senate seat may well lead to a proxy fundraising battle between the establishment wing of the party and the Rouson- and Rep. Kevin Rader-led faction some around Tallahassee refer to as “the pirates,” for their infighting and often off-the-reservation voting records.
Rouson has invariably been a leading character in the many ‘House caucus in turmoil’ pieces penned by Matt Dixon. While the state party upheaval has lately been on the other side of the aisle, this District 19 race will certainly open up some old wounds. Rouson has said that he favors an accommodationist approach in dealing with the Republicans, making deals when he can in order something home in the budget. This has been a thorn in the side of the Rep. Mark Pafford-led Democratic caucus, who several times has been forced to expend precious energy on whipping votes within Rouson’s faction in order to keep a united front in the face of a logrolling GOP majority.
Noted Rouson backer and impresario Barry Edwards will almost certainly lend his interesting arsenal of political tools to aide his guy’s cause, whereas almost every Bay area Democrat not in his political orbit will be pulling for Reed.
The Florida Democratic Party withholds endorsements until after a nominee wins a primary, but look for lots of soft money activity to start to trickling soon in on both sides.
