Saunders Expected to Run for State Senate
- Naked Conch - Posted by Matt Gardi - Jan 31, 2012
So there you have it. Former Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson has once again filed to run for Florida House District 120 as a Republican, for a seat currently held by Representative Ron Saunders, a Democrat. This year it looks like Saunders is expected to run for State Senate.
For those of you that don't recall, McPherson also ran in 2010. As the hand picked candidate of then Florida Speaker of the House Dean Cannon, McPherson was knighted as the supposed party pick to take on Saunders. Oddly, one local Keys Republican took a little exception to the fact that our District Republican Candidate was hand picked by northern Floridian party officials and stuck his neck out to take on McPherson. That local candidate was...none other than myself. For highlights, you can review my 2010 campaign website here.
I was naive to think that the race would be fair. Who woulda thunk that the Republican Party of Florida would donate to a Republican candidate in a contested Republican primary? But donate they did, to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars, along with full time staff and associated donations from PACS that received funding from the RPOF. In the end, little ol' Matt Gardi was out spent by my estimation 20 to 1, by money that was primarily from upstate. Click here for one analysis of our contributors.
In the end I lost, but proudly I took 45% of the vote spending roughly $7,000 to McPherson's $150,000, winning most precincts from Key West to Marathon, only being bested by great margins in Dade County.
My primary concern was that locally, we Keys Republicans could field a better candidate to take on Ron Saunders. It was an atrocity that any State party get involved in anyway before a primary. The choice of whom Keys Republicans choose as a candidate should be decided by local Keys Republicans, and not State party officials long before a filing deadline.
Let's hope we don't have the same scenario evolve again. Should RPOF officials get involved early and anoint McPherson with support and financing, it could discourage other potential candidates from filing. That doesn't give local Keys Republicans a choice in determining whom they feel would be best to represent them in a potentially VERY winnable contest should Saunders choose to run for Senate.
I've been asked if I would run again, and to be honest the challenge of overcoming the potential differential in financing is daunting. To that end, I call on local Republican leaders to speak out NOW and call off any premature donations from the RPOF to ensure that all qualified candidates feel welcome to the race.
But I haven't ruled out a run for House District 120, nor should others who may be considering a run for a seat where there may be no incumbent. However, I must admit, I am a little distracted analyzing a similar race without an incumbent...one that I feel is vital to our local community as well... that of Monroe County Clerk.
- Naked Conch - Posted by Matt Gardi - Jan 31, 2012
So there you have it. Former Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson has once again filed to run for Florida House District 120 as a Republican, for a seat currently held by Representative Ron Saunders, a Democrat. This year it looks like Saunders is expected to run for State Senate.
For those of you that don't recall, McPherson also ran in 2010. As the hand picked candidate of then Florida Speaker of the House Dean Cannon, McPherson was knighted as the supposed party pick to take on Saunders. Oddly, one local Keys Republican took a little exception to the fact that our District Republican Candidate was hand picked by northern Floridian party officials and stuck his neck out to take on McPherson. That local candidate was...none other than myself. For highlights, you can review my 2010 campaign website here.
I was naive to think that the race would be fair. Who woulda thunk that the Republican Party of Florida would donate to a Republican candidate in a contested Republican primary? But donate they did, to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars, along with full time staff and associated donations from PACS that received funding from the RPOF. In the end, little ol' Matt Gardi was out spent by my estimation 20 to 1, by money that was primarily from upstate. Click here for one analysis of our contributors.
In the end I lost, but proudly I took 45% of the vote spending roughly $7,000 to McPherson's $150,000, winning most precincts from Key West to Marathon, only being bested by great margins in Dade County.
My primary concern was that locally, we Keys Republicans could field a better candidate to take on Ron Saunders. It was an atrocity that any State party get involved in anyway before a primary. The choice of whom Keys Republicans choose as a candidate should be decided by local Keys Republicans, and not State party officials long before a filing deadline.
Let's hope we don't have the same scenario evolve again. Should RPOF officials get involved early and anoint McPherson with support and financing, it could discourage other potential candidates from filing. That doesn't give local Keys Republicans a choice in determining whom they feel would be best to represent them in a potentially VERY winnable contest should Saunders choose to run for Senate.
I've been asked if I would run again, and to be honest the challenge of overcoming the potential differential in financing is daunting. To that end, I call on local Republican leaders to speak out NOW and call off any premature donations from the RPOF to ensure that all qualified candidates feel welcome to the race.
But I haven't ruled out a run for House District 120, nor should others who may be considering a run for a seat where there may be no incumbent. However, I must admit, I am a little distracted analyzing a similar race without an incumbent...one that I feel is vital to our local community as well... that of Monroe County Clerk.
Then run you should...stay local... the Monroe County Clerk's Office would benefit from your insight!!
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