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Tampa's Traviesa Ends State House Re-Election Bid

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Published: August 13, 2008

Trey Traviesa

TAMPA - State Rep. Trey Traviesa of Tampa, who was expected to be one of the Bay area's most influential state legislators in the coming two years, has announced he won't run for re-election.

In a news release late Tuesday, Traviesa said he's quitting because he can't balance family, business and political responsibilities and "do the kind of job that I expect of myself."

Now finishing his second two-year term in the House, the 38-year-old would have been eligible for two more.

The announcement surprised and mystified local Republicans, who had expected Traviesa to wield substantial influence in the state House in the coming years. He was to become chairman of the House council on K-12 education this year, and would have been the dominant influence in the House on education budgeting.

He was also expected to win re-election easily, with no opponent in the primary later this month and facing Lewis Laricchia, a comparatively little-known Democrat with little local political history, in the November general election.

Under state law, the Hillsborough County Republican Party has 12 days after it receives official notification of Traviesa's withdrawal to name a replacement candidate. The party's next regular meeting is Aug. 19.

Among possible candidates are former state Rep. Sandy Murman and political consultant Mark Proctor.

Murman couldn't be reached late Tuesday; Proctor confirmed he's "very interested."

Local Democrats said the timing of Traviesa's withdrawal likely prevents what would otherwise have been a competitive race for the seat he's leaving open.

Few candidates are willing to challenge a well-known and influential legislator like Traviesa.

But if it had been known before the qualifying period ended June 20 that he was withdrawing, several Democrats and other Republicans likely would have been interested in running, said Bob Buckhorn, a former Tampa City Council member

"It would be a difficult seat for a Democrat to win, but I bet there would have been some competitive Democrats in the race," he said. "In a year where Barack Obama could have coattails, anything is possible."

At this point, the Democrats can recruit a better-known candidate only if Laricchia drops out, leaving their nomination vacant, said Tallahassee elections law expert Mark Herron. Laricchia couldn't be reached for comment late Tuesday.

Traviesa said in an interview that his decision to leave the race, and the timing of the decision, was influenced solely by his family and business concerns.

He said his decision came late in the campaign season because, "I needed to think about it, take counsel on it, pray about it, and the duration of the decision took longer than the political timeline allowed."

He said he couldn't fulfill the demands of a growing family, growing business and politics as well as he wanted.

"As my children grow, those demands grow; as my business grows, those demands grow. Something's got to give, and it's got to be politics."

He said he's open to the idea of re-entering politics in the future, but "not any time soon, maybe 10 years from now."

Traviesa and his wife, Nina, have two daughters, ages 6 and 8. He's president of Laser Spine Institute, which seeks to cure back problems with minimally invasive surgery.

His decision was the buzz among political insiders at a candidates forum at Bell Shoals Baptist Church on Tuesday night, a focal point for East Hillsborough Republican politics.

Nina Traviesa, attending with her husband, backed his decision. "There are so many things going on at this point in the girls' lives - school, Daisy Scouts, First Communion," she said. "Neither of us wants to miss any of it."

State Rep. Rich Glorioso said he has talked to county party Chairman David Storck, who was out of town, about a ballot replacement, and both considered Murman a good candidate.

"I don't know of any new blood that would be a possible candidate," he said. "I think we need someone with experience who can step into the role."

Traviesa said he'll stay neutral in what could be a competitive process for choosing his successor on the ballot - "I'm not going to publicly support or endorse anyone," he said.

Traviesa was expected to be the most influential state House member from the Tampa area in the coming sessions.

That's in part because of an agreement he made in 2005 to support Rep. Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, for House speaker during the 2010 session, instead of running himself.

In return, it was understood Traviesa would become an important part of Cannon's leadership team.

The district he represents, House District 56, covers a small part of South Tampa, including Davis Islands and Harbour Island, and a large swath of central Hillsborough County, including parts of Brandon, Mango, Seffner, Valrico and Riverview.

In the House, Traviesa was one of the strongest supporters of state-funded tuition vouchers for private schools.

He came close during the 2007 and 2008 sessions to passing controversial bills to limit abortion rights. In 2007, he did push through a high-profile, heavily lobbied bill to increase competition and reduce regulation of cable companies.

According to the most recent campaign finance reports, Traviesa had raised $149,000 through July 17 and spent $79,000.

Laricchia, 59, of Valrico had raised $2,250, all in contributions or loans from himself.

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com. Reporters Tom Brennan, Catherine Dolinski and D'Ann L. White contributed to this story.

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