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Rep. Peterman's Endorsement Expected In District 55 Race

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By CARLOS MONCADA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 15, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG -- One week after his appointment as secretary of Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice, State Rep. Frank Peterman today is expected to endorse local lawyer Darryl Rouson as his successor.

The announcement is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Tangerine Plaza, 1800 22nd St. S., in St. Petersburg's Midtown area.

Rouson, the former president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP, is among three candidates who have filed for Peterman's District 55 seat, which serves parts of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota counties.

The others are St. Petersburg City Council member Earnest Williams, who was Peterman's state House opponent in 2000, and Sarasota activist Charles McKenzie.

Gov. Charlie Crist announced Thursday that residents of District 55 will choose a replacement for Peterman on April 15. A primary election has been set for March 25.

None of the candidates will have much time to campaign or raise money, said Darryl Paulson, a professor of government at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

"So the amount of financial resources you have are important if you don't have the name recognition,'' Paulson said.

On Feb. 8, Crist appointed Peterman, 45, a Democrat and longtime child welfare advocate, to replace Walt McNeil as head of the troubled Department of Juvenile Justice. McKenzie has been appointed secretary of the state Department of Corrections.

The move requires Peterman to vacate the House seat he has held since 2000.

Rouson, 52, said the expected endorsement will help, but he predicts a hard-fought race.

"This election is about turnout right now who can get their people to the polls," he said. "Certainly I don't expect Frank Peterman to be knocking on doors next week while he's the secretary of the Department of Juvenile Justice. But to the extent that Frank has held the seat for eight years and is well-respected in the community and amongst his colleagues, I think it's a very significant endorsement."

Rouson pointed to his work helping to promote economic development in St. Petersburg's predominantly black neighborhoods and to reduce crime and drug problems.

A sometimes controversial figure, he once targeted convenience stores that sold glass tubes with tiny roses that he contended were used as pipes to smoke crack cocaine. A former crack addict who used the tubes himself, Rouson went so far as to get himself arrested after taking 11 glass tubes from a store in 2001.

A longtime registered Republican, Rouson switched his party affiliation to Democratic on Feb. 6, about a month after he filed to run for the seat. The district has 63 percent registered Democrats versus 22 percent registered Republicans.

Rouson downplayed his party jump, saying, "My principles have remained constant and consistent.

"Like my governor often says, I have two ears and one mouth,'' Rouson said. "And I've heard the people of the district.''

Paulson said Rouson's party switch might hurt his chances, although Peterman's expected endorsement and one earlier from Democratic state Rep. Bill Heller could help counter any negative effects of the switch.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at cmoncada@tampatrib.com or (727) 451-2333.

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