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Sheriff, Clerk To Keep Posts For New Terms

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By ELLEN GEDALIUS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 21, 2008

TAMPA - Sheriff David Gee and Clerk of Court Pat Frank each secured another four-year term Friday when the deadline passed for candidates to qualify to run, and nobody vied for their seats.

Gee, a Republican, was first elected in 2004. He attributes his easy victory Friday to the people in his office.

"The community is obviously satisfied with the law enforcement services they're getting," said Gee, 49.

Frank sounded a similar note in attributing her re-election to her staff. She said they have worked hard to bring the office into the 21st century.

Frank, a Democrat, was first elected to the circuit court clerk job in 2004. She has had a long career in public service, starting with a term on the school board in 1972. She also has served as a state legislator and a county commissioner.

Though she enjoys campaigning, she said, she won't miss doing so in the summer heat. Frank, 78, says she's in good health, save for a stiff back.

"I have good stamina and the challenge gets me revved up," she said.

Other candidates who secured another term Friday are: state Reps. Will Weatherford, Rich Glorioso and Bill Galvano, all Republicans; and school board members Jack Lamb and Doretha Edgecomb.

In other races, the entry of write-in candidates will keep the August primaries closed.

Generally, only voters who are registered members of political parties can vote for their respective party's candidates in a primary.

But a provision in the state constitution outlines an exception: If all candidates have the same party affiliation and the winner will have no opposition in the general election, all voters can vote in the primary for that office. That scenario is referred to as an "open primary."

The entry of a write-in candidate closes the primary, and some candidates wonder if political strategy is at play.

County Commission District 2

With no Democrats in the County Commission District 2 race, Commission Chairman Ken Hagan and Keystone neighborhood leader Tom Aderhold, both Republicans, appeared headed to an open showdown in August.

All District 2 voters would have been allowed to vote in the primary. Aderhold said he would have had a better chance of unseating Hagan if Democrats and independents had been allowed to vote. But he predicted it wouldn't happen.

Harold "Bud" Gleason, who lives in a condominium in Carrollwood Village, qualified as a write-in candidate on Tuesday.

Elections official Tim Bridge said write-in candidates do not have to pay the $5,520 fee to qualify for the election, but Gleason's entry into the race does serve to close the Republican primary.

"Isn't that a wonderful way to screw up an election?" Aderhold said. He accused Hagan of finding "a buddy of his to qualify, just to close the primary."

Hagan, however, said he has never heard of Gleason and had no reason to close the primary because he had faced Democratic opponents in each of his two previous races.

"You always expect the other party to field a candidate," Hagan said. "I was hoping not to have someone in my own party challenge me, so I'm disappointed about that."

Gleason, 33, is unaffiliated and has voted only once in Hillsborough County: this year's presidential primary. He was eligible to vote only on the property tax amendment. The Supervisor of Elections office has no record of Gleason ever contributing to a candidate or running for office.

He could not be reached.

State House District 59

A write-in candidate's entry into the state House District 59 seat will keep that primary closed as well. The primary between Democrats Betty Reed and Warren Dawson would have been open to all voters, but Geraldine Emmons qualified as a write-in candidate, thereby closing the primary to Democrats only. Emmons could not be reached Friday.

In the District 55 state House race, the entry of write-in candidate Calvester Benjamin-Anderson closes the Democratic primary between Charles McKenzie and incumbent Darryl Rouson.

The primary will be held Aug. 26.

Reporters Laura Kinsler and Kathy Steele contributed to this report. Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.

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