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8 now seek elections job

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By WILLIAM MARCH

wmarch@tampatrib.com

Published: July 1, 2009

TAMPA - State Sen. Victor Crist and state Rep. Bob Henriquez are both seeking the appointment as Hillsborough County elections supervisor.

Henriquez is one of seven people who have filed applications so far seeking the appointment to be made by Gov. Charlie Crist. Victor Crist - no relation to the governor - said Tuesday he will file an application soon.

Also applying, as expected, is Craig Latimer, hired by the late Supervisor Phyllis Busansky as her chief of staff.

The governor must appoint a candidate to fill the term of Busansky, who died suddenly last week. The appointee will serve at least until the 2010 election.

It's impossible to pick a frontrunner. But many local Republicans want the governor to pick a Republican who's likely to run for re-election in 2010 and think Victor Crist will be the leading candidate.

Others speculate the governor may choose a nonpolitical appointee as a caretaker.

That speculation centers on Latimer, who's a registered Democrat but has never sought elected office. Latimer said Tuesday he doesn't know whether he would run for re-election in 2010 if appointed.

Henriquez, who served eight years as a state House member representing West Tampa, is well known as head football coach at Tampa Catholic High School. He's a district administrator for the Department of Children & Families.

Victor Crist is an advertising agency executive and head of the University Area Community Development Corp., a nonprofit agency he founded.

He has been in the state Legislature since 1992 and faces a term limit in his Senate seat in 2010. Crist had planned to run that year for a Hillsborough County Commission seat. He said Tuesday that if appointed to the elections post, he would expect to run for re-election.

"I've been looking forward to coming home and serving at the local level," Crist said.

Other applicants are restaurateur David Agliano; former Tampa Tribune editorial page editor Rosemary Goudreau Stang; Southwest Florida College program director Michael K. van Hoek; Lee Nelson, an information technology project manager; and engineer Joseph Robinson.

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761.

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