In Wind and Rain and Sun

The Republican primary election was held in the Public Defender race for the 12th Judicial Circuit last Tuesday. Ron Filipkowski won DeSoto County (by two votes) and Sarasota County (by about 300 votes), but Larry Eger won Manatee County (by around 700 votes) and was finally declared the winner on Wednesday with a total margin of 425 votes). I congratulate Larry and I feel for Ron who worked very hard to secure the nomination.

Now that the primary is over I am happy to start getting my signs up and out in the community. This past weekend, friends volunteered to help us post signs in all three counties. Now you might recall that Hurricane Gustave was moving past the coast of Southwest Florida with associated bands of wind and rain. Regina and I were standing in mosquito infested fields, watching lightning streak the sky, digging muddy holes. We would occasionally pull down the sign of a candidate who lost last week and reflect and appreciate the effort that they put into running for office. After a full day on Saturday, we went out on Sunday to check our signs, only to find that the winds had snapped some of our 2 x 4s. We repaired the damaged poles and spent the afternoon in DeSoto county where we worked until twilight through the intermittent showers. I kept telling Regina that at least it wasn't broiling hot. She was a great wife to spend her weekend putting up signs with me and so I would like to say: "Regina I Love and Appreciate You!"

The other big news of the week revolved around the presidential campaign. The Obama team opened an office in Bradenton and a large crowd turned out to help. On Thursday night there were parties throughout the area to watch his acceptance speech and I decided to attend one at the Beach House on Bradenton Beach. About 150 Democrats turned out but wahat was really impressive was when other patrons of the restaurant decided to join the fun. I was able to capitalize on the excitement and meet a lot of new people, all of whom promised me they would vote.

The Manatee County NAACP had postponed their banquet due to Tropical Storm Fay but it still turned out to be a tremendous success. The attendance was great, the food was good, and the speeches and awards were inspirational. I also enjoyed participating in the Englewood Pioneer Day parade and the Palmetto Labor Day picnic. Thank you for your continued support and be sure to keep checking in as I begin to discuss the issues in this race.