Campaigns are starting to bloom

Happy June! Let’s talk politics.

Ballot qualifying starts a week from today. By noon Friday, June 12, we’ll know for sure who’s on the ballot for statewide and county races.

Candidates are blazing the campaign trail, lining up support and explaining their positions. It’s springtime in political land.

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A few thoughts:

— I’m reminded lately of something a friend says about running for office. There’s campaigning, and then there’s governing. Not the same thing. Gotta win to govern. And candidates say/promise all sorts of things that may never pan out in the real world.

Take, for example, what I call the election flavor of the month. Every election, something dominates the headlines that every candidate flocks to and falls over him/herself, taking the obvious public view.

Data centers are this year’s flavor of the month. Everyone is talking about data centers. No candidate in her right mind is going to say a single nice thing about data centers, lest she be labeled the pro-data-center candidate.

Incumbents Diana Finegan and Rebecca Bays may, by the nature of their jobs, stay out of the data center fray. There is a pending zoning application in Holder; commissioners shouldn’t be discussing it in public or telegraphing their votes in advance.

Two challengers — Stacey Worthington in District 2 and Holli Herndon in District 4 — did just that. In response to a question about the issue, Worthington wrote on her campaign Facebook page: “We don’t need data centers in Citrus County.”

Not exactly rousing opposition, but her position is clear.

Herndon went much further. She’s now the anti-data center candidate, standing on stage with the no data center crowd at a recent rally.

Look. I get it. No data centers. Fine. After we’re done with that, what about our roads, taxes, growth, affordability, spending, Board leadership, etc.? Cuz that’s the real debate. Data centers in this campaign are soundbites and easy applause.

— A familiar name is added to the District 4 race. Jennifer Grogan, wife of infamous losing candidate Paul Grogan, announced she’s running as a Republican. That’s the good news. And…that’s all the good news.

Look. Jennifer and Paul are nice people. I know a lot of nice people who have no realistic role in this arena, and the Grogans lead that list. I care not one whit her opinion on anything, truthfully. The first question she might answer: Why should we think your campaign is legit? 

— I spent some time Sunday looking at the campaign Facebook pages of the five County Commission candidates. I wanted to see what they’re posting and how folks are responding.

As I’ve learned, Facebook is a double-edged sword. It’s an open book for dialogue, but the candidates risk being publicly ridiculed on their own campaign site.

Herndon’s page is very active, but not much traction. Holli is the dark horse this year. During a Cattle Dog chat at the end of April, I suggested to Holli that by June 1, her name should be known from Arrowhead to Chassahowitzka. Is it?

Worthington’s page is also very active, with a combination of community involvement mixed with politics. A few critical comments, but mostly very supportive.

Finegan’s page is nearly all political or directly related to the County Commission. Unlike the others, Finegan has the right to brag on a big win … $4 million sewer grant for Cambridge Greens that wiped out their assessments.

This is dynamite stuff for Finegan. I’ll be shocked if it’s not a central theme to her campaign. She even has a great potential video clip…citizens complimenting her by name during Tuesday’s board meeting.

Then there’s Rebecca Bays. She has 1,400 followers on a Facebook page that serves as both commissioner and candidate. The page is quite active, a mix of county business, politics, and community. That’s likely why she attracts far more comments than the other candidates. However, while many comments are from supporters, others are, um, not.

One man wrote: “I must admit I am surprised Bays is not on here deleting many of these posts.”

Bays is more engaged in county government than any commissioner. She has more knowledge about the inner workings of government, is the board’s big thinker, and is on a first-name basis with some of Tallahassee’s heaviest hitters.

Yet, her own campaign Facebook page is a mixed bag of public feedback. What are voters to glean from that?

Aaah, June. So happy you’re here. Have a great day, friends.

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