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The Mystery of a Possible Florida Senate Candidate
Roll Call Politics ^ | April 27, 2015 | Stuart Rothenberg

Posted on 04/27/2015 4:53:48 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued

A handful of Republicans are currently being mentioned as possible Senate candidates for the Florida seat being vacated by Marco Rubio, who is running for the GOP presidential nomination.

Former Rep. Bill McCollum, who has run repeatedly (and often unsuccessfully) for statewide office, is mentioned, as are a handful of House members, including Rep. Ron DeSantis, a tea party favorite.

Perhaps the most interesting, or at least unusual, candidate for the Republican nomination is the state’s current lieutenant governor, Carlos Lopez-Cantera, a former Florida House member (and majority leader) and Miami-Dade County property appraiser.

What makes Lopez-Cantera, who was appointed to his current post in January 2014 by Republican Gov. Rick Scott, so unusual is that he is a Cuban-American Jew who was born in Madrid. His wife, Renee, is Jewish.

Lopez-Cantera’s father is Catholic but his mother is Jewish, which makes the lieutenant governor Jewish according to Halakha (Jewish religious law).

But is Lopez-Cantera — who has deflected questions about his religion — a practicing Jew, or does he identify with his father’s religion? On that, the evidence is inconclusive.

Steve Bousquet wrote in the Tampa Bay Times that the Republican’s official state House biography in 2010 listed his religion as Catholic. But a subsequent House manual did not list a religious affiliation for the Republican legislator, Bousquet noted.

Sources tell me that Lopez-Cantera’s two children attend Hebrew Day School, and Bousquet has already reported that the lieutenant governor’s wife, Renee, is on the board of the Hebrew Loan Association of South Florida, which provides no-interest loans to Jewish individuals and families.

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.rollcall.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: rubiofades2sunset
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1 posted on 04/27/2015 4:53:48 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
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To: Joe Brower; JulieRNR21; fieldmarshaldj; AuH2ORepublican; Impy; GOPsterinMA; randita; Sun; ...

If Carlos Lopez-Cantera were elected, it would be a huge PR victory for Republicans. I don’t know much about him, but right now I hope he runs and wins.


2 posted on 04/27/2015 4:55:22 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued (The War on Drugs is Big Government statism)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Cruz -OR- LOOSE...


3 posted on 04/27/2015 4:56:34 PM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: Clintonfatigued

I hope we find out if he’s a backstabbing weasel before he gets elected, like we didn’t with Rubio.


4 posted on 04/27/2015 4:59:53 PM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Marco needs to stay in the Senate.


5 posted on 04/27/2015 5:19:02 PM PDT by G Larry (Obama Hates America, Israel, Capitalism, Freedom, and Christianity.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

republicans need to get off the “identity politics” kick and start focusing on candidates who will run on strong conservative principles and support policies based on that when elected.


6 posted on 04/27/2015 5:40:11 PM PDT by kingattax (a real American would rather die on his feet than live on his knees.)
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To: Clintonfatigued

Elect the most conservative.

Rothenberg didn’t mention anything about the guy’s positions. Is he an open borders shill? Big government guy? How does he stack up against DeSantis?

Enough with the identity politics. Let’s leave that to the Dims.


7 posted on 04/27/2015 5:40:15 PM PDT by SharpRightTurn (White, black, and red all over--America's affirmative action, metrosexual president.)
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To: G Larry

with his “gang of eight” pals working on amnesty ?

no thanks to marco in any office.


8 posted on 04/27/2015 5:41:29 PM PDT by kingattax (a real American would rather die on his feet than live on his knees.)
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To: kingattax

Look, if you’re going sit there and whine because you can’t get 67 GOP popes in the Senate, you need to get real.


9 posted on 04/27/2015 5:46:40 PM PDT by G Larry (Obama Hates America, Israel, Capitalism, Freedom, and Christianity.)
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To: Impy

What about Allen West?


10 posted on 04/27/2015 5:48:41 PM PDT by StoneWall Brigade (And I will send fire on Magog- Ezkiel 39:6)
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To: G Larry

not interested in some ridiculous back and forth with your sad attempts at being cute.

you expressed your thought...i expressed mine.

thats how America is supposed to work.

we are finished here.


11 posted on 04/27/2015 6:23:03 PM PDT by kingattax (a real American would rather die on his feet than live on his knees.)
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To: SharpRightTurn

Not Bill McCollum. He was one of the Clinton impeachment managers when he was in the House - the highwater mark of his career. However, he is not up to the task of leadership needed today.


12 posted on 04/27/2015 6:34:45 PM PDT by jeffersondem
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To: hosepipe

“Cruz -OR- LOOSE...”
__________________

1. I don’t think that Ted Cruz will run for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida.

2. It is spelled (and pronounced) “LOSE.”

Apart from that, it was a very enlightening post to a thread about the U.S. Senate race in Florida.

Now, this would be a good slogan to post on this thread:

“DeSANTIS .. OR WE’LL BE PRAYING LIKE A MANTIS”

(OK, not such a good slogan , but at least it’s spelled correctly, rhymes, and makes reference to a conservative that might be running for the U.S. Senate from Florida.)


13 posted on 04/27/2015 7:18:23 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what makes you think that he'll defend your rights?)
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To: AuH2ORepublican

Ah.. a grammar nazi.... used to be many of those..


14 posted on 04/27/2015 7:47:43 PM PDT by hosepipe (This propaganda has been edited to include some fully orbed hyperbole..)
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To: hosepipe

No, more of a grammar conservative. : ) (The Nazis were liberal socialists.)


15 posted on 04/27/2015 8:25:00 PM PDT by AuH2ORepublican (If a politician won't protect innocent babies, what makes you think that he'll defend your rights?)
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To: Clintonfatigued

I hope Adam Putnam will run or Jeff Atwater... I don’t know about this guy, but I will get info on him.


16 posted on 04/27/2015 8:26:17 PM PDT by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: hosepipe; AuH2ORepublican

Far more important than your misspelling of “lose” is that your post was a non-sequitur, Cruz is running for President, not this office.


17 posted on 04/27/2015 8:26:17 PM PDT by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: ExCTCitizen

Atwater has passed, unfortunately.


18 posted on 04/27/2015 8:26:54 PM PDT by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: StoneWall Brigade; hockeyfan44; BillyBoy; AuH2ORepublican; fieldmarshaldj; Clintonfatigued

I’ve seen zero indication that West is interested in running. He seems to be in post-elective office Sarah Palin mode, choosing a different role.


19 posted on 04/27/2015 8:32:35 PM PDT by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: Impy

Allen West has moved to Texas.


20 posted on 04/27/2015 9:22:44 PM PDT by CaraMiaR (Excuse me, I have to adjust my aluminium hat.)
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