Posted on 02/06/2009 10:16:20 AM PST by Red Reign
PINELLAS COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- Count another politician who may be interested in the seat being vacated by Sen. Mel Martinez.
According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper the St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker has not ruled out running for the seat.
Baker said that while he is focused on his job as St. Petersburg mayor, he said he is "not taking anything off the table,' regarding a Senate run.
Baker becomes the second Bay area mayor to express interest in possibly pursuing the position. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said last week she was analyzing a possible run.
Speculation has been building about who would run for the vacant seat that will be opening in 2010. Martinez announced in December that he would not seek re-election.
*ping*
Another candidate worth checking out is Dr. Marion Thorpe, the former CMO of Florida who is also putting out feelers for a 2010 Senate run. Apprently he's black and conservative. www.marionthorpe.com
Good to see we're getting a field of impressive candidates here.
He sounds like the natural successor to Bill Young, who’s pushing 80.Would he have to give up his mayorship to run for the Senate?
I’d think that would only apply to statewide officials. Municipal officials may have a different set of rules. He’s up for reelection this year.
Also debating running is Congressman Connie Mack IV out of Ft.Myers, the son of the former Senator. I like both but dislike so many 'family inheritance' in the case of Connie Mack. It continues to rub me the wrong way even on our side.
Sorry, I wasn’t clear. I meant whether the mayorship was also up in 2010, forcing him to give it up if he ran for the Senate. But if it’s up in 2009, he can run for the Senate without any problem.
Oh, I’m quite familiar with the St. Pete Pravda. In his defense, however, he won his last election with over 70% of the vote. I’ve noticed the Times tends to only endorse Republicans who are going to win anyway. That shows what ‘fair and balanced’ coverage they have, you know. </s>
I surprised Bill No So Young hasn't retired yet.
I didn't know St. Pete had a Republican Mayor. Officially a non-partisan office. Oh look he's from Chicago.
The election for Mayor is probably this November, the term is up in Jan '10. It would be his third if he seeks it.
No, it’s up in Nov ‘09. I don’t know if he is running again. He’s been Mayor for 8 years now.
I find it ironic that the GOP has two Congressmen named “Young” and they’re both well into their 70s.
I am surprised by this. It’s possible that Bill Young will retire, and this would leave Baker in a good position to succeed him, with a campaign all in place. But that’s all speculation.
Bill Young of FL will be 80 next year. He was 50 when he won the seat.
Whoops. Correction, he was 40, not 50.
I don’t know if we even have a strong, definitive candidate to succeed Young when he retires or dies, and that is the premier and original GOP seat in FL, the first to go GOP since Reconstruction when Bill Cramer won it in 1954, but the seat is now marginally Democrat, so we will need a strong candidate for it lest it go Dem.
Was Don Young actually young when he was first elected to Congress? I think he’s 75 now.
Better that he’s a Mayor than a state Senator seeking the U.S. Senate.
Relatively. He was 39 when he won the special in 1973. Turned 40 a few months later. So both Youngs were essentially the same age when they landed in Congress, 2 years apart.
Gary Oldman must have felt weird when he was younger.
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