State Rep. Rader for Aronberg’s Senate seat?
by George Bennett | June 20th, 2009
Senate District 27
Rader
Freshman state Rep. Kevin Rader, D-Delray Beach, isn’t ruling out a 2010 run for the West Palm Beach-to-Fort Myers state Senate seat that Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, is giving up to run for attorney general.
“I’ll have to look at the numbers and see if, A, it’s a winnable seat and, B, if I have the time to do it,” Rader said today of the roughly 130-mile-long district. “Campaigning for that seat is very difficult.”
Rader said he expects to make a decision sometime this summer.
Rader so far is the only Democrat from Palm Beach County to show interest in the district, which could be a partisan and geographic battleground next year.
Two Palm Beach County Republicans – Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto and former state Rep. Sharon Merchant of Palm Beach Gardens – are expected to run for the District 27 Senate seat. Benacquisto has opened a campaign and Merchant says she plans to soon.
Fort Myers attorney Peter Burkert, a Democrat who lost a 2006 state House bid, is also considering a run for Aronberg’s seat.
About 54 percent of Senate District 27 voters lived in Palm Beach County before the 2008 general election, with about 45 percent in Lee County and the remainder in Glades and Charlotte counties. But in Aronberg’s victory over Republican Matt Caldwell last November, 50 percent of ballots were cast by Lee County voters and 49.3 percent came from Palm Beach County.
Democrat Aronberg has represented the district since 2002, and President Obama got about 54 percent of the District 27 vote in November. Democrats held a 40-to-36 percent registration edge there before the November election.
A Palm Beach County candidate has a big advantage in a Democratic primary in District 27. About two-thirds of the district’s Democrats live in Palm Beach County.
In a GOP primary, a Lee County candidate has the advantage because about 60 percent of District 27 Republicans live there. Caldwell, the Lee County Republican who challenged Aronberg last year, recently announced he will not run in 2010 and is backing Benacquisto.
Benacquisto, Burkert, Merchant and Rader all live outside the boundaries of District 27. Benacquisto’s Wellington precinct is adjacent to a precinct in District 27.
Tags: Dave Aronberg, Kevin Rader, Lizbeth Benacquisto, Peter Burkert, Sharon Merchant
June 20th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
What is it with all these self-absorbed politicians who think we need an outsider to represent us in District 27? Radar doesn’t live in the district nor does Sharon Merchant? These are self-serving politicians looking to advance their careers rather than serve the community in which they live. They don’t look at us as constituents, they view us as a source for political advancement.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
How about Deutch’s Aide?
Laxer…you need a woman to run against another woman. I heard her speak an she is fantastic!
June 20th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Isn’t she going to run for Skidmore’s seat. It would be good if we could have Deutch, Laxer and Skidmore in the Senate. Since Gelber and Aronberg are running for AG. Deutch is great. Laxer is great and Skidmore I heard was pretty good. I don’t really know her though. This Rep. guy is not so good and no one know him. I agree with Shelia. If the Democrats are smart, they will have woman run against the Republican woman. But we know the Democrats..not usually smart.
June 21st, 2009 at 8:11 am
Rader et al are all part of the south palm beach county political machine and represent the ultra liberal wing of the dem party. There are pockets of condos in 27, but there are conservative dems in other parts of the district. Aronberg did well because he’s a moderate and a genuine good guy and appealed to all.
It would be entertaining if more than one from south palm beach county entered so we could enjoy an Aaronson-Slosberg type of fight. Burkert could take a vacation during the primary and return for the general.
Regarding Rader, he’s a pandering politician. Remember the “Jewish” name change during his campaign. That type of thing doesn’t sell with dems in western 27. We’re capable of handling butterfly ballots and pandering pols.
June 21st, 2009 at 9:12 am
As a lobbyist, I won’t even talk to Rader. He’s a know it all. If you want to talk to him about an issue for two minutes, he’ll do all the talking for 10 of them…Keep him in the House where he can’t really do much damage to the citizenry, then let him run for a PB Commission seat where he can’t do much more damage to the entire county.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:17 am
The republicans better find someone better than loser Sharon Merchant. Anyone who knows her leaves with a very bad impression. She has no suport in Wellington, she is generally disliked on the West Coast. She runs negative and vicious campaigns. And….she is a carpetbagger from Jupiter,an hour away from this district.
June 21st, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Dear Lord and Cynical. I’m involved on the Republican side of things in Charlotte County. Your observations are consistent with what I’m hearing from friends in the eastern part of the district. The electronic age is wonderful. You get to hear first-hand what your friends and associates have to say about people they’ve been exposed to. I’m an old geezer but even I use a BlackBerry – sorry but I’m too old for this twitter stuff. Grandkids trying to talk me into it but email is fine with me.
Good news is I’ve had democratic buddies who have advised me it will be a cold August day in South Florida when a politician from south Palm Beach County represents District 27. They consider politicians from this area as infections.
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:26 am
This Marine chooses Sharon Merchant as candidate for the office of State Senator representing District 27. Sharon Merchant acquired a great deal of experience dealing with state legislation when she served 4 honorable terms as a Florida House of Representatives member. In this 8 year period, Ms. Merchant gained respect from the public as well as the law makers and government officials. Make no mistake; she will continue to live by what she knows best—Duty, Honor, Country.
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:47 am
This low-ranking, Vietnam era Army rat will not be voting for Ms. Merchant. I’d counter that Ms. Merchant during her tenure was barely tolerated by many of her peers and was not trusted to do as she said she would do.
Whatever “respect from the public as well as the law makers and government officials” she gained didn’t do her much good in her last three attempts at public office. Make no mistake, she will continue to be motivated by self- importance and self-interest.
June 23rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Army Colonel for Merchant Says:
Ms. Merchant has all the qualities and attributes essential for being an outstanding Senator for Florida District 27. She will take Charge, take Action, and Win while fighting for her district Constituents. She will lead from the front and always will do what is right. Her motivation springs from a deep seated belief in God and Country and a strong desire to make life better in the District. I want her on my flank when the going gets the toughest!
June 23rd, 2009 at 9:26 pm
You hairball colonels never change. Your goofy prose is the same as your speech pattern. And what’s With the Random capiTilization?
June 24th, 2009 at 9:06 am
C’mon Colonel Tex, are you for real?
Is this a battle for Pork Chop Hill or a seat in the Florida Senate?
Merchant’s girth suggests she’s never lost a battle over a pork chop or any other food.
June 25th, 2009 at 10:48 am
These last few posts are really entertaining. Must be that Merchant believes the military officer voting block is important and then orchestrated or created the posts from the Marine and Colonel. Although the Marine didn’t identify himself as an officer, the corny prose was designed to represent an officer. No self-respecting grunt would write like that.
Glad to see the Private and Sarge get the upper hand in this battle.