Ben Graber was a state House member from Broward County from 1988 to 1994 and a Broward County commissioner from 2000 to 2006. But he’s lived in unincorporated Delray Beach since 2007. And with about 70 percent of congressional District 19 Democratic primary voters living in Palm Beach County, Graber today sent out a “Dear Neighbor” blast e-mail decrying the “false rumor” that he’s a Browardian.

Graber faces state Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, in Tuesday’s special primary. The general election to replace Robert Wexler is April 13.

Read Graber’s e-mail after the jump….

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Former Broward County Mayor Ben Graber reacted to our story today about Sen. Ted Deutch’s attendance record by calling on the Boca Raton Democrat to resign from his state office. Graber and Deutch are rivals in the Democratic U.S. House primary election set for Feb. 2.

“Mr. Deutch cannot continue to hold his Senate seat in reserve while he tries to get a promotion,” Graber said in the statement. “It is unfair to everyone, except Mr. Deutch. It’s obvious that he cannot handle both jobs at the same time.”

Continue reading for the full press release.

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The latest Federal Election Commission reports show a financial mismatch in the special election campaign for Robert Wexler’s old congressional District 19 seat.

Democratic state Sen. Ted Deutch has piled up nearly $1 million in campaign contributions for the race and spent $684,578 while his rival in the Feb. 2 Democratic primary, Ben Graber, says he has raised and spent around $100,000.

In the GOP primary, contractor Ed Lynch reports that he has raised $59,277, including $19,500 of his own money, and spent $50,175. But Lynch’s report says he has $84,455 in cash on hand because of money carried over from his losing 2008 campaign.

Republican candidate Joe Budd raised $23,142, including $10,000 of his own money. A third GOP candidate, Curt Price, raised $2,411 from contributors and kicked in $53,500 of his own money.

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Democratic congressional hopeful Ben Graber, who faces state Sen. Ted Deutch in a special Feb. 2 primary for the former seat of former U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, says he’ll remove figures from his campaign Web site and Facebook page that suggest there’s an Associated Press “poll” that shows him getting 54 percent of the vote.

The AP says Graber came across purely fictitious numbers that AP sent to its newspaper, radio and TV clients this week as a pre-election test to make sure their computer systems are prepared to handle returns.

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Republican congressional hopeful Joe Budd moved to Florida after a business failure left him $600,000 in debt. That information comes not from an opponent’s attack ad but from Budd himself in his first 30-second spot before the Feb. 2 special GOP primary.

Budd, who often brings up the the business setback on the campaign trail, says he does so to highlight character issues and to let voters know he understands tough economic times.

“Instead of filing bankruptcy, I worked hard and sacrificed to pay it off,” he says in the ad. “…I understand your fears and concerns, having lived through them myself.”

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Three candidates so far have produced 30-second ads in the special congressional election to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler.

Check ‘em out after the jump…..

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Seven candidates are running to replace U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, in an early-2010 special election. The field of candidates was set at noon today with three Republicans, two Democrats and one no-party candidate qualifying for ballot spots and frequent filer Josue Larose making a write-in bid.

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State Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, praised President Obama’s Afghanistan strategy as “thoughtful” during a Voters Coalition debate Thursday while his rival in a special Democratic congressional primary, Ben Graber, declared himself “against the escalation in Afghanistan” and opposed to “militarism” in general.

It was the most significant policy difference between the Dems vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton. Both voiced support for a government-run public option as part of health care reform.

Three Republicans running in the special election were supportive of Obama’s call for 30,000 more troops. GOP candidates Ed Lynch, Joe Budd and Curt Price also took similar positions against tax hikes, gun control and a public option.

It looks like only one of the three Republicans who want to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler in a special election turned in enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot without paying a $9,912 filing fee.

According to unofficial totals from the Palm Beach County elections office and official Broward County numbers, financial planner Joe Budd met the goal of 1,163 signatures from voters who live in Wexler’s congressional District 19 while retired police officer Curt Price and contractor Ed Lynch did not.

Both Price and Lynch said they plan to contact the elections offices to inquire about rejected petitions. They can still get on the ballot by paying the filing fee by noon Friday. Democrats Ted Deutch and Ben Graber plan to qualify by paying the fee. Nonpartisan candidates can qualify by paying a $6,608 fee.

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Republicans didn’t even field a candidate in 2004 or 2006 for heavily Democratic congressional District 19. But with U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, leaving the Palm Beach-Broward seat in January, no fewer than three GOP candidates say they have collected signatures to get on the ballot for the special election to replace Wexler.

Contractor Ed Lynch, who was the uncontested GOP nominee last year and polled 27.2 percent against Wexler, says he has garnered the 1,163 signatures from registered District 19 voters to qualify for the ballot. FInancial planner Joe Budd and retired police officer Curt Price, both first-time candidates, say they also have met the signature requirement.

Candidates have to turn in their signatures to elections officials for verification by 5 p.m. today.

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Democratic congressional hopeful Ben Graber features his six-month-old granddaughter in campaign signs and has toted her to political events. The head of the Kings Point Democratic Club isn’t keen on the idea.

Read about it in this week’s Politics column (third item).

Also: Palm Beach County GOP boss Sid Dinerstein backs a Democrat and a former Connecticut Senate candidate takes a “peripheral look” at a South Florida congressional seat.

As he pursues a congressional bid without the blessing of Democratic U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler and other party bigs, Ben Graber claims he’s the victim of “censorship” at some of southern Palm Beach County’s influential Democratic clubs.

County Dem Chairman Mark Alan Siegel says club presidents have complained to him that Graber is “being a bully” in his requests for speaking time. Wexler and the party establishment are backing state Sen. Ted Deutch in the special election to replace Wexler, who’s leaving in January to head a Middle East-focused think tank.

While Graber’s is finding it tough to get speaking time in clubland, Deutch generally has an easier time getting the microphone because he’s a sitting legislator.

Read about it here in this week’s Politics column.

State Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Coral Springs, said this morning he will not enter the special election to replace U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton.

“I gave this really serious consideration and I enjoy my life as it is,” said Ring, who said serving in Congress would disrupt his family life.

The Broward County resident also noted that 71 percent of congressional District 19 voters live in Palm Beach County.

“Not that it’s not winnable, but it’s primarily a Palm Beach seat,” Ring said.

Ring, a wealthy former Yahoo executive, was considered a potentially formidable candidate because of his ability to pour personal money into an expected short campaign.

State Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, former Broward County Mayor Ben Graber and Jose Ruiz, all Democrats, have announced their intentions to run. Wexler is stepping down in January to head a Middle East-focused think tank.

U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton, was instrumental in getting little-known Democrats Ted Deutch and Jeremy Ring elected to the state Senate in 2006.

Now the Wexler proteges could battle each other for their mentor’s congressional seat.

Boca Raton Sen. Deutch and Coral Springs Sen. Ring are among the half dozen or more Democrats who might enter a special election for Wexler’s Palm Beach-Broward congressional seat when Wexler steps down in January to head a Middle East think tank.

Wexler remains close to Deutch and Ring, but a Democratic insider said Wexler is likely to endorse Deutch as his replacement.

Other prominent Democrats eyeing the race include West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter, former Broward Mayor Ben Graber and former Boca Raton state Rep. Irving Slosberg.

The winner of the Democratic primary will likely claim the seat in a district where Democrats hold more than a 2-to-1 registration edge over Republicans and no GOP candidate has received more than 34.4 percent since 1996.

Primary and general election dates will be set after Gov. Charlie Crist receives a resignation letter from Wexler.

Graber, who got 6.6 percent against Wexler last year as a no-party candidate, announced today he will run as a Democrat in the special election.

Other potential candidates said they were in soul-searching mode.

“I have to talk to my friends and family and see what’s in my heart,” said Frankel.

“I am talking to community members, I am talking to leaders all across my district and most importantly I am talking to my family,” said Deutch, who expects to make an announcement Thursday.

Ring said he is “absolutely investigating it, considering it. I should have a decision this weekend.”

Ritter said she’ll make a decision next week.

With about 71 percent of District 19 voters in Palm Beach County, Broward candidates Ring and Ritter both said they would have to analyze whether multiple Broward candidates would hurt each other and maximize Palm Beach County’s advantage.