By Matt Wiley
As the so-called “mid-term” 2014 election season begins to gather steam, the Republican primary ticket for the District 2 County Commission seat in Pasco is beginning to stack up, as more Republicans, and now, the first Democratic candidate, have entered the race.
Wesley Chapel resident Mike Moore continues to gather endorsements and contributions in his bid to take the District 2 seat when current Comm. Pat Mulieri retires, rather than seeking reelection — most recently from District 12 U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis,
However, Moore now faces a total of three competitors, as former State Rep. Ken Littlefield has joined the race for the Republican nomination, which also includes Zephyrhills financial planner Robert (Bob) Robertson, who will square off at the polls during the August 26 Republican Primary. The winner of that Primary election will go on to face Democrat Erika Remsberg, on November 4.
According to an April 1 press release, in addition to running for the Pasco Board of County Commissioners, Moore has been appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC). According to the organization’s website, the TBRPC brings together governments to coordinate planning for the community’s future and provide an opportunity for sharing solutions among the 43 jurisdictions in the Tampa Bay region.
“I am honored by the opportunity to serve and represent Pasco County on the (TBRPC),” Moore says. “As Pasco County and our region continues to grow, it is vital that we plan wisely for the future, in order to afford our children and future generations the greatest opportunities while preserving and protecting qualities of our region that we all value and cherish.”
Moore already has raised more than $44,000 for his campaign, most recently raising $4,000 at a fund-raising event thrown at Primebar in the Shops at Wiregrass mall on March 27, which was attended by more than 70 people including Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter and James Talton of Blue Marble Strategic (the developer of the future baseball complex within Wiregrass Ranch).
Moore also has gathered endorsements from Florida House Speaker Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel), Florida Senators Wilton Simpson (R-Lakeland) and John Legg (R-Lutz), Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco (R-Odessa), Dist. 5 and new BOCC chair Jack Mariano (R-Hudson) and Pasco property appraiser Mike Wells.
Former state Rep. Littlefield is the newest to the Republican primary race and has the most high-profile political experience of the three candidates, having served as Dist. 61’s representative in Tallahassee from 1999-2006, before briefly serving as a commissioner with the Florida Public Service Commission in 2007. So far, Littlefield has raised $1,000 for his campaign.
Robertson, a Zephyrhills financial planner, already has raised more than $10,000 and currently serves as chairman of the Lake Bernadette Community Development District (CDD) in Zephyrhills and he chosen by the BOCC to be the citizen representative on the RESTORE (Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf States) Act Committee, a group that will determine how to invest revenue the county receives for losses sustained due to the 2010 BP oil spill. He also has previously served as treasurer for the Lake Bernadette Homeowners Association (HOA).
The victory for the winner of the primary will be short-lived, as that candidate now will have to go on to face Remsberg, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and homeless student liaison for the Pasco County School District (PCSD).
Remsberg says that her experience in social work during the past 20 years has opened her eyes to the needs of the community that often are overlooked.
“Basically, I know lots about the services our county offers, the needs of the residents here and the gaps in those services,” Remsberg explains. “Moving forward, I want to bring my knowledge of the community and the needs of the people within the community to the policy-making/budget table. Being a social worker without any ties to development or investments in land will allow me to be objective in my decision making.”
For more information about this and the other races being contested in the 2014 mid-term elections in our area, please visit PascoVotes.com.
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