We're entering the homestretch for next week's midterm elections, and while Clearwater Democrat Carl Zimmermann remains extremely vulnerable in his bid for re-election in his House District 65 seat against Chris Sprowls, another freshman Democrat, St. Petersburg's Dwight Dudley in House District 66, is still looking good in his bid to retain his seat against the well-funded Bill Young, son of the late legendary Pinellas Congressman.
An indication that Young probably realizes he's trailing in the race is his brazenly bogus television spot claiming that Dudley — who has talked seemingly non-stop about wanting to repeal the nuclear cost recovery fee and bring more accountability to investor-owned utilities and our Public Service Commission — somehow supports Duke Energy.
At the "Pitchfork Protest" in downtown St. Pete yesterday, during which protesters called on Duke Energy to start producing solar power, Dudley called the ad a "despicable, lowbrow, gutter technique, and how sad, especially through the campaign he talked about not tearing other people down — the high ethics he learned from his family — and now we see what he's really about, and even in the face of opposition and clear evidence that he's lying, he persists in promoting lies against me to tear me down. That is a sad thing."
Dudley said Young's tactics are a way of trying to "steal the election," adding that he thinks the people are "smarter than that. They get it. I've been their champion, I'll always continue to be. I'm not going to stop now."
The question is, if Dudley is re-elected, will Pinellas Republicans like Jack Latvala, Kathleen Peters, and yes, even Chris Sprowls, join the St. Pete Democrat in trying to push stronger legislation to hold the public utilities in check? They've said they intend to do so, because they're hearing the complaints about Duke from their constituents.
In other news....
George Sheldon is trying to exploit that very disturbing New York Times story on U.S. Attorneys General, with Pam Bondi in a featured part of the piece.
And Tampa/Hillsborough County has a new leader in Antoinette Hayes Tripplett. Recently transplanted from St. Louis, she gave her perspective on the homeless situation here, as did Tampa Assistant Police Chief John Bennett.