For voters in Florida's State Senate (District 12) race, primary voting begins tomorrow, Friday August 14, 2014. Registered Democrats are offered the choice between the incumbent, Geraldine F. Thompson, and her challenger, former state Sen. (D-19) Gary Siplin. As Susan Jacobson of the Orlando Sentinel reports, this is an old political rivalry.
Thompson, 65, spent six years in the state House before she was elected to the Senate in 2012. She defeated Victoria Siplin, the wife of Gary Siplin.
She and Gary Siplin have been rivals for at least a decade, when he beat her in the Democratic primary for state Senate District 19.
Below, I take a look at the mailers that I've received from the two candidates.
I received a total of four mailers for this primary match. One pro Gary Siplin, two pro Geraldine Thompson, and one negative ad against Gary Siplin.
Let's look at the details:
Siplin's mailer was paid for by the "Florida Federation for Children", which does not appear to be registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations. According to the Miami Herald's Kathleen McGrory, Florida Federation for Children is a PAC headed by John Kirtley, a venture capitalist and school voucher lobbyist.
His ad touts his school supplies and Christmas gift charity events, his support of restoring voting rights for ex-felons, and two vague lines about "[making] sure our votes [count]" and "[answering] the call" "when the time came to fight for us in Tallahassee. I wish he had been more specific.
The short pro-Thompson mailer was paid for by the Florida Democratic Party (again, she's the incumbent, and thus their endorsed candidate). She reminds us that she is a former teacher and endorsed by the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association. Thompson states her support for more competitive teacher salaries and raising the minimum wage to $10.10, as well as reminding us of her stance against the school voucher program.
The second pro-Thompson ad is a four-page mailer, also paid for by the Florida Democratic Party. The entire front page is dedicated to reminding voters that she is a teacher and endorsed by the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association. The two inner pages state her priorities: increasing the amount of Bright Futures Scholarships, ending the school voucher program, raising the minimum wage to $10.10, expanding Medicaid, and repealing the "Stand Your Ground" law. For me, four of those sound about as likely as Republicans repealing the Affordable Care Act. The last page is a little bit of bio: born in New Orleans in 1955, attended Florida universities, being an educator, 4 grandkids, etc.
The single negative ad that I received for this race was paid for by the Florida Democratic Party, against Gary Siplin. It mentions
Siplin's controversy back in the mid-2000s over political campaign donations and tax dollars possibly being used for his wife's (Victoria Siplin's) business. It also reminds voters of his past voting record, in which he voted to let insurance companies raise rates, and voted in favor of the Republican-backed school voucher program.
AN: This is my first diary. I just figured I'd share the political ads I receive, before I throw them away. Let me know how to improve.