FORMER ORLANDO MAYOR PROPOSING ONE MAN SHOW

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting this morning that former Orlando mayor Bill Frederick, who served in the post from 1980-1992, is floating a plan to be the only candidate in a probable special election which would be held within the next couple of months to replace current mayor Buddy Dyer until his legal status is resolved in court.

Dyer was indicted last Thursday with his campaign manager, a circuit judge, and a local activist by a grand jury on charges of making or receiving payments for gathering absentee ballots.

Frederick, who was once considered a rising star in the Democratic Party but changed to the Republican side in 1999, reportedly approached former mayoral candidate Tico Perez and asked him not to run in any special election. Perez, who is considering another run, rejected the idea.

The idea that Frederick and his supporters are considering is that he be the only candidate in any special election so as not to divide the community during this time. He says that he would only serve until Dyer's situation is resolved, and that if Dyer is convicted and thus barred from returning to office he would resign after about a year and would not run in any general election.

Tuesday, though, a judge is expected to decide on a request by Dyer's previous mayoral opponent Ken Mulvaney to void the result of last year's election and order a runoff between he and Dyer...which Mulvaney would presumeably win by default considering Dyer's current suspension.