THE DEMOCRATIC "BENCH"

Derek Newton writes for the blog Florida Politics today about the alleged lack of a bench among Florida Democrats. He names ten "ready-for-prime-time" Dems who may not be widely known now, but could play a major role on the statewide scene:

--- State Representative Bruce Antone (D - Orlando), 43 years of age.

--- State Senator David Aronberg (D - Fort Myers), 34

--- State Representative Loranne Ausley (D - Tallahassee), 42

--- Mayor Pegeen Hanrahan of Gainesville, 38

--- Mayor Pam Iorio of Tampa, 45

--- Mayor Kristin Jacobs of Broward County, 46

--- Congressman Kendrick Meek (D - FL 17 / Miami), 39

--- Former Miami-Dade Commissioner Jimmy Morales, 43. Now Chairman of the Miami-Dade Democratic Executive Committee

--- Debbie Ritchie (nee: Horan) of Tallahassee, 42. Formerly of Key West where she served as a state representative, she now lives in Pensacola with husband and former House Speaker "Buzz" Ritchie. Editor of the Pensacola Business Journal.

--- Congressman Robert Wexler (D - FL 19 / Boca Raton), 44

Where the Democratic Party hurts is that in many areas, we don't do a good enough job of recruiting candidates for local offices. Many of them are now officially nonpartisan (all in Polk County except the Board of County Commissioners are now that way), so most local Democratic Executive Committees ignore them entirely or give short shrift to those races. We simply cannot allow that to continue. The opposition definately supports their own in these nonpartisan races, and we should find candidates and pledge our support there as well.