Rouson calls for election reform for write-ins

Hours after he was sworn into office, Democratic state Rep. Darryl Rouson today called for reform of Florida election laws that he says can lead to the abuse of taxpayer dollars.

He's speaking from personal experience.

Write-in candidates such as the opponent Rouson defeated in Tuesday's District 55 general election should be required to meet stricter qualification criteria to ensure they are viable candidates, Rouson said as he toured his new Tallahassee stomping grounds this morning.

"There is an abuse of the write-in process that sometimes is used to the disservice of the people," he said. "Everyone should have the opportunity to run for office and everyone should have the opportunity to serve. But we have to find a way to add some credibility and integrity to the write-in process."

Rouson, a St. Petersburg lawyer, trounced Republican write-in candidate Calvester Benjamin-Anderson in an election that saw the lowest vote turnout of any election in Pinellas County since 1995. Rouson got 93 percent of the vote.

Fewer than 1,650 Pinellas voters, or about 3.8 percent, cast ballots. Voter turnout across the district, which spans Hillsborough, Sarasota, Manatee and Pinellas Counties, was even lower. About 2,402 people voted, or 3.4 percent.

The election cost taxpayers $165,000, or about $69 for every person who voted.

Write-in candidates pay no qualifying fee and file no petitions and their names don't appear on the ballot. But their mere presence can close a primary that would otherwise be open.

That was the case in the District 55 race, where initially no Republicans qualified. But after Benjamin-Anderson entered the race, the March Democratic primary was closed, preventing non-Democrats from voting in the primary. It also triggered a general election in which Rouson was the only name to appear on the ballot.

Benjamin-Anderson said she was a serious candidate who intended to represent the district, but she turned down numerous offers to participate in election debates and some questioned the authenticity of her campaign.

"District 55 went unrepresented for an additional three weeks because of this," Rouson said. "I don't want to deny write-in candidates, but we need to look at their qualifications. When there is no debate in the public forum with the write-in candidate that is a red flag."

-- Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer

Comments

He is speaking from personal embarrassment - he only got 93 percent of the vote with a write-in candidate... sounds like the write-in candidate against him was better prepared than most... very weak showing for Rouson if you ask me...

[District 55]

Way to go Representative Rouson. That loophole should have been closed long ago. Shame on Calvester and that loser Ed Helm.

[St. Pete Tom]

93% of the 10 people that showed up to vote, that is…

Good luck, Darryl. They had a shot to close the loophole 4-months ago and voted not to.

However, they might support a proposal to prevent R’s from switching to D’s right after their R opponent drops from the race. Or maybe one that prevents R’s from switching to D’s in order to pander to the predominantly AA Dem base in a given District, while maintaining a D façade of “I feel your pain… while sitting in my leather upholstered Escalade”

[Florida GOP]

Congratulations Representative Rouson - you will do us proud!

In office only one day, putative Democratic party member Daryl Rouson is showing his true stripes - as a Republican who wants to limit access to the ballot.

Hopefully, this mess of an officeholder can be put out when November rolls around.

Okay... time for some more embarassing stats... 2006 election results with two candidates, and one as a write-in...

District: 5
Don Brown
(REP) Toreatha J. Hayes-Mitchell
(WRI)
Total 32,804 119
% Votes 99.6% 0.4%

District: 15
Audrey Gibson
(DEM) Cheryl R. Waters
(WRI)
Total 21,155 24
% Votes 99.9% 0.1%

District: 32
Bob Allen
(REP) Edward Brown
(WRI)
Total 39,828 36
% Votes 99.9% 0.1%

District: 35
Dean Cannon
(REP) David Odom
(WRI)
Total 23,334 41
% Votes 99.8% 0.2%

District: 39
Geraldine F. Thompson
(DEM) Earl Olden
(WRI)
Total 16,829 20
% Votes 99.9% 0.1%

District: 71
Michael J. Grant
(REP) Robert Peter Rice
(WRI)
Total 39,385 12
% Votes 100.0% 0.0%

District: 86
Maria Sachs
(DEM) Kathleen Faherty-Ruby
(WRI)
Total 37,331 8
% Votes 100.0% 0.0%

District: 102
Eddy Gonzalez
(REP) Manuel Riera
(WRI)
Total 11,114 9
% Votes 99.9% 0.1%

District: 104
Yolly Roberson
(DEM) Jie Wells
(WRI)
Total 18,412 0
% Votes 100.0% 0.0%

District: 109
Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall
(DEM) Sarah Ruth Robinett
(WRI)
Total 17,867 3
% Votes 100.0% 0.0%

District: 111
Marco Rubio
(REP) Brenda Hernandez
(WRI)
Total 17,749 10
% Votes 99.9% 0.1%

District: 112
David M. Rivera
(REP) Christina Sanchez
(WRI)
Total 18,141 26
% Votes 99.9% 0.1%

District: 113
Carlos Lopez-Cantera
(REP) Nicole Abrante
(WRI)
Total 13,076 2
% Votes 100.0% 0.0%

District: 119
Juan C. Zapata
(REP) Roy J. Bustillo
(WRI)
Total 16,487 1
% Votes 100.0% 0.0%

And a reminder of Rouson's 93%

State Representative
District: 55
County Darryl Ervin Rouson
(DEM) Calvester Benjamin-Anderson
(WRI)
% Votes 92.7% 7.3%

Tom is an idiot member of Helm Nation. Losers all.

1:57 is an idiot member of Wadlet DINO Nation. Freaks and Losers all.

7.3% for a nobody write-in!... hmmmmmm, very interesting.

2:06 - my point exactly for posting the stats...

congratulations to the Ed and Adrian Helm campaign for garnering 7%. That's an improvement for them.

congratulations to the fish eaters and pot smokers campaign for garnering 93% of a 10-person turn out. That's an improvement for them.

[St. Pete Tom]

Ummmm, HELLO; SPTimes...

"That was the case in the District 55 race, where initially no Republicans qualified."

I dig that you've been given a directive to spin this whole mess for your man Darryl... but a Republican DID qualify for this race. In fact, a Republican actually won this race... he just had a D placed next to his mane a few weeks before the race.

To put Rouson's performance in further perspective... I went back 10 years for House of Representative results where there were two candidates - one as a write in - and Rouson't definately performed the worst of them all. The next closes was a race in which Al Lawson received 99.3% against a write-in candidate.

To put Rouson's performance in further perspective... I went back 10 years in court records... never mind, it will only depress you.

I think Darryl is hot!

2:19 That's because Helm's PAC and organization actively worked for the write-in. She claimed no campaign contributions, yet there were yard signs scattered around the district, oddly in some of the same places where Helm's other protege's signs were in the primary.

The Helm war against elected Democrats rages on. Representative Rouson, welcome to the ranks of Kriseman, Heller, Lerner, Harris, etc. (i.e. winning Democrats).

Which goes to show Rouson's inability to understand the issues in front of him... he had an organized write-in candidate... more so than anyone else in a House of Representatives race for the past 10 years... and now Rouson says...

"There is an abuse of the write-in process that sometimes is used to the disservice of the people," he said. "Everyone should have the opportunity to run for office and everyone should have the opportunity to serve. But we have to find a way to add some credibility and integrity to the write-in process."

If anything, one could argue that his opponent had more credibility and integrity than any other write-in candidate over the past 10 years.

He won the race, get over it, don't come across as a sore winner...

A win is a win is a win!!
2000 Bush over Gore by 537 votes, and still the Pres!!

There are no graceful losers on this Dem. blog. Oh wait you all will have another chance to complain in November.

Can't wait for the fall-Gator football and GOP wins.

bubba gator

We shouldn't hang the guy for changing from a GOP to a DEM. Face it, its going to be the wave of the future. After seeing all the suffering and inequity of GOP politics, sometimes a person has an epiphany, takes off the brown shirt and puts on the white hat.

Let's wait and see how he votes before we call him a DINO.

All of you guys are missing the real point - this cost the taxpayers $165,000. Talk about drunken spending - thanks Mr. Helm.

2:33 Interesting that Rouson has barely warmed his leather seat and has taken far more action and garnered much more attention than Kriseman or Heller. I haven't seen anything about them doing anything in the legislature. Are they there? Maybe Speaker Rubio should send the Sergeant's office to look for them

We could just outlaw one political party. That would save taxpayers lots of money.

Someone should call Helm and let him know he’s got a stalker. Dude; get some freaking help for God’s sake.

Who the hell are Kriesman and Heller? Are they like that Justice guy whose only accomplishment was making sure he could suck off our dime while running for another seat?

"Let's wait and see how he votes before we call him a DINO."

Ummmm... HA!

I think Helm is hot!

Rouson the racist who is full of bull should remember he has an other election around the corner. He did not get many votes in Hillsborough and Manatee. He received his votes from his terrorist black buddies in the city run by Richard M. Baker from the Baker Crime family. Why didn't Charlie Crist appoint a Republican?

"Why didn't Charlie Crist appoint a Republican?"

What's it matter, one got in anyway.

Med alert! Med alert! Someone get 3:20 his meds and his "Suwannee River" CD, he's acting out again!

Charlie Crist was solely responsible for the wasted tax dollars for the House 55 election by creating a totally unneeded vacancy in House 55.

Wasn't there someone else that Charlie could have picked?

Of the 3,800,000 registered Republicans in Florida, wasn't one qualified for the DJJ job? Or if it had to be someone from Pinellas County, weren't any of the 250,000 Republicans in Pinellas County qualified?

Who also were not currently in office?

Charlie Crist cost the taxpayers $330,000 for the Special Primary plus Special General. Not anyone else.

Strike one.

And Charlie slapped the Republicans in the face by appointing a Democrat.

Strike two.

Med alert! Med alert! Someone get 3:31 her meds, her glass of DINO kool aid, and her "Rickey Don't Lose That Number" CD, she's acting out again!

BANG-O-RANG, 3:55!

4990

Rouson/Hiene '08!

Rouson calls for election reform!

Hannibal Lector calls for cannibalism reform!

Bob Allen calls for restroom reform!

Chuck Crist… ummm… looks for a photo op!

Bidness as usual in that dirty little town called Tally!

Politics as usual in Pinellas...

Appoint a sitting pol to some other job so that you can either appoint some unqualified someone or cause a special election taht only 10 or 12 people will show up for so that some unqualified someone can get elected when they otherwise could not...

Based on their merits of course.

Earnest Williams is Hot!

But Tom Tito is Hotter!

[kay]

Congratulations Mr. Rouson. Disregard all haters and do a standup job. A win is a win period. Good Luck and watch the daggers coming your way.

[kay]

Congratulations Mr. Rouson. Disregard all haters and do a standup job. A win is a win period. Good Luck and watch the daggers coming your way.

The daggers are coming from the long lost tribe of Ed Helm vagabonds. Not even worth a second thought.

There's that freak with the man-crush on Helm again! Very disturbing.

Go get 'em, Darryl, we know you'll do us proud!

Love,

Yo Daddy, The GOP!

Ausman?