In CD 18, Randy Perkins wins the latest round of the invisible primary

in 2017/Top Headlines by

This week, the race to replace Patrick Murphy saw a little back-and-forth between the two Democratic candidates, Jonathan Chane and Randy Perkins.

Chane opened the round with an endorsement from Wendy Davis. And while you are forgiven if that name doesn’t ring a bell (she’s a former state Senator from Texas who earned her fifteen minutes of fame filibustering an abortion bill) the message was supposed to bolster Chane’s party credentials and lay claim to being the more pro-choice of the two.

Not bad. Kind of kitschy, but not the worst endorsement ever.

Then, Perkins parried with a reminder that he and not Chane is being backed by the Democratic party mothership (the DCCC) and countered with an endorsement from an actual Florida resident who is still an elected and BTW is actually sitting in the very body both men are seeking.

Perkins offered up the endorsement of the dean of the Florida congressional delegation, Alcee Hastings.

Oomph.

In a seat where a solid plurality of primary voters will be African American and in a district where local politics really matters, we have to hand this round to Perkins.

Peter Schorsch is the President of Extensive Enterprises and is the publisher of some of Florida’s most influential new media websites, including SaintPetersBlog.com, FloridaPolitics.com, ContextFlorida.com, and Sunburn, the morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics. SaintPetersBlog has for three years running been ranked by the Washington Post as the best state-based blog in Florida. In addition to his publishing efforts, Peter is a political consultant to several of the state’s largest governmental affairs and public relations firms. Peter lives in St. Petersburg with his wife, Michelle, and their daughter, Ella.