John Dicks appears poised to become the fourth Democrat to enter the highly competitive Hillsborough County District 6 countywide race.
The former Plant City Mayor has not officially filed papers with the Supervisor of Elections office, but a website – VoteJohnDicks.com – has been created but still appears in the construction stage.
Though he was not available for comment on Monday, Dicks details his motivation for running and what he could bring to the county if elected on his website.
“As a business man, lawyer, farmer and former Mayor of Plant City, I have a unique skill set to help chart that course for Hillsborough County,” he writes. “That’s why I am running for County Commissioner … To help make those critical decisions that will determine the future of our County. And with your help, we can make Hillsborough County the place where we are proud to call home, where we want to live, work and raise our families.”
Dicks is an attorney, but is best known for his public service as both mayor and city commissioner in Plant City. He served as mayor in 1999-2000, and again 2005-2007.
He last ran for public office in 2008, when he lost in a Democratic primary for Congress in CD 9 seat to Bill Mitchell (Mitchell went on to lose that year to GOP incumbent Gus Bilirakis).
He first ran for office in 1996, losing a state Senate seat to Republican Tom Lee. In between his two stints as mayor, he was elected three times to the Plant City Commission, running unopposed each time.
Dicks is getting a late start in the race; Pat Kemp and Brian Willis entered the Democratic Primary this past spring, and Thomas Scott became an official candidate in June.
On the GOP side, Jim Norman and Tim Schock are the nominees.
