Toward the end of a local history forum that featured Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker, moderator Gary Mormino, a University of South Florida historian, asked if either politician (both interested in moving up to statewide office) if they had any announcements to make.
Both demurred. Baker joked that the only thing he could say was that he was the only person in the Centro Asturiano location where the talk was held to be guaranteed not to be mayor in six months.
It hammered home that Tampa Bay's two largest cities will have new, strong mayors within the next year and a half. St. Pete chooses a new mayor this November; Tampa picks one in Spring 2011.
And as Iorio and Baker talked of their favorite mayors from their cities' respective cities, my thoughts turned to conjencture about who the two people will be who lead Tampa Bay in the post-recession era.
As a testament to the progress of civil equality in Tampa Bay, it could be two African-American men, Deveron Gibbons in St. Pete and Thomas Scott in Tampa. It also could be two women, Kathleen Ford in St. Petersburg and Linda Saul-Sena in Tampa. Or two people from the business community, say, Dick Greco in Tampa and Scott Wagman in St. Petersburg. Or a former city council member, like Rose Ferlita or Bob Buckhorn in Tampa and Bill Foster in St. Petersburg. Or any combination of the above or any other people running or likely to run.
The point here is that both cities face great challenges, and having a new mayor after eight years of one administration is a tremendous opportunity that voters need to grab by the horns and make sure they get it right.
Not only is it important for each city to get their own decisions right, it is also important that the two cities pick leaders who can work together for regional purposes, mostly transportation, as Baker and Iorio have.
The election in St. Petersburg comes first, and it is a mostly quality field, if a broad one: Gibbons, the political advisor and Republican who is a VP at Amscot; Wagman, the philanthropist and former CEO of Scott Paints; Foster, the lawyer and former councilman known best for his social conservatism; Ford, a former councilwoman known for her pointed questions and opposition to Baker; Jamie Bennett, another councilman who has run into trouble already by using a campaign volunteer, Peter Schorsch, to perform some city business for him; Larry Williams, a former councilman and late entry; and several minor candidates who aren't running viable campaigns.
Observers are handicapping the race so far as between Gibbons, Foster and Wagman, with Bennett behind that trio.
In Tampa, although the balloting is nearly two years away, the number of big-name candidates already in the race or rumored to be running is unprecedented. Scott announced last week that he wants to start early so he can raise enough money for his campaign. Saul-Sena told Creative Loafing that she's in, as well, but will not formally announce for some time.
More intriguing are some big names who are considering the race. Buckhorn told me last week that he is definitely interested and weighing entry into the race. (He ran and lost in 2003.) Former County Commissioner Ed Turanchik, who has been building a line of low-cost "green" homes in West Tampa, is also thinking about it.
The biggest name out there is 50th and 56th mayor (1967-74 and 1995-2003), Dick Greco. You hear talk of his third round in office everywhere you go; that his wife, Dr. Linda McClintock-Greco has given her blessing to a campaign; that some powerful, newer political fundraisers in town are behind convincing him to run. Lots of chatter like that. So I called him and asked.
"I havent't seriously given any thought to it," Greco said, laughing. "Everybody thinks the race is in 2010. It's March 2011. If I was talking about running for mayor, I wouldn't start two years out. It's just way to early."
But Greco still seems to have the fire in the belly to add "Tampa's 58th mayor" to his political resume.
"It probably would be fun," he said. "The truth of the matter is I've loved being mayor. I'd rather do that than anything else I've ever done."
C'mon 2011.
This article appears in May 13-19, 2009.