When I first heard about the race between Angelo Cappelli and Bill Heller for House District 52 in Pinellas, I was intrigued. Here, for a change, was a choice between the greater of two goods, not the lesser of two evils. USF education professor Heller, 71, is a St. Pete civic hero, credited with spearheading the campus' growth during his 10 years as dean. Cappelli, 37, a trust officer with SunTrust Bank, is a political up-and-comer with smarts (Yale), experience (Wall Street) and deep roots in St. Pete (his parents owned the Holiday motel on Fourth Street). Of equal stature in more ways than one (they're similarly height-challenged), both seemed like appealing, moderate candidates.
Then came The Questionnaire.
As CL's political editor Wayne Garcia observed in his column last week, questionnaires are minefields for candidates. Angelo Cappelli stepped into one. He filled out the 2006 Christian Coalition Issues Survey for Florida Candidates, and his answers seriously undermined his image as a moderate Republican.
Cappelli argues that his opponent has focused on the questionnaire in order to portray him, inaccurately, as an extreme right-winger. The questions, he says, allowed him to state only part of his positions on abortion (he's pro-choice until the second trimester) and stem-cell research. He opposed Governor Bush's intervention in the Terri Schiavo case.
But in another area — gay rights — his views are solidly in line with the religious right. Civil unions for same-sex couples? No. Gay adoption? No. Prosecute gay-bashing as a hate crime? No. Allow public schools to teach that "homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle?" No. Amend the Florida constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman? Yes.
As a gay Democrat, this gives me pause.
I sat down and talked with Cappelli in his campaign headquarters, and found him to be a friendly, pragmatic guy. He expresses his objection to gay rights in legal terms: Homosexuality is a "behavior" in his view, and therefore cannot be treated as a "protected class." He advises gay clients and can even point to an endorsement by the gay newspaper Watermark. (Publisher Tom Dyer, who wrote the recommendation before the Republican primary, was not aware of Cappelli's reponses to the questionnaire at the time. He now says the paper "would revisit its endorsement.")
Heller did not respond to the Christian Coalition questionnaire. He did, however, answer a survey by Pinellas Stonewall Democrats, a GLBT group, and showed in that document a thoroughgoing support for gay rights. He knows first-hand that being gay is about much more than "behavior": His daughter Cheri is a lesbian. He told me that if she and her partner ever wanted to adopt, "I can't think of a child who'd have a better mom and a better situation."
My choice: For the most part, the candidates match each other's strengths. Cappelli has a stronger handle on the insurance crisis, but Heller, with his broad experience in education, is better equipped to handle the challenges to schools. Their leadership styles may be different — Heller the genial bridge-builder, Cappelli more of a straight-to-the-point kind of guy — but either approach could get things done in Tallahassee.
But all other things being equal, I have to go with Bill Heller.
I have to vote for the guy who doesn't say no to my civil rights.
Table of Contents
Elections 2006
- This Time it's Personal
- Governor: Charlie Crist vs. Jim Davis
- State CFO: Tom Lee vs. Alex Sink
- Fla. Senate, District 16: Kim Berfield vs. Charlie Justice
- Fla. House, District 52: Angelo Cappelli vs. Bill Heller
- Fla. House, District 53: Rick Kriseman vs. Thomas Piccolo
- Hillsborough County Commission District 3: Ken Anthony vs. Kevin White
- Hillsborough County Commission District 1: Rose Ferlita vs. Mary Mulhern
- Hillsborough County School Board District 6: Ken Allen vs. April Griffin
