As a new political correspondent for the Daily Loaf, I attended my first-ever legislative meeting Tuesday, a Democratic Caucus meeting where the Dems in the House of Representatives were electing their leader to serve for the 2012-2014 legislative term. It was strange to be in a room filled with people whom I've primarily seen in the past only in pictures or on television, but the small room given the minority caucus meant that everyone was in very tight quarters and it was easy to get a really close look at many of the most powerful Democrats in the state.
Everyone was in attendance for the election, which had to be held relatively quickly because many of the members had committee meetings that began less than an hour after the caucus convened. Rep. Darren Soto (Orlando) was the first to speak, nominating Rep. Joe Gibbons (Hallandale Beach) for the leader position. In his nominating speech, Soto said that Gibbons was a uniter who was a great fundraiser for Democratic candidates and that he would be a level-headed leader who wouldn't lose his cool under pressure. Soto said that Gibbons would fight against tyranny from the governor or Republicans. The Gibbons nomination was seconded by Rep. Dwayne Taylor (Daytona Beach).
Rep. Rick Kriseman (St. Petersburg) nominated Rep. Perry Thurston (Plantation) for the leader position, saying that Thurston reminded him a lot of former Rep. Jack Seiler (Ft. Lauderdale), in that both men were generally thoughtful and didn't speak often, but that when each did speak, everyone around them shut up and listened. Kriseman also noted Thurston's ability to reach across the aisle to work with Republicans, something that is important in a legislature dominated by the other party. Rep. Dwight Bullard (Miami) seconded the Thurston nomination, saying that the representative from Plantation was a man of the people and that he always shows great support for his fellow Democratic representatives.
As I listened to the nominating speeches, I realized that everyone seemed to be describing two men who sounded very similar in their outlook and service record. When the votes came in, Thurston had won, but the vote tally was not revealed.
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2011.