The Hillsborough County Democratic party had a brutal 2010, losing every competitive race for state and local office.
The futility of the party was never more apparent than in state Senate district 12, where the disgraced Jim Norman was able to survive the embarrassing (and possibly illegal) financial gift from the late Ralph Hughes, mainly because after he defeated Kevin Ambler in the GOP primary, the Democratic party couldn't produce a live, breathing body to oppose him in November.
That won't happen again. At least that's what the county's new chair, Chris Mitchell, said Monday night. The 26-year-old unveiled what he called his "Strategic Plan" for 2012, and beyond up to 2020 at the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee's monthly meeting in Ybor City.
That includes helping get Barack Obama and Bill Nelson re-elected, which won't be an easy feat. They also intend on getting Kevin Beckner re-elected to the County Commission, and are hoping to get two more Democrats elected on that board as well (all those seats will be up for election).
Mitchell laid out the negative perceptions people have of the Democrats: "The party lacks a message, especially one that resonates with me; the party is disorganized, it stands for big government, if elected it will be after my money (a/k/a the tax and spend party). "
He then answered that on some of the allegations, the party was guilty as charged.
But he said the upside was extremely positive, as he went over a list of strengths and weaknesses with the party. He said a lack of a coherent message and a lack of financial resources have been two major issues of the past that would not be a problem in the future. He also admitted that the party's local website has been terrible, but that will improve as well.
On his list of opportunities, first up was Governor Rick Scott and the GOP Legislature "overreaching."
This article appears in Feb 17-23, 2011.