On a recent rainy Friday afternoon in Ybor City's Columbia restaurant, the least-known candidate in Florida's most high-profile election pulls out a binder. Maurice Ferre, 77, the former mayor of Miami, is measured and methodical as he carefully thumbs through different tabs to find his desired data, as his wife of nearly 55 years, Mercedes, sits near him wearing large sunglasses. He says he has amassed voting information from the last three state Congressional elections that proves he can take votes from his Democratic primary opponent, U.S. Representative Kendrick Meek, in conservative North Florida and compete with him in the rest of the state.
A bit fanciful? Absolutely. But Ferre, who has not held public office since 1996, is absolutely convinced he's got the stuff to beat the Miami Congressman in late August. When asked how he'll accomplish that, given that Meek has the endorsements of all the key unions in the state and is out-fundraising Ferre by over $3 million, he's got a quick answer: Meek can't win in November because "he's not a moderate." Though that statement is questionable, to Ferre it's obvious, and he can't believe his good luck. "It's just amazing to me, that some big-shot moderate Democratic politician hasn't jumped in," he says, unwittingly diminishing his own candidacy.
This article appears in Feb 10-16, 2010.