Conservative Republican and former child actor Brad Swanson has an uphill climb ahead of him in his quest to win a seat on the Hillsborough County Commission. He’s one of three men running against one woman; he’s raised quite a bit less money than the frontrunner; and the leading opponent, Rose Ferlita, is a two-term Tampa City Council member with strong name recognition.
But Swanson has more than a few things going for him, as well: He’s got the eastern Hillsborough conservative brain trust on his side, including strategist Sam Rashid and a consultant with a strong track record of Republican victories. Republican primary voters tend to skew to the more conservative candidates. And he’s apparently willing to play the gay-baiting card in a year when sex will be on the ballot.
This article appears in Jul 19-25, 2006.