In Tuesday’s mid-term election, voters in Manatee and Sarasota Counties will decide the race for Florida’s 16th Congressional District. Incumbent Congressman Vern Buchanan faces two political newcomers.
The Longboat Key Republican faces Democratic challenger Henry Lawrence and Independent write-in candidate Joe Newman in the race for Florida’s 16th Congressional District seat. The district covers all of Sarasota and part of Manatee counties. Buchanan is the only member of Florida’s congressional delegation to serve on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee which is responsible for tax policy, international trade, and Social Security. He narrowly won the seat in 2006, and despite having been dogged in recent years by allegations of breaking campaign finance laws and ethics investigations, Buchannan has won each successive re-election challenge by a wide margin.
The Democrat in the race, Henry Lawrence, is the child of migrant farm workers who grew to become a 3 time Super Bowl champion and a two time All-Pro offensive linemen in his 13 seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He’s also a business owner, philanthropist and motivational speaker.
Neither the Lawrence nor the Buchanan campaigns responded to our requests for an interview, but we did speak with the Independent write-in candidate for the race, 101 year old political newcomer Joe Newman. Newman’s campaign hasn’t raised any money or accepted any donations. Newman says has no illusions of winning the race. His candidacy and his campaigning are more about making a statement.
“How would you measure the growth of a society that it is better than it was ten years before?” said Newman. “What measures would you use? How many wealthy people we have or the amount of wealth? Or do you measure it by how well we have cared for the society that needs the help? And so I look at it from the view point of what values have we added to the society and I think we’re failing. I think we’re faulting on that. “
With registered Republicans making up the majority of voters in both Sarasota and Manatee Counties, Congressman Buchanan is favored to win re-election.
