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District 112: Incumbent takes on absent Democratic candidate
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TALLAHASSEE — Voters from Eastern Collier entering the ballot box to pick who will represent them in the Florida House of Representatives have two distinct choices:
They can vote for an incumbent Republican who has spent more than $112,000 to be re-elected to a fourth and final term in office.
Or they can vote for a Democrat who has yet to actively campaign, return reporters’ phone calls and whose whereabouts is unknown by Collier Democratic leaders.
That’s the five-second synopsis of the race between Republican incumbent David Rivera of Miami and his Democratic challenger, Betty Gaffney.
Gaffney, whose telephone number is not included among her registration information, defeated Juan Espinosa in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary in which only 795 voters cast ballots. Rivera faced no opposition.
Ira Sharp, President of the Collier County Democratic Club, said he had no contact information from Gaffney. The District 112 seat encompasses portions of eastern Collier.
Rivera, a Miami resident first elected to the House in 2002, says he’d like to spend his last term focusing on property tax reform and economic development as he and other lawmakers face tight budgets and tough economic times.
“My main priority will be economic revitalization,” Rivera said in an interview last week. “The best way to accomplish that is through property tax reform.”
Rivera favors a cap on local spending and linking future spending patterns to inflation plus growth. He also supports a cap on local tax levies, a position he’s advocated for the past several terms.
During his political career, Rivera has held leadership posts in the House, including the chairmanship of the powerful Rules and Calendar Committee, a panel that has considerable say in what issues reach the floor for a vote.
There are 34,400 Republican voters registered for the upcoming District 112 race compared to 30,389 Democrats. Centered in Miami-Dade County, the district includes about 8,000 Collier County registered voters.
As of Oct. 10, state campaign records show Rivera had spent $112,094 on flyers, advertising and other campaign related expenses. During the same period, his campaign had raised $321,375, leaving him with more than $200,000 in cash on hand.
Rivera’s biggest decision between now and Election Day may be deciding what to do with his leftover cash. Campaign law requires that he zero out his campaign within 90 days of the election. He’s given only a handful of options, including giving money to a political party, returning it to contributors or donating to charity.
Rivera said he’s yet to decide how he will empty out his campaign coffers.
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