Florida’s Congressional District 24 Race Heating up

Florida’s congressional District 24 race is home to Democratic Congresswoman flip flopper Suzanne Kosmas. The race is heating up with the entrance of restaurant executive Craig S. Miller. The established front runners on the Republican side are Sandy Adams and Karen Diebel. Also running are Dorothy L. Hukill, George Thomas Garcia, Sean Campbell, Robert Lawrence Robey, Chad Macinnes, Ometrias Deon Long, Jason Paul Davis, Jim Foster, James P. Heinzelman, independent Larry Sinclair, Democrats Paul Partyka and Suzanne Kosmas. In 44 days Craig Miller has raised $341,000 moving ahead of Diebel and Adams throwing a new dynamic in the Republican race.

Restaurant Chain Executive Craig S. Miller

Kosmas had a lackluster 90 days since last December budging her contributions to not quite $1.36 million from her previous amount of over $1.3 million. The lobbyist in Washington DC must be reevaluation her chances of winning. Her disastrous flip flop sure must have inspired Craig Miller because he put in $200,000 of his own money into his campaign chest.

Of the top three Republican challengers Diebel has invested $26,000 of her own money, Adams $100,000 and Miller $200,000. Miller leads with $341,000 followed by Diebel with $333,000 and Adams with $287,000. Adams and Diebel have been matching each other almost one for one in spending with Miller lagging behind. Locally Miller has almost no following that I am aware of and I live in the district. Just another rich guy with the money to buy commercials. I have yet to see him at any civic functions.

The fact that Diebel has raised 92% of her funds from others verses 65% for Adams and 41% for Craig S. Miller pretty much tells me what I already suspected. Diebel just plain has more star power and charisma than her competitors. She has a lot of friends in Winter Park with large bank accounts and she easily mingles with the wealthy elite that dominate her community. Mrs. Diebel’s assets of belonging to a privilege community also make her venerable to attacks from Adams who is a blue collar type of woman and former police officer. Of the three she has the best education having graduated from Notre Dame and USF with a MBA. She is a single mother (widowed) of three boys 13, 12 and 10. That’s got to be tough. Overall she has the package to successfully defeat Kosmas in the general election.

Craig S. Miller is a restaurant chain developer and has served Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Red Lobster and Pizza Uno. His positions are standard Republican fare with nothing innovative I can glean from his web site. He is, as we all learned in business school, at the end of his sales curve at 59. Seems a lot of people are looking for government work these days and Craig is one of them. Pizza Uno is on the rocks and I suspect so is Ruth’s Chris. Without a law degree or a MBA what does Mr. Miller have to offer congress to help with the financial crisis that will consume America over the next decade? Privatizing the food service in congress?

Karen Diebel, her son Liam and Campaign Manager Anthony Bonna

Adams and Diebel also have a situation in that there are only so many female republican women voters to attract. If either one were the sole strong female republican candidate in the primary the female vote could easily push them ahead of Miller. Rumor has it Adams may drop out of the race but having invested $100,000 of her own money that doesn’t seem likely. If either one dropped out and endorsed the other the primary would be the remaining ones for the taking. If Sandy Adams drops out of the race look for Mrs. Diebel to run away with this contest.

Overall this race is rated as a toss up but living in the district without Obama running Kosmas will be lucky to get 45% of the vote. If Kosmas would have voted against health care reform she would have easily won. But that didn’t happen. The Democrat fat cats need to contribute to independent Larry Sinclair and hope he can get some Republican votes. Kosmas looks one and done. Look for Diebel to out class her and destroy her on her record as a flip flopper.