FLORIDA DIGEST NOVEMBER 8, 2006

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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-elxbtrends08nov08,0,4613265.story

Republicans lose County Commission, legislative seats in Broward

By David Fleshler, Buddy Nevins and Robert Nolin
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

November 8, 2006

Broward County became a grim place for Republicans on Tuesday, as votersejected the party's incumbents from the Florida House, County Commission andCongress.

Leading the list was U.S. Rep. Clay Shaw, of Fort Lauderdale, dean ofFlorida's congressional delegation, who lost to Democratic state Sen. RonKlein. Voters also turned out County Commissioner Jim Scott and state Rep.Susan Goldstein.

Republicans are heavily outnumbered in Broward, holding sway only in a fewwealthy enclaves along the beach and in some suburbs. They faced aparticularly difficult road this year because of the unpopularity ofPresident Bush. Several people said they voted the straight Democraticline -- from U.S. senator to agriculture commissioner to staterepresentative -- as a protest against the president.


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http://www.sptimes.com/2006/11/08/news_pf/State/Sink_s_win_is_a_major.shtml


Sink's win is a major gain for Democrats
Members of the Republican Party won the other Cabinet seats
ALISA ULFERTS AND AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published November 8, 2006


Democrats broke the Republican Party's hold on the state Cabinet Tuesday asretired banker Alex Sink defeated Republican Senate President Tom Lee forthe job of chief financial officer.

The GOP held on to the other two Cabinet seats, however, as Bill McCollumbeat Walter "Skip" Campbell to become the next Attorney General, andAgriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson easily turned back challenger EricCopeland.

Sink was the only statewide seat the Democrats were able to win, but hervictory was a major victory for the struggling minority party. It alsointroduced Sink as a rising power in the Democratic Party.



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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15954634.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Tue, Nov. 07, 2006


McCollum beats Campbell for Florida attorney general

BY AMY DRISCOLL AND DAN CRISTENSEN
adriscoll@MiamiHerald.com


Republican Bill McCollum will be Florida's attorney general, easily winningthe contest against Walter ''Skip'' Campbell, a Broward County attorney.

''Tonight's going to be for Florida and for Republicans a great night,''McCollum told supporters early in the evening, as he predicted RepublicanCharlie Crist's win for governor.

Campbell conceded shortly after 10:30 p.m., standing before a crowd ofsupporters at a Fort Lauderdale bar, Dicey Riley's.



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Sun-Sentinel
November 8, 2006

Link - Florida Legislative Races

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2006/general/by_state/state_sen_house/FL.html?SITE=FLLAUELN&SECTION=POLITICS


Sun-Sentinel
November 8, 2006


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/elections/2006/general/by_state/us_house/FL.html?SITE=FLLAUELN&SECTION=POLITICS

Florida
November 08, 2006 - 08:54AM ET(i) = incumbent= winner= runoff
U.S. House - District 1 - 234 of 234 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Miller, Jeff (i)GOP134,92868.57
Roberts, JoeDem61,85131.43


U.S. House - District 4 - 326 of 326 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Crenshaw, Ander (i)GOP140,73169.77
Harms, RobertDem60,98730.23



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Sun-Sentinel
November 8, 2006

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-elxsenate08nov08,0,696029.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Nelson rolls easily to second term in U.S. Senate

By William E. Gibson
Washington Bureau Chief

November 8, 2006


FORT LAUDERDALE · In one of the more lopsided yet closely watched statewideraces in Florida history, voters on Tuesday handily re-elected DemocraticU.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and emphatically rejected Republican challengerKatherine Harris.

Loved or hated as a partisan political celebrity, Rep. Harris, of Sarasota,gave up a safe House seat and on her bid for the Senate. Her campaign wasmarked by endless travails, constant staff turmoil and controversialremarks.

Harris conceded in a telephone call to Nelson and urged her supporters tocontinue to promote conservative causes.



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The Miami Herald
November 8, 2006

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15956363.htm

SCHOOL BOARD

Rubinstein unseated in uproar over Broward schools chief's ouster

Eleanor Sobel and Phyllis C. Hope were elected to the Broward School BoardTuesday. Voters booted incumbent Marty Rubinstein.

BY HANNAH SAMPSON
hsampson@MiamiHerald.com

Voters ousted Broward School Board incumbent Marty Rubinstein Tuesday,apparently making good on a promise to remove those who voted to fire thedistrict's superintendent.

And outgoing state Rep. Eleanor Sobel sailed into the Southeast Broward seatvacated by an ailing Carole Andrews.

Rubinstein lost to Phyllis C. Hope, a Piper High School guidance specialistwho raised far less money, held poetry readings as campaign events andboasted a rap song as her campaign anthem.



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The Miami Herald
November 8, 2006

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/15953848.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

Chaplain quits after appearing on gay website

BY EVAN S. BENN
ebenn@MiamiHerald.com

An Episcopalian chaplain resigned from his job at a Palmetto Bay privateschool after explicit images of him appeared on a gay wrestling website thatwas circulated this week around the school, school officials said.

Father Adrian Parry, 47, of South Miami, quit his post at Palmer TrinitySchool on Monday after almost two decades as its chaplain and head of thehumanities and history department, according to school headmaster SeanMurphy.

Parry ''had been engaging in what, in our opinion, were inappropriate andunacceptable outside activities,'' Murphy wrote in a statement.



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The Miami Herald
November 8, 2006

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/15958210.htm

Constitution just got harder to tinker with

Florida voters said yes to six amendments, including one that will make itharder to approve constitutional amendments.

BY GARY FINEOUT
gfineout@MiamiHerald.com

TALLAHASSEE - Florida's voters on Tuesday made it harder to change the stateConstitution in the future -- a move that could spell doom for loomingelectoral battles over gay marriage and private school vouchers.

All six amendments on the ballot passed, including Amendment 3, which wouldrequire future constitutional amendments to pass by a supermajority insteadof a simple majority.

Ironically, Amendment 3 won support from nearly 58 percent of voters -- notthe 60 percent the amendment would require in elections to come.



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The Miami Herald
November 8, 2006

Posted on Wed, Nov. 08, 2006



Nelson's son arrested in altercation with Orlando police

BY ERIKA BERAS
eberas@MiamiHerald.com

It seemed a good night for Bill Nelson. The Democratic U.S. senator fromFlorida easily beat his opponent, Katherine Harris.

But hours after Nelson made a victory speech in Orlando, his 30-year-old sonwas arrested.

At 2:45 a.m., Charles William Nelson was charged with three felonies byOrlando police.

About 2:40, police responded to calls of a fight involving 20 people. By thetime authorities arrived, most of the crowd had dispersed.



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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-elxgov08nov08,0,4912134.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines

Crist overcomes big South Florida deficit to capture governor's race

By Linda Kleindienst and Mark Hollis
Tallahassee Bureau

November 8, 2006


ST. PETERSBURG · Voters elected Charlie Crist the state's 44th governorTuesday, handing him a victory over Democratic rival Jim Davis in the mostexpensive -- and one of the most vitriolic -- campaigns in Florida history.

Crist, the attorney general, will take office during inaugural ceremoniesJan. 2, becoming the first Republican to succeed another GOP governor sincethe 1870s.

In his victory speech at the swanky Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club,Crist gave special thanks to God and his parents, but also cited Davis forhis "spirited and honorable" campaign.



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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2006/11/08/a22a_guv_edit_1108.html


Will Crist be the show horse or the work horse?
Palm Beach Post Editorial
Wednesday, November 08, 2006


Eleven years after "Chain Gang Charlie," it will be Gov. Crist. The questionfor Floridians is: Which Charlie Crist will it be?

Will it be the Charlie Crist who said during the campaign that theDemocrats' plan to have the state take over the first layer of hurricaneinsurance "has merit"? Or will it be the Charlie Crist who just weeks latercalled the plan "a risky scheme"? Will it be the Charlie Crist who said hewould have vetoed the inadequate insurance bill that went through theLegislature this year? Or will it be the Charlie Crist who, after thecomment got into print, reversed himself and said he would not have vetoedthe bill?



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http://floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/CD/20061108/CAPITOLNEWS/611080323/-1/capitolnews&template=printart


Bronson remains ag commissioner
By Paul Flemming
FLORIDA CAPITAL BUREAU


Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson is the only member of the FloridaCabinet running to return to his same seat, and he'll have the job foranother four years.

The incumbent Republican ran against Democratic challenger Eric Copeland inthe race that pre-election polls identified as the most lopsided, inBronson's favor.

With about half of precincts reporting, Bronson led with 1,721,697 votes, or56 percent. Copeland had 1,361,938 votes, or 44 percent, according to statetallies.

''I think it looks very good,'' Bronson said Tuesday evening. ''We weren'tsure, with some of the things going on nationally ... how much that wouldaffect our race.''



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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/15954994.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp


Posted on Tue, Nov. 07, 2006


Broward voters reject transit, courthouse tax hike

BY NIRVI SHAH
nshah@MiamiHerald.com


Read their votes: no new taxes.

Broward County voters today rejected an increase in sales taxes to pay forbetter mass transit and paying more property taxes to refurbish the countycourthouse.

Voters soundly defeated boosting the sales tax by a penny, from 6 percent to7 percent of every dollar spent. The tax would have brought in about $260million a year, an amount that would have increased each year along withconsumers' spending and county growth.



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http://floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061108/OPINION/611080383/1004&template=printart


November 8, 2006


Our view: Challenges await Gov. Charlie Crist

State's new leader should focus on insurance crisis and target space jobs

Florida has a new governor and it's Republican Charlie Crist.

Now, almost 18 million state residents -- including many on the SpaceCoast -- are looking to him to solve one of the most serious problems thestate has ever faced:

Insurance costs rising so steeply that Florida's economy is threatened.

Crist, who received $763,507 from the insurance industry in 2004-06, butpromised that money would never influence his treatment of the industry, hasto come through fast with a workable plan that will lower consumers' ratessharply.



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Sun-Sentinel
November 8, 2006

Links - Results by S. Florida Counties:

Broward
http://www.browardsoe.org/enrsummary.aspx?eid=65


Palm Beach
http://enr.clarityelections.com/Default.aspx?eid=61


Miami-Dade
http://enr.clarityelections.com/Default.aspx?page=S&eid=44




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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-pelxfoley08nov08,0,953587.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines


Democrat Mahoney wins Foley's congressional seat by narrow margin



By Joel Hood and Marc Freeman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

November 8, 2006


HUTCHINSON ISLAND -- Democrat Tim Mahoney completed an improbable run forthe U.S. House on Tuesday night, narrowly defeating Republican Joe Negronand winning a congressional seat thought impossible before Mark Foley'sstunning fall.

By 11 p.m., Mahoney held a razor-thin lead over Negron in the 16th Districtcongressional race with Highlands County the only one of eight counties notreporting. More than 100 supporters turned out for a Mahoney victorycelebration Tuesday night at the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa.




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Sun-Sentinel
November 8, 2006

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/elections/sfl-ussenateresult1107,0,2751766.htmlstory

U.S. Senate

The Associated Press

Posted November 7, 2006

U.S. House - District 16 - Florida 334 of 335 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Mahoney , Tim Dem 114,836 49.58
Foley-Joe Negron , Mark GOP 110,317 47.63
Ross , Emmie Ind 6,473 2.79


U.S. House - District 21 - Florida 188 of 188 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Diaz-Balart , Lincoln (i) GOP 65,368 59.24
Gonzalez , Frank Dem 44,972 40.76


U.S. House - District 22 - Florida 419 of 422 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Klein , Ron Dem 105,056 51.11
Shaw , Clay (i) GOP 96,343 46.87
Evangelista , Neil Ind 4,134 2.01




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Sun-Sentinel
November 8, 2006

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/elections/sfl-ussenateresult1107,0,2751766.htmlstory

U.S. Senate

The Associated Press

Posted November 7, 2006

U.S. House - District 16 - Florida 334 of 335 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Mahoney , Tim Dem 114,836 49.58
Foley-Joe Negron , Mark GOP 110,317 47.63
Ross , Emmie Ind 6,473 2.79


U.S. House - District 21 - Florida 188 of 188 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Diaz-Balart , Lincoln (i) GOP 65,368 59.24
Gonzalez , Frank Dem 44,972 40.76


U.S. House - District 22 - Florida 419 of 422 Precincts Reporting
NamePartyVotesPct
Klein , Ron Dem 105,056 51.11
Shaw , Clay (i) GOP 96,343 46.87
Evangelista , Neil Ind 4,134 2.01




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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/sfl-ammendments07nov07,0,3213640.htmlstory

Sun-Sentinel
November 8, 2006


Florida Amendments

The Associated Press


Amendment - 1 State Budget -
Florida 6942 of 6950 Precincts Reporting
NameVotesPct
Yes 2,532,853 59.79
No 1,703,746 40.21


Amendment - 3 Constitutional Amendments -
Florida 6942 of 6950 Precincts Reporting
NameVotesPct
Yes 2,563,351 57.70
No 1,879,008 42.30


Amendment - 4 Tobacco Settlement -
Florida 6942 of 6950 Precincts Reporting
NameVotesPct
Yes 2,749,535 60.90
No 1,765,234 39.10


Amendment - 6 Homestead Exemption -
Florida 6942 of 6950 Precincts Reporting
NameVotesPct
Yes 3,486,629 76.36
No 1,079,395 23.64


Amendment - 7 Vets Tax Break -
Florida 6942 of 6950 Precincts Reporting
NameVotesPct
Yes 3,505,617 77.80
No 1,000,324 22.20


Amendment - 8 Eminent Domain -
Florida 6942 of 6950 Precincts Reporting
NameVotesPct
Yes 3,007,417 69.03
No 1,349,394 30.97





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