Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Bay Times column by Sue Carlton on the next mayor of Tampa:
Carlton: It’s time to play ‘Name that mayor’
SUE CARLTONTampa Bay Times
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 8:56pm
It’s the morning after Tampa’s city elections, and surely the question on everyone’s mind is:
Just how did Mayor Bob Buckhorn manage to fight off that fierce election challenge from the lone write-in candidate who, interestingly, once tried to run for the Legislature while in prison?
Kidding — the popular mayor had no real race.
But for the kingmakers, gadflies, gossips and political junkies among us, it’s never too soon to speculate. So the real question is:
Who replaces Buckhorn in four years, when he term-limits out and (probably) runs for governor?
The next mayoral race starts today, which makes it officially time for rampant gossip and outright speculation.
Some familiar names in the mix will surprise no one: Tampa City Council members Harry Cohen, Mike Suarez and council don Charlie Miranda, already a heartbeat from the mayor’s seat as council chairman.
Over in Hillsborough County government, Commissioners Sandy Murman and Victor Crist both come up, as does wonky former Commissioner Mark Sharpe.
There has even been speculation about Commissioner Ken Hagan. We’ll put him in the very unlikely but still interesting category.
State Rep. Dana Young, considered a Republican on the move, always gets a mention.
And here’s an intriguing one, not from politics: prominent Tampa lawyer Rhea Law, who said she was flattered at the speculation.
Four-time mayor Dick Greco?
No idea, he says — “That’s four years away.”
Miranda answers the question with a clear “no,” but most of the politicians will officially say only that they’re concentrating on the job at hand and the buzz that’s building in their city (cue that Buckhorn quote about giving a city its wings). Even for those who have no eye on the office, it’s nice to be thought of.
But the most interesting name of all has to be soon-to-retire Tampa police Chief Jane Castor — so recognized in these parts that when she recently pushed a woman’s stalled car out of a busy downtown intersection, people took photos.
(Though it might have been more helpful had they actually, you know, helped.)
Here is what Castor had to say on the subject of her personal potential mayorhood:
The fact that her name comes up as a candidate “just makes me realize the drug problem in this city is much more dire than I anticipated.”
Besides, the insurance company denied a new prosthetic replacement for the tip of her trigger finger, lost trying to start a boat — “thereby taking away my ability to point out the obvious, a necessary skill for any successful politician.”
But seriously: “No. I’m a police officer and I don’t think the citizens want a police officer as a mayor. I’ll leave that up to people who are politically astute.”
All of which will probably mean people talk her up as a candidate even more.
Speaking of no, Pam Iorio, former mayor and current head of Big Brothers Big Sisters, has said no, no, a thousand times no, but that doesn’t stop her name from coming up every time people get to speculating about a post-Buckhorn era.
Will any of this actually happen?
In four years, we’ll talk.
