by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Former City Council member Denise Lee is tossing her hat back in the ring.
Lee has filed paperwork with the Supervisor of Elections Office to run for the District 8 seat currently held by Gwen Yates, who will step down in 2007 due to term limits.
Lee joins six others who have filed to run in the 2007 election in various Council races and she’s the only one with any experience as an elected official.
So far, she’s unopposed.
“I am running again because I love politics,” said Lee, a member of Council from 1991-99 whose independent spirit frequently caused clashes with other members. “Politics is the only thing I know of that you can do and help a lot of people. If you get one street light put in, you have helped a lot of people.”
The six people who also filed to run are all seeking seats currently held by Council members who will be term-limit victims in two years. Armando Grundy-Gomes is seeking Elaine Brown’s At-Large Group 2 seat; Ellan Duke and Jay Olchak are running for Lynette Self’s District 2 seat; Don Redman is after Suzanne Jenkins’ District 4 seat; and Richard Berry and Frank Harding are seeking Warren Alvarez’s District 11 seat.
If successful, Lee would become only the second Council member to serve, leave the Council for any reason and get elected to another term.
In 1994, Matt Carlucci resigned from Council to run for the Florida Senate, as did Ginny Myrick. Jim Horne defeated Myrick in the Republican primary and then beat Carlucci in the general election. In 1999, Carlucci was elected to Council again before he resigned to unsuccessfully run for mayor in 2003.
Lee said her desire to run again stems from her desire to serve the public again and finish some of the projects she started years ago.
“I still want to build buildings and clean up neighborhoods,” said Lee who spent the four years after her first stint on Council as a member of the State House of Representatives before losing a bid for a State Senate seat. “There is a need for that kind of leadership. I still want to help people. I want to go to bat for people and I want to work in the neighborhoods. You can’t get too far removed from your neighborhood.”
Lee said she is putting together her support team that will begin raising money and formulating a campaign strategy. She said a specific date hasn’t been determined as to when the campaign will begin in earnest, but she realizes that even her district and even as an eight-year Council member she needs to become more active.
“I never stopped being out there with the people,” said Lee, who graduated from Stanton High. “No question, I am not as visible because I am not elected right now. It is an open seat, so anyone can run.”
All seven candidates that have filed to run will also have to start submitting quarterly campaign treasurer reports. The next report is due July 11. Candidate qualifying — through either petitions of paying the qualifying fee — is Feb. 20-27, 2007.
The first election in 2007 is set for April 10 and the general election is May 8.