It looks like Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner will have some competition for his seat come next year's election. Three Republicans contenders filed paperwork with the county's election office to run for the District 6 seat in the November 2012 general election. However, the three will have to face off in the Republican Primary on Aug. 14, 2012.
Beckner earned his seat in 2008 when he defeated incumbent Brian Blair handily, becoming the first openly gay elected official to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners.
Steve Cona, a fifth-generation county resident who lives in Westchase, is making his first run for office with a bid against Beckner, a financial planner. Cona is the chief operating officer of the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. His campaign said he wants to focus on the way the county does business during his upcoming campaign. His campaign website touts â┚¬Å”conservative valuesâ┚¬Â and â┚¬Å”new ideas.â┚¬ÂÂ
“I want to change the way we do business at County Center,” he said in a campaign statement. “As I talk with voters, I hear a growing discontent with local government and their inaction in regards to our stagnant local economy. I am running to change that.”
Cona said he believes there is a “disconnect” between the commission and residents.
â┚¬Å”Businesses are suffering, families are suffering, and the County Commission has not taken meaningful action,” the 39-year-old said in the statement.
The other GOP candidate so far is Margaret Iuculano, a child advocate and businesswoman from Apollo Beach. She is the former owner of a Microsoft training business and also markets her pro-business platform.
“I have an economic development plan for actively courting businesses that will help create jobs right here,” the 44-year-old said in a campaign statement.
Brad Faircloth, 40, a Republican and ordained minister at Palma Ceia Primitive Baptist Church in Tampa, has also filed to challenge Beckner in the 2012 elections. While his website was still under construction at press time, he did post a press release in response to Beckner's support of GaYbor Daysâ┚¬â€Âan annual celebration of the economic impact of the GaYbor District Coalition.
â┚¬Å”Beckner has no problem pushing a Proclamation that only recognizes the GaYbor district, which is a district that heavily supported his last campaign,â┚¬Â he said in the release. â┚¬Å”This is a direct slap in the face to the many small business owners in this county who have been struggling in this tough economy to stay afloat. It should also never be in the interest of the county commission to single out citizens based on their sexual orientation in order to play favoritism.â┚¬ÂÂ
In a separate statement, Faircloth said the economy was his top priority.
“With 11.2 percent unemployment, one of the things this county needs is someone who is focused on economic development,” he told the Tampa Tribune. “I have that experience.”
Beckner, 40, is a graduate of Indiana University, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Crominal Justice. He worked as a police officer throughout his college days after graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in 1990.
Since winning his seat on the board, Beckner created the Juvenile Justice Task Force and serves on the boards of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission, Arts Council, Children’s Board, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Value Adjustment Board.
Beckner has reportedly already raised more than $22,000 for the election next year.
