There's an ugly rumor going around that I'm running for Congress. It's true.
But don't worry, I'm running in somebody else's district. That's right, Florida law allows you to run for a congressional seat even if you don't happen to live in that particular district. So simply by filing my Federal Loyalty Oath with the Florida Division of Elections, I qualified as a write-in candidate for the 18th congressional district seat in Dade County, currently held by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
While I disagree with Rep. Ros-Lehtinen on many key issues, that's not why I'm running for her seat. I'm challenging her because she had no other declared opponents, which means she would have been reelected by default. Rep. Ros-Lehtinen's name would not even have appeared on the ballot.
This kind of political "done deal" robs voters of the power to have a real say in our government. In 1998, 15 incumbent members of Florida's congressional delegation ran unopposed. That's why I agreed to join 22 other people from across Florida who are running as write-in candidates in each of the state's congressional districts— to ensure that every voter has a choice this year
Of course, I have no delusions about actually winning the seat. I am not actively campaigning, and I am not raising or spending campaign funds. And as a write-in candidate, my name will not even appear on the ballot; there will only be a blank line where voters can write in my name or anyone else's. But that's the whole point— they will have a choice.
The reason that congressional incumbents often get a free ride is that they are able to amass enormous sums of campaign funds from special interests. For example, even though Rep. Ros-Lehtinen has no real opposition this year, she has well over a million dollars in campaign funds on hand. That would be a pretty daunting obstacle for any serious opponent.
In the end, Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and other powerful incumbents will be reelected with no serious opposition, so what will my candidacy actually accomplish?
Well for one, voters will at least see their congressional representative's name on the ballot and have the opportunity to vote for someone else or "none of the above." And hopefully, my candidacy will help to fan the flames of civic involvement, so that in the 2002 elections, maybe the voters of the 18th district will have a real choice.