News Articles
State lawmaker switches races, seeks County Commission seat
Pensacola News Journal - May 8, 2010
State Rep. Dave Murzin said he's tired of hearing about controversy among some candidates running for the District 2 Escambia County Commission seat.
Murzin, who has spent four terms in the state House, also wants to spend more time with his young son.
So, he's dropping out of the District 2 State Senate race and entering the race for the District 2 Escambia County Commission seat held by embattled Commissioner Gene Valentino.
Murzin, R-Pensacola, prefiled on Friday as a Republican for the seat.
"My first reason for running for the commission seat is because I have an 11-year-old son, Ben, and since 1998 he has missed an awful lot of time with me and I have missed an awful lot of time with my son," Murzin said. "People think the Legislature is just 60 days in Tallahassee, but it pretty much consumes seven months of your life.
"Secondly, I am sick and tired of opening up the Pensacola News Journal and reading about another controversy with a county commissioner or another group of candidates for District 2. It's a commissioner under indictment or candidates mired in controversy or something all the time."
Valentino, who pleaded not guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge that he solicited a campaign contribution on government property, welcomed what is now the eighth candidate to the District 2 race.
"It's a democracy. Come one, come all," Valentino said. "This District 2 race certainly has attracted a lot of candidates."
Valentino is due back in court June 16. And it's unclear whether Gov. Charlie Crist will choose to remove him from office.
"The governor has the authority to remove a commissioner who has been indicted," Valentino said. "I haven't heard from (the governor's) office."
District 2 candidate George Touart resigned as Escambia County administrator in September 2007 after several News Journal articles detailing his failure to reveal business ties to companies and individuals doing business with the county.
Murzin said a great number of constituents asked that he run for the commission seat.
"Somewhere down the line, we are going to need people in there who are giving straight talk and honest answers to move this county forward," Murzin said. "More and more people I have talked to have said we need someone we can count on."
Murzin lives in a subdivision near the corner of Nine Mile and Pine Forest roads in District 5. He said he plans to begin renting a place to live within District 2 sometime between now and the Aug. 24 primary.
Murzin has served four two-year terms since 2002 as the District 2 state House representative. By law, he must leave office after four consecutive terms.
When asked whether his decision to switch races was in part because he questioned his chances of winning the Senate race, he said: "No, I think I had a fantastic opportunity to win the Senate seat. The majority of this district is Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, and that's where I have been since 1978."
Murzin, 46, is a commercial Realtor and property manager.
Considering he makes $27,900 a year as a legislator — while commissioners earn about $74,400 — some may suggest he needs a better-paying job than state senator.
"Anybody who knows me knows I don't do something like this for the money," Murzin said.
Changing races
The Florida Division of Elections still lists Murzin as an active candidate for the Senate race, of which Rep. Greg Evers and Mike Hill are candidates.
However, Murzin has submitted a form to the Division of Elections to redesignate his campaign from the Senate seat to the County Commission seat, said Escambia Supervisor of Elections David Stafford.
When a candidate's race for office changes, the candidate must notify all campaign contributors within 15 days. The contributors have 30 days to ask for their campaign contributions to be returned, according to state election law.
If contributors do not ask for the money to be returned, the candidate can use the funds for their new race, the law says.
Valentino, Touart, Karen Sindel, Robert Kelley and Andy Kowalski have all prefiled to run for the District 2 commission seat as Republicans.
Myra Simmons has prefiled as a Democrat. Paul Redman prefiled as an independent.
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