Stop the Presses ! Republican Supports Democrat!

The Sarasota Herald Tribune is reporting that a local elected Republican official is endorsing and contributing money to the candidacy of Democrat Charles McKenzie who is in a three way race for the Fla. House District 55 seat.

Bold move? Probably not, more likely part of a growing trend in Sarasota, a trend building on a tradition of local Republicans supporting (and voting for) solid Democratic candidates. 

We see it in state wide races with Bill Nelson and Alex Sink and locally with the success of Keith Fitzgerald  and in the ostensibly non-partisan races in Venice and Sarasota. And we'll no doubt see it again in the District 1 County Commission race in November.

P.S. I too have contributed to the McKenzie campaign and support his candidacy. I've believed in Charles since I first heard him speak over five years ago. Earlier this year I marched next to Charles McKenzie holding the Democratic Party Banner with him from City Hall to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Park. His headline-making Republican supporter was nowhere to be seen at that time, but sometimes it just takes awhile to figure out what makes sense. Let's get out the local vote and see if we can put Charles over the top.