"U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE RIDES INTO AREA"

The Bradenton Herald
June 22, 2000

by Jeremy Murphy

BRADENTON -- Hoping to bring his U.S. Senate campaign to a more grass roots level, independent candidate Willie Logan rode into Bradenton on a motorcycle Wednesday morning, just one more stop on his six-week road tour of Florida.

Logan will challenge Rep. Bill McCollum, R-Orlando, and Democrat insurance commissioner Bill Nelson in November for Connie Mack's seat in the Senate. He has been on the road since May 8, travel with a small band of supporters and regional bikers, hoping to bring attention for his campaign.

"It's important for a candidate running for public office to get out and meet as many constituents as you can," said Logan, who has traveled more than 3,000 miles on a Yamaha 1100 V Star
motorcycle. "We want to do it in an efficient and effective way that helps us to see Florida in a way I haven't seen it."

Logan, 43, has represented Opa-Locka and northwest Miami-Dade County in the Florida House since 1982. Before that, he was mayor of Opa-Locka, which made him the youngest mayor in the United States at the time. He was only 23.

Logan's first stop in Manatee County was a 10 a.m. meeting with county clerk Chip Shore at the Manatee County Courthouse, followed by a short meeting with County Commissioner Gwen Brown.  Afterward, Logan headed to Sarasota for a bag lunch with community leaders at the
Good Will Center.

The candidate spent Wednesday night in Sarasota and hit the road early this morning, where he will continue on his road tour scheduled to conclude July 4 in the Florida Keys.

Throughout his travels, Logan has camped at state parks, gone canoe riding with locals, taught for a day in an elementary school, visited hospitals, courthouses and a phosphate mine. 

"We're not just riding a bike on this tour," Logan said, noting he visits eight to nine places in each community he stops in. "Biking removes all barriers between me and the people."

Though it's his first time riding on a motorcycle, other than a 20-hour safety course two weeks before the tour began last month in Century, it's the best way to go as far as Logan is concerned.
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"I'm as comfortable as anyone should be on a bike," Logan said.  It's a challenge and a lot of fun. It gives you the kind of perspective you won't get in a car or a bus."

The candidate has also attracted a few groupies along the way. "We've never been alone on this
tour. We've attracted riders everywhere we've gone," Logan said, noting as many as 100 bikers at a time have joined him through his travels. He had four bikers trailing him in Bradenton, and 30
expected to follow him around Sarasota. Some of them have even helped him pay for gas money, collecting donations with their helmets.

One of those bikers was Mary Jo "Mojo" Stephens, a Bradenton resident who met Logan at a Tallahassee bikers conference.

"You don't find a lot of politicians willing to take off their suits and ties and get out and meet
new people," Stephens said. "He's worked hard for the biking community, and I think we should
work hard for him. I may even get up tomorrow and follow him to Charlotte County."

Although the biking tour has received wide-spread attention, Logan is still considered the dark
horse in the upcoming election.  His opponents have raised millions of dollars in the last few months at campaign fund-raisers, but Logan said that's the difference between their campaigns and his.

"They've done very little but raise money," Logan said. "The citizens don't have any exposure to them. They're phantom candidates. All they're doing is raising money."