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The Daytona Times
September 26, 1999

by James Harper

There is a possible Senate candidate crisscrossing the state listening to what others have to say, raising funds and hopefully, in the end, winning support after deciding to run.

This may sound like First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hopes to be elected from New York State. But there is another potential Senate candidate who lives in Florida and wants to represent this state. That candidate is State Rep. Willie Logan.

Unlike the first lady, Logan was born in Florida and has no desire to represent any other state than the one he has lived in all of his life.

Logan’s candidacy has not gained the media attention that Mrs. Clinton has garnered. But if Logan has his way, when he officially announces he wants to become the first Black elected to the United States Senate from the state, going around the state looking for attention will be the least of his worries. Logan was in Daytona Beach Tuesday and gave a candid interview at the Daytona Times office about his past accomplishments as well as what he hopes the future may hold for him. Though he would not say he was definitely running, all indications are he will. He has business cards announcing his candidacy as well as a website reachable by calling up www.logan2000.org.

"Ten months ago I wouldn’t have considered running for the Senate, but things change," said Logan, who at 42, has spent the past 19 years of his life as an elected official, most of that time as a state representative from the Opa-locka area. Twenty years ago, barely 21, Logan was elected Mayor of Opa-locka, the youngest elected city leader in America at the time.

"Being an American, I will not limit myself in anyway," said Logan. Commenting on what he thinks may be in his future.

It was last year around this time when the state’s constitution was amended to create equal access to the ballot when the idea of being a senator or holding another elected position that requires him to run statewide first popped into Logan’s head. Logan said the constitution was changed to make it easier to place a name on the ballot without having to be nominated by a party. In addition, there were changes to paying a qualifying fee and petitioning for a particular office.

"It was prohibitive to access the ballot unless you were with a party. It was even more difficult for a Black to win the party’s nomination, the primary and then the general election," said Logan. Logan has been a life long Democrat and he says he will probably always remain a Democrat because he feels more comfortable in that party than any other.

There were news reports last year that after he was passed over as possible speaker of the house that he was going to switch to the Republican Party.

Logan says he never said anything about switching parties and doesn’t know where the rumors started. Though he is a Democrat, Logan says he considers himself a free agent.

"I work with both parties in order to accomplish what is in the best interest of my community. I am not going to limit myself. I will work with whomever regardless of party affiliation," said Logan, who shocked his party when he publicly endorsed Republican Jeb Bush for governor, who went on to be elected.

"I have worked with all of them (Republicans and Democrats). They are decent human beings and care about people. We are not their priorities – we, as in Blacks. We as a community have to leverage ourselves. Democrats have taken us for granted. Republicans have ignored us," said Logan, who gives Bush high marks on his first 10 months in office. Logan even supports Bush’s A+ Education Plan which allows students to transfer out of schools that receive failing grades within a four-year period to another school using a voucher funded from state coffers. "I am not advocating vouchers. But I will say it isn’t hurting anybody. It is making sure schools are getting the resources they need," said Logan, who remembers when he went to segregated schools as a child. The all-white schools got eight times more funding than the all-Blacks schools. Logan admits in spite of the disadvantages, most Blacks were able to succeed. He says parents’ attitudes as well as the children’s attitudes were different. Logan said he was raised to be better that the best in order to do anything. Those same values are not being instilled in today's Black children. "We spend so much time blaming other people. We have to be responsible for ourselves," said Logan.

When Logan becomes an official candidate, which he says will likely be within the next six weeks, he says he will run independent of the two parties.

By running as such, Logan will more than likely make it a three-way race between himself and two other announced candidates, Democrat Bill Nelson, the state’s insurance commissioner, and Republican Bill McCollum, a U.S. representative, most recently known for his attacks against President Bill Clinton when he served on the House Judiciary Committee when it voted to impeach Clinton. What this means, says Logan, is that he may not need 50 percent of the vote in order to win. And he quickly pointed out Clinton won with less than 50% and hinted that he has been one of the country’s best presidents. "It is much more practical now to win statewide elections. I need one-third of the money and of the vote, " said Logan, pointing out that running independent of a party, he only has to participate in the general election.

"I know who is going to vote for me – Blacks, Hispanics, young people and liberal folks, continued Logan. The combination of voters to win are similar to the ones who helped elect former wrestler Jesse Ventura to be governor of Minnesota and this fact has not escaped Logan.

Logan is not forthcoming in comparing himself to Ventura, but he has hired the same media firm that represented the current governor of the Midwestern state.

Logan is willing to match his credentials against any of his competitors. "Where I’ve been, I’ve passed legislation. Willie Logan can say he was the sponsor of a bill and it became law," said Logan. As a senator, Logan said he will continue to speak up and defend issues he has been passionate about as a representative.

"Every kid should have access to higher education and a good education. All children should have access to health care. We need to be a lot more proactive to make it difficult for people to own guns," said Logan adding there should be higher tariffs on guns; laws that require trigger locks; persons can only purchase one gun a month; and the police department should be prevented from selling guns to the public.