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Florida Times-Union
September 30, 1999

by Randolph Pendleton

Tallahassee - The race to fill U.S. Sen. Connie Mack's seat is just taking shape and already it is getting complicated.

State Rep. Willie Logan of Opa-locka entered the contest yesterday, joining U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, an Orlando Republican, and Insurance Commissioner Bill Nelson, a Democrat.

Education Commissioner Tom Gallagher, another Republican, has not made up his mind yet whether to run.

Logan is a Democrat who has flirted with the Republicans and is running with no party affiliation and the slogan "Think Independent." Got that?

By running without affiliation, he can skip the primaries and go directly to the general election.

Logan, although still registered as a Democrat, has been disaffected with his party since House Democrats voted in January 1998 to replace him as their leader. Some members complained Logan was not devoting enough time to the job.

Logan said that incident caused him to rethink his commitment to the party and to branch out as a more independent operator, setting his own course.

Logan said he had cordial conversations with Gov. Jeb Bush, Democratic State Chairman Charles Whitehead and Nelson on Tuesday night, when he notified them of his intention.

Whitehead said Logan assured him he would not bash the Democratic Party, and he told Logan he would not make any personal attacks on him.

Republican State Chairman Al Cardenas did not welcome Logan's candidacy with much enthusiasm, though.

Cardenas said Logan would probably raise most of his money from Republican contributors, who otherwise might give it to the GOP candidate.

The presence of a third candidate in the general election could dilute media coverage of the Democratic and Republican candidates, Cardenas added.

"I would just as soon have a one-and-one match up," Cardenas said.

While conceding he is in an uphill battle, Logan said in news conferences in Tallahassee, Tampa and Miami that he is running to win.

He has enlisted William Hillsman of Minneapolis, who handled advertising for Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, to be his media consultant.

Although he did not dwell on issues at his news conference, he said he wants to ensure that children are ready to learn by the time they start to school, that guns are kept out of the hands of criminals, and that citizens keep more of what they earn and have economic opportunity and security.

Pollster Jim Kane, editor of the nonpartisan Florida Voter, said a survey this summer showed Nelson well ahead of McCollum and Logan in a three-person race, but he expected it to become tighter in the course of the campaign.