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Politics

Meek Files Petitions to Get on Ballot

March 28, 2010 - 6:00pm


Kendrick Meek's U.S. Senate campaign turned in petitions Monday to place him on the ballot, edging the Democratic representative closer to becoming the first ever statewide candidate to avoid paying Florida's hefty filing fee.

We have made history by filing over 145,000 signatures, said campaign manager Abe Dyk.

Since 1974, when the U.S. Supreme Court determined that every state must create alternatives to paying a filing fee, Florida has offered two ways of getting on the ballot: either paying $10,000, the highest filing fee in the nation, or turning in petitions signed by at least 1 percent of all registered voters.

If Meeks petitions are valid, he will be the first statewide candidate to qualify through the petition route.

This is the first candidate placed on the ballot by the people of Florida and not by a check, said Dyk.

Now that the signatures are turned in, Meek is celebrating, although the county election boards have until April 19 to certify the results. This is a victory before the victory, he said.

Meek needs to have more than 112,476 valid signatures from all 67 counties to make the ballot by petition. His campaign team said that their 145,000 signatures include more than 10,000 Republicans. Dyk said that 45,000 of the signatures came from voters who went to the ballots in 2008 but sat out during non-presidential elections like the one in 2006, and that Meek is now able to count on their support.

Meek said the petition effort shows he is able to reach beyond his South Florida district to other parts of the state. Were going to be counting on not just the I-4 corridor, but the I-10 corridor, said Meek.

We made it a point to focus on Jacksonville, he said, referring to thousands of signatures his campaign brought in from Duval County. I dont want to be competitive in Duval County. I want to win it.

Meek said he has campaigned in Escambia County five times so far in the campaign and thinks he will do well in North Florida come November.

The petition process, he said, has helped his campaign in many ways, such as increasing recognition across the state and building his campaign team.

Its made me a better candidate, Meek said.

Dyk said the campaign has reached a jumping-off point for an even bigger grassroots effort."

While volunteers and campaign staff members turned in petitions, Meek also relied on some big-name Democrats to file the paperwork. Former Tampa Mayor Sandra Freedman and state Rep. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, turned in the petitions in Hillsborough County. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings filed there, and in Tallahassee, state Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, joined Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman in turning in the paperwork.

When asked if this means Thurman is officially backing Meek's campaign over rivals' in the Democratic primary field, Meek said, I wouldnt say its an endorsement, but it is a leg up for our campaign.

Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com, or (850) 727-0859.

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