There's dirty and then there's blatantly dishonest.
Republicans involved in the District 42 House race between Republican Michael LaRosa and Democrat Eileen Game say the Democratic Party of Florida is deliberately attempting to trick voters into believing they're voting for Rep. Mike Horner, the candidate who resigned on Sept. 24 and is no longer in the race.
They're doing it in a mailer to district voters, "deliberately assigning Horner's alleged misdeeds to the Republican now in the race, Michael LaRosa," Osceola County LaRosa supporter Helen Connor complained on Thursday.
And they were sending the mailer out after Horner resigned. "They knew very well what they were doing."
"The only way the Democrats can win is the dirty way," she said. "The Democratic Party of Florida delivers a terrible insult to the voters of District 42." She said the party is figuring they won't know the difference between Horner whose name turned up on a brothel-customer list, and LaRosa, a completely different individual who deserves to be judged on his own merit.
The latest mailer in the race, which was produced by the party, is in support of Democrat Eileen Game.
Horner was considered a shoo-in for re-election. His campaign had raised $223,901; Game's$16,390 -- and most of that came from personal loans to herself.
"Presumably," said Connor, "the Democrats think voters are so stupid they can be confused into believing Mike LaRosa is Mike Horner."
On Thursday Lenny Curry, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, called on the Florida Democratic Party to cease the misinformation campaign in House District 42.
Horner was officially replaced by Mike LaRosa, an Osceola County native and successful small-business owner. Horners name will remain on the Nov. 6 ballot but votes for him count for the District 42 Republican nominee, Mike LaRosa.
The only candidates that should be discussed are Mike LaRosa and Eileen Game, said Curry. The continued, systematic pattern of deception and trickery being engaged in by the Florida Democratic Party is nothing but gutter politics and speaks to the fact the Democratic Party must feel Eileen Game is unworthy to be elected in her own right.
The Democratic Party did not return Sunshine State News' phone calls Thursday.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
