Things are never easy for Bill Hager who is now running for a third term to represent parts of Palm Beach County in the Florida House. Hager is now in a nasty fight with a promising political newcomer and both of the states major parties have already stepped in to help.
In 2012, Hager was pitted against a top Democratic candidate in Tom Gustafson who represented the area for years in the House, eventually leading it as speaker. Hager beat Gustafson by almost 6.5 percent but now he faces another serious Democratic challenger in David Ryan Silvers.
Hager has one of the most interesting backgrounds in the Florida House, having been president of a company focused on expert witness testimony for insurance cases and serving a stint in Iowa politics. During his time in Iowa, Hager was elected to the West Des Moines School Board, served as an assistant attorney general and even served as chief of staff to Congressman Tom Tauke.
Moving to Florida in 1990, Hager has moved up the Sunshine States political ladder after being elected to the Boca Raton City Council in 2002. Elected to the House in 2010, Hager is one of the shrewdest legislators in the chamber and the leadership has recognized it, letting him vice chair the Civil Justice Subcommittee and the Insurance and Banking Subcommittee. Hager has been able to present himself to voters as a fiscal conservative who is tough on crime.
Standing in Hagers path to a third term is Democrat David Silvers, a businessman who has been active in the community for years. Even though he is being backed by the unions, Silvers is hard to paint as an economic liberal since he has plenty of ties to the local business community. On environmental and social issues, though, Silvers leans to the left, supporting same-sex marriage for example.
The RPOF is already on the attack, running TV ads hitting Silvers record in the private sector. The Florida Democrats are also on the air for Silvers, painting Hager as an insider, a lobbyist and bad on senior issues.
Hager has always been a strong fundraiser and this year has been no exception. By Oct. 3, he had brought in more than $253,000 -- $67,000 since Sept. 13 -- and used more than $195,000 of that amount. But Silvers has been no lightweight, raising $111,800, loaning his campaign $25,000 and spending $101,000. Silvers has relied on $76,600 through in-kind donations compared to Hagers $28,800. Both candidates are also relying on the state parties to hit their opponents.
This is a swing district but it can lean Republican for the right candidate. Republicans have a slight edge on the Democrats when it comes to registrations here -- 36 percent to 34 percent -- and voters outside the major parties continue to grow. Two years ago, 26 percent of voters here stood outside the major parties. Now that number is 30 percent.
These independent voters can often help push a candidate over the top and lately the winners here have been Republicans. Mitt Romney beat out Barack Obama by 4 percent here. Rick Scott took the district over Alex Sink by 2 percent in 2010. And Hager did even better in 2012 than Romney, besting Gustafson by almost 6.5 percent.
This trend, coupled with the powers of incumbency and his cash advantage, should give Hager the edge. But Silvers will keep it close and there remains a chance he could pull this one off.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis piece exclusively for Sunshine State News.
