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In Ronda Country, Storms has backers in many corners

To some, she is a warrior. To others, she's the best option to beat the ex-House speaker in a Senate race.

By LETITIA STEIN and S.I. ROSENBAUM
Published January 7, 2006

BRANDON - Roy Davis stood on the flatbed of a GMC truck, wearing a cowboy hat and a bolo tie, talking about his favorite county commissioner, Ronda Storms.

"I don't want my granddaughter to become a go-go dancer!" Davis bellowed. "And I don't want my grandson to go into the public library and find displays promoting the homosexual lifestyle!"

The crowd of more than 100 people cheered.

"We need more public figures like Ronda Storms," he said.

Amen! the crowd shouted.

They waved signs in the air: We Love Ronda. Protect Our Children. This is Ronda Country.

The rally on Friday evening lasted 45 minutes as a string of east Hillsborough residents praised Storms in glowing terms.

This is the adoring core of voters upon which Storms is depending as she prepares for an expected race for the state Senate.

"She's a warrior," said Terry Kemple. "I see her with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other hand, fighting our battle. Ronda's about love. She loves people."

But even before her campaign has begun, Storm's candidacy is being pushed by forces in the state capital who want to keep former House Speaker Johnnie Byrd from returning. Byrd, a Plant City Republican, is rumored to be considering a run.

The business lobby could also throw thousands in campaign contributions behind Storms, who would face in the Republican primary former state Rep. Sandy Murman, who's being backed by trial lawyers and health care professionals.

Those groups have pledged thousands to Murman, whose husband is a prominent Tampa attorney. Murman's campaign war chest topped $250,000, according to the latest report filed in October.

Ray Young, a Plant City businessman, is also running as a Republican.

Upping the ante, state lawmakers are throwing their influence into local races.

Limited to eight years in office, they don't have much time to make friends. So ambitious politicians often help a newbie get elected. The payback: a vote for a prime leadership post.

"Watch closely who's backing them," said Sen. Tom Lee, the Brandon Republican vacating the Senate seat to run for Florida's chief financial officer. "(Voters) can learn a lot."

Tallahassee isn't waiting for Storms to announce her candidacy formally. Business interests already want Storms to run, said Doug McAlarney, a GOP political consultant.

To many political insiders, she's the candidate with the best chance to defeat Byrd.

"It's almost like they are going out of their way to beat him," said McAlarney, a Byrd supporter, noting that the Plant City politician enjoys good relations with voters.

As House leader, however, Byrd made enemies of lobbyists and interest groups. He sparred with Lee. He labeled his fellow representatives, including Murman, as "sheep."

After losing a bid for the U.S. Senate in 2004, he returned to Plant City to work as an attorney. In recent weeks, he did not return phone calls from the St. Petersburg Times.

But history suggests that Byrd would make a strong contender against Storms. In 1996, Byrd squeaked past Storms with 51 percent of the vote in a race for a state House seat, a difference of about 100 votes in the Republican primary. He won the general election.

Two years later, east Hillsborough voters elected Storms to the County Commission.

She typically has run low-budget, grass-roots campaigns. While Christian conservatives form the backbone of her political base, Storms is well-regarded among many east Hillsborough homeowners associations and civic activists for services to residents.

Still, she's controversial. When hundreds rallied against a proposed bikini bar in Valrico, Storms advocated on their behalf. Now a community activist is asking the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office to investigate misconduct in the role that Storms played in blocking the bar.

In the long-run, the bikini bar issue could increase Storms' popularity, said Mark Proctor, a Brandon Republican consultant.

"If I had to call it right now, I'd say she still wins," Proctor said.

But a well-financed competitor raises a wild-card for Storms, who will face scrutiny for a history of off-the-cuff comments at County Commission meetings.

"Commercial writers are going to go crazy," said Clif Curry, a Brandon attorney and Republican activist supporting Murman. "Ronda has never been exposed to a campaign where the other candidate has had the funds to publicize the issues and the stands that she's taken."

At least, not yet.

Letitia Stein can be reached at lstein@sptimes.com or 661-2443.

[Last modified January 7, 2006, 01:09:14]