Clemens, Slosberg duel for Senate seat

By JIM TURNER
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, July 21, 2016.......... Democratic voters in Palm Beach County next month will decide a rare primary battle between an incumbent state senator and a member of the state House.

And there is little affection between the key players in what is a three-way contest for the redrawn Senate District 31 seat.

Sen. Jeff Clemens of Lake Worth, who is in line to eventually become Senate Democratic leader, is trading barbs with Rep. Irv Slosberg of Boca Raton over legislative efforts, residency and who is the "true" Democrat.

The third candidate in the race is Emmanuel Morel of Wellington, a former federal labor investigator who was soundly defeated in a 2014 Democratic congressional primary by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch.

The winner of the Aug. 30 primary in the central Palm Beach County district is virtually guaranteed to take the seat as there is only a write-in candidate to face in the November general election.

The Clemens-Slosberg battle is the only Senate primary this year in which an incumbent senator is being challenged by a House member.

Slosberg's abilities to finance his own campaign and draw attention have elevated the primary. Slosberg, 68, has been a high-profile leader of efforts to improve traffic safety after the 1996 death of his daughter Dori in a car crash.

"Races between elected officials at the primary level are always pretty tough and can be pretty rough, because oftentimes they are competing for the same voters with similar positions," said Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Boca Raton-based Florida Atlantic University. "When that happens, it can get very, very personal."

Clemens is quick to dismiss Slosberg as a single-issue candidate who is trying to "buy" an office outside the district where he resides.

"He had an opportunity to run for the seat where he lives, he instead chose to run where he doesn't live and there is an incumbent," Clemens said. "We're just going to have to hope that people realize who is the better Democrat and better legislator."

Slosberg had initially opened a campaign account for the seat in more-southern Senate District 29, where his home is located. On the final day of qualifying, he submitted paperwork for District 31.

Clemens claimed that Republicans were behind the move. In introducing a new campaign video on Wednesday, Clemens sought to label himself the "true" Democrat in the contest.

Slosberg called Clemens the district's "stranger" because Lake Worth is at its northern end and dismissed the Republican allegation. Slosberg said his district change was because District 31 is close to his office and includes many of the people he currently represents in the House.

Slosberg acknowledged that Clemens' history of traffic tickets and support for certain transportation-related legislation, particularly a 2014 proposal that could have allowed speed limits to be increased 5 mph on state highways, were also on his mind.

"The people from District 31 didn't send Clemens to Tallahassee to go raise the speed limit when AAA was fighting against it," Slosberg said, referring to the auto club. "I lost my daughter because of speeds and this jerk, he's walking into the House Democratic caucus and he's trying to sell how it's extremely important to raise the speed limits in the state of Florida. The whole thing was shocking."

Slosberg said he wants to remain in Tallahassee to concentrate on improving public safety --- from roads to guns --- and to focus on education, senior services and to "fight against Rick Scott, the Republican Legislature and the NRA."

Slosberg was first elected to the state House in 2000 and served through 2006, when he ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat.

Slosberg returned to the House in 2010 and could have sought re-election this year. Daughter Emily Slosberg, who had considered a run for the state Senate, is now running for his House seat.

Clemens, 45, an energy contractor and former mayor of Lake Worth, was elected to the state House in 2010 and moved into the Senate two years later.

Clemens said district voters care about water quality, abortion rights, quality public education and regulations regarding what are known as "sober homes."

"I work on a huge variety of issues on behalf of Democrats in Tallahassee and you have to when you're in the Senate," Clemens said.

Morel, the third candidate in the primary, said he's running, in part, to push for tax reforms to help the poor --- cutting in half the state sales tax and instituting a state income tax.

Born in Haiti, the 56-year-old Morel also said he's bothered that Clemens has publicly questioned Slosberg for entering the contest.

"He said Slosberg should not challenge him because he's supposed to be the new (Senate) minority leader," Morel said. "Well, who died and left him king? This is a democracy. No one is entitled to anything. Barack Obama challenged Hillary Clinton, who was the anointed one in 2008."

Clemens said Morel is a "good dude" but like Slosberg doesn't live in the district.

"This is my district by virtue of the fact that I live here," Clemens said. "District 31 is the district for anybody who lives in the district. I can tell you whose district it's not, Irv Slosberg, because he doesn't live here."

Slosberg has loaned $170,000 to his campaign account since June 1 and, including that money, had nearly $33,000 on hand as of July 8.

Clemens, who put $20,000 of his own money into the race in May, had about $104,000 on hand as of July 8, the latest reported figures.