Shapiro ready to take on Buchanan in the fall. But first he has to win his primary

With Rep. Vern Buchanan inevitably waiting in the wings for the general election, Democrats have some deciding to do.

Both David Shapiro and Jan Schneider are running for the Democratic nomination and the right to try to unseat Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, in Florida’s 16th Congressional District. Both candidates have run for office before but have never been elected.

With direct attacks ads against one another, Shapiro and Buchanan seem to have already predicted the outcome of the primary. Campaign finance records tell the tale, as well. Schneider’s largely self-funded campaign has about $73,000 on hand, which is a far cry from Shapiro’s $440,000. Buchanan commands an even larger amount than either Democratic candidate, with more than $2 million at his disposal, according to the Federal Elections Commission.

Schneider is running on a self-proclaimed progressive platform that encompasses issues such as raising minimum wage to $15 an hour and combating climate change. The Democrat and Sarasota lawyer said healthcare is her most important campaign issue, however.

“Not only the wealthy deserve to be healthy,” Schneider says, noting that her ideas include improving the “overly expensive and cumbersome” Obamacare and transitioning to Medicare for all.

Schneider has run for a congressional seat six times now. She most recently contested Buchanan in 2016, when she made it past the primary but fell short of being elected with 40 percent of voter support. Unhappy with what’s going on in Washington, Schneider is running again to represent her constituents, which she says Buchanan hasn’t done.

“I’ve been talking to all these people but this is the second oldest district in the country,” said the 71-year-old candidate. “You have to represent who sends you in.”

Even ahead of the primary, Buchanan seems to have predicted his opponent in the general election. The six-term congressman launched a series attacks against Shapiro in July. Schneider, who refuses to run attack ads of any nature, said with those, Buchanan “gone overboard.”

“I don’t like the ads on either side, of course they’re horrible. Let’s look at the real issues. I’m an issue person. I can’t stand personal attacks because the issues are too important,” Schneider said.

Shapiro, who has drawn the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C., has a different take on the early attacks.

“They show that he’s scared,” Shapiro said, adding that the targeted ads are “a distraction and a distortion.”

The Buchanan television commercials, which air in the Tampa Bay market and online, have claimed that Shapiro’s campaign position related to fighting climate change, the opioid crisis and gun reform legislation are undermined by his stock holdings in related companies.

In an interview with the Bradenton Herald, Shapiro was adamant that his stock holdings wouldn’t affect proposed legislation if elected. While he owns stock in controversial companies such as Halliburton and ConocoPhillips, Shapiro noted that he hasn’t accepted money from those corporations.

Floridians For a Fair Shake, a dark money nonprofit group, has run its own campaign against Buchanan, taking aim at the congressman’s controversial yacht purchase on the same day he voted for a tax cut bill that he helped write.

In 2006, Shapiro ran for a state House seat against Republican Doug Holder, losing the race by about 1,000 votes. The Sarasota lawyer became preoccupied with running his law firm and raising his family, but says his experience protecting the underdogs has prepared him for a greater challenge.

“After 30 years of practicing law, representing people and really addressing the issues of the day by protecting people against the powerful insurance companies, negligent corporations and incompetent federal government, I wanted to take it to Washington because I believe I can help those very same people but on a broader scale,” said 58-year-old Shapiro.

Some of Shapiro’s top campaign issues are making sure veterans get their benefits, protecting the environment and providing affordable healthcare. With talk of a predicted “Blue Wave” of Democrat victories across the country, Shapiro said he thinks of it as more an “enlightenment.”

“I think for many years people didn’t believe what happened in Washington really has much impact on their lives — Republican, Democrat, it didn’t matter. I think now they realize that elections do have consequences,” Shapiro said. “That’s why I’d like to share with them what Vern has actually voted because he’s got a 12-year record and we’re going to address that.”

Shapiro has been endorsed by former Rep. Gabby Giffords, and the Democratic Environmental Caucus, as well as the DCCC. Schneider says she has been endorsed by Progressive Democrats of America, the Florida Democratic Environmental Caucus and Progressive Sarasota.

Following Democrat state Rep. Margaret Good’s upset victory in a February special election in Sarasota, national pollsters have suggested that the Republican-heavy 16th Congressional District may also flip to the Democrats.

For more candidate information, visit votejan.com and voteshapiro2018.com. Primary Election Day is Tuesday, Aug. 28.

This story was originally published August 23, 2018 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Shapiro ready to take on Buchanan in the fall. But first he has to win his primary."