Herald recommends Joe Gruters, Wengay Newton for Florida House

Joe Gruters in District 73

Both Republican Joe Gruters, a certified public accountant and small business owner, and Democrat James T. Golden, a lawyer and pastor, are well versed in the political world as they seek the District 73 seat in the state House of Representatives in the November election. The district encompasses all of East Manatee and northeast Sarasota County.

Gruters chairs Donald Trump’s Florida campaign, serves as vice chair of the Florida Republican Party and chairs the Republican Party of Sarasota. Golden served two terms on Bradenton’s City Council, from 1999-2007. Both have been involved in politics for many years.

During a civil Bradenton Herald/METV debate that focused solely on the issues, the candidates disagreed on one issue that is bound to come up again during next year’s legislative session: government incentives for job creation.

During this year’s legislative session, funding for Enterprise Florida, Gov. Rick Scott’s top priority, did not pass muster with leading lawmakers. After rejecting the governor’s request, one legislator called the incentive program “corporate welfare.” Gruters disagrees, saying the state must prepare for the next economic downturn, inevitable because of the cyclical nature of the economy.

Golden cited a spectacular flop that cost Sarasota County a large pile of money, but Gruters rightly countered that incentives are no longer doled out in advance. Instead, companies must meet a series of benchmarks and actually earn the incentives.

Gruters follows the conservative playbook on major issues facing Florida. That will resonate in a district where only one Democrat has held the seat since 1967.

With his financial background, Gruters is well suited to navigate the state budgeting process.

Both Gruters and Golden cited education as one of the pressing issues facing Florida. Gruters stands out in that regard with his current service on the Board of Trustees for Florida State University as well as the University of South Florida Community Leadership Council at the Sarasota campus.

While Gruters and Golden advocate many similar issue positions, we find Gruters holds the edge with his overall conservative perspective. For Florida House District 73, the Bradenton Herald Editorial Board recommends Joe Gruters.

Wengay “Newt” Newton in District 70

With eight years of service on the St. Petersburg City Council, Democrat Wengay “Newt” Newton holds a significant advantage over his Republican opponent in this contest for Florida House District 70. Cori Fournier, a student at State College of Florida, is a member of SCF’s student government, his only political experience.

Newton was born and raised in St. Petersburg, the heart of this district. The sprawling district covers portions of four counties — Manatee, Sarasota, Pinellas and Hillsborough — with the bulk of the voters residing in St. Petersburg’s southern neighborhoods. Newton has deep knowledge of the poor neighborhoods in the southern part of the city, giving him the upper hand in this contest.

Newton gained valuable knowledge of budgets and economic development as well as education and transportation issues while on the council. He termed out this past January.

He spent 18 years at Xerox Corp. as a senior printing system engineer. Today, he’s a professional photographer who operates his own business.

He pledges to focus on two issues that are high on Manatee County’s priority list: education funding and affordable housing. On education and the creation of economic opportunity, he vows to support or sponsor legislation to fully fund the Bright Futures scholarship program, which at one time paid the entire cost of tuition for academic scholars. On safe, clean and affordable housing, Newton wants the Legislature and governor to quit raiding the Sadowski Trust Fund, established in 1992 with the objective of creating affordable housing, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

His government experience includes memberships on numerous committees and organizations, including budget, finance and taxation; housing services; youth services and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, just to cite a few. His community connections run deep, too, with service on dozens of organizations.

Newton pledges to serve the entire district, from Newtown in Sarasota to Round Lake, a must since the district is but a sliver here and can be easily overlooked.

With his political experience, community service and grasp of the issues, Newton is the best candidate. For Florida House District 70, the Bradenton Herald Editorial Board recommends Wengay “Newt” Newton.

This story was originally published October 13, 2016 at 2:48 PM with the headline "Herald recommends Joe Gruters, Wengay Newton for Florida House."