Hillsborough County Commission District 6 candidate Dee Layne received a letter from the Tampa Bay Builders Association today politely declining to endorse her but thanking her for meeting with their political action committee.

Trouble is, Layne never met with them. "I don't know who they were talking to that day, but it wasn't me," she said.

Layne, an environmental advocate, said she wouldn't have expected to get the group's backing anyway. Jennifer Doerfel, director of governmental affairs for the builders, said she sent out a bunch of letters to candidates and Layne, who has been interviewed by the organization before previous races, simply got the wrong one. "I apologize," Doerfel said.

The builders group is backing Republican incumbent Brian Blair. Layne faces business owner Joe Redner, best known his Mons Venus strip club, and financial planner Kevin Beckner in the Democratic primary.

Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer