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Is GOP rival Tim Schock targeting Jim Norman's ethical past? Pretty much

 
Former state legislator Jim Norman said comments made at Thursday's debate by his Republican opponent Tim Schock in the District 6 county commission race were not about his past ethical history. But Schock said they were. [JAMES BORCHUCK  |  Times]
Former state legislator Jim Norman said comments made at Thursday's debate by his Republican opponent Tim Schock in the District 6 county commission race were not about his past ethical history. But Schock said they were. [JAMES BORCHUCK | Times]
Published May 26, 2016

TAMPA — Did Tim Schock take a shot at Jim Norman's ethical history on Thursday?

Norman said no.

But Schock, his opponent in the Republican primary for the Hillsborough County Commission District 6 countywide seat, said that's exactly what he did.

The two debated each other at the at the Downtown Republican Club on Thursday. During the event, Schock demonstrated how he'll be attacking Norman's history on the stump in the coming months.

Without mentioning Norman's name, Schock said this race will be about "fresh voices and new ideas" and "the public trust" versus "cronyism and backroom politics" — veiled references to Norman.

"We should raise the bar on what our level of expectations are," Schock said. "Our local leader saying, 'I didn't go to jail so let's not to worry about it,' is not what we need to focus on."

It all goes back to Norman's past troubles. In 2011, a federal investigation of Norman's wife's purchase of a $400,000 Arkansas vacation home with a loan from a political supporter cleared him of any federal crime. But in response to a state ethics complaint, he later acknowledged improperly failing to report the loan on financial disclosure forms.

Then in 2012, Norman pulled the plug on his re-election campaign to the state senate.

When those issues come up these days, Norman now says he was "100 percent cleared."

Norman didn't respond to Schock's attacks during the forum. Afterward, the former four-term county commissioner said he didn't think Schock was taking a shot at him: "I just don't think it was."

But was it really?

"Yes, that's about Jim," Schock said.

Message testing poll aims at Pat Frank's age

A kind of polling known as "message-testing" is being done in the Democratic primary for Clerk of the Circuit Court between incumbent Pat Frank and term-limited Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner. This particular poll is targeting Frank's age — she's 86 — among other things.

Such polls are often used by political candidates to determine what lines of praise or criticism of the candidate or an opponent is likely to sway voters. Respondents are given information and asked if that information would affect their choice in the race.

Frank supporters Doris Weatherford and Mark Gibbons said they responded to polls last week. Gibbons responded to a telephone poll and Weatherford responded to an online subscriber poll, in which respondents are paid to answer questions on a web site.

Both polls included potential attacks based on Frank's age and one touched on Tampa City Council member and lawyer Harry Cohen's in the clerk's office. He's a part-time senior adviser and program sponsor and made about $65,000 last year, Frank said.

Both polls included positive and negative messages about Beckner, said Weatherford and Gibbons, and one included positive messages about Frank.

Frank said those polls aren't being conducted by her campaign. Beckner and his campaign manager could not be reached for comment last week.

Teachers union backs school board candidates

The Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association has recommended endorsing school board candidates Alan Clendenin (District 7), Bill Person (District 1) and incumbent board member Cindy Stuart (District 3), but stayed neutral in the crowded race in District 5 being vacated by Doretha Edgecomb. The county's only African-American school board member has decided not to run again.

Person, a retired school principal and administrator, is running against incumbent board member Susan Valdes and says one of his goals on the board is to resist the diversion of resources to charter schools.

Stuart, elected in 2012, is a mother of three, homemaker and community affairs activist who has been involved in the PTA, Metropolitan Ministries, youth soccer, neighborhood watch and Girl Scouts.

Clendenin, a Democratic Party official, retired air traffic controller and supervisor and former air traffic controllers union leader, is one of seven candidates in the open District 7 seat being vacated by Carol Kurdell, who's retiring.

The HCTA didn't pick a favorite among the five black candidates running to replace Edgecomb.

The recommended endorsements must be approved by the AFL-CIO's Central Labor Council before they're official.

Tiger Bay: Henriquez v. Jones

Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican challenger Todd Jones will square off in a forum Friday held by the Tampa Tiger Bay Club Friday.

The forum will take place at noon at the Cuban Club, 2010 N. Avenida de Republica de Cuba.

William March can be reached at wemarch@gmail.com.