Florida Democrats should have stronger options for U.S. Senate. Rep. Patrick Murphy of Jupiter has potential but a thin resume. Rep. Alan Grayson of Orlando is one of the House's most liberal members, prone to attention-seeking outbursts and the target of an ethics investigation. Murphy understands the issues, works well with Republicans and is the pragmatic choice for Democrats.
Murphy, 33, switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 2011 after becoming frustrated with the war in Iraq and the rise of the tea party. He defeated outspoken Republican Allen West in 2012 in a Republican-leaning district that includes Martin and St. Lucie counties and northern Palm Beach County. In the House, he has a reputation for working with Republicans as well as Democrats.
During his two terms, Murphy has worked on issues ranging from protecting Medicare Advantage plans to securing money for Everglades restoration. He co-sponsored legislation with Republican Rep. Dennis Ross of Lakeland to open up a private market for flood insurance that passed the House this year, and he has co-sponsored another bill with Republican Rep. David Jolly of Belleair Bluffs that would cut nearly $500 billion in wasteful spending.
Murphy recognizes that investing in education is the key to economic success. He supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's tax cuts for the middle class, and tax reform that includes a tax rate of at least 30 percent on individuals earning more than $1 million annually. He also favors comprehensive immigration reform, raising the income cap on Social Security taxes and lifting the economic embargo against Cuba.
Before being elected to Congress, Murphy had relatively little work experience, which at times has been exaggerated. He worked for three years as an auditor and became a certified public accountant. After the 2010 BP oil spill, he formed a company affiliated with his father's construction company with the aim of using oil-skimming boats to help with the cleanup if the Florida Keys were endangered. The oil never reached the Keys, his company bought another company that had two cleanup contracts around Louisiana, and Murphy spent just six months there.
Grayson, 58, is a lawyer who made millions with a telecom startup company. He was first elected to the House in 2008, then defeated in 2010 before winning the seat back in 2012. He has drawn national attention for caustic lines such as this one during the fights over health care reform: "If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: Die quickly!''
In the House, Grayson passed legislation that limited compensation for financial executives whose firms took federal bailout money. He takes credit for helping save the federal income tax deduction for sales taxes in states like Florida, where there is no state income tax. He supports universal health care that could include allowing people to buy in to Medicare coverage, a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and lifting the income cap on Social Security taxes.
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Explore all your optionsBut Grayson also faces a House ethics investigation into his management of a hedge fund and whether he improperly mingled it with his congressional duties. Grayson says the hedge fund was only for him and his children, denies any wrongdoing and calls the investigation a smear campaign.
In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, the Tampa Bay Times recommends Patrick Murphy.