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Brandes challenges Frishe in Tampa-St. Pete Senate district

Posted Jun 1, 2012 by William March

Updated Jun 1, 2012 at 05:18 PM

State Rep. Jeff Brandes has announced, as expected, that he’ll challenge Rep. Jim Frishe in a primary for the state Senate seat from the new District 22, which covers South Tampa and part of St. Petersburg.

The district, created by this year’s redistricting, is roughly comparable to the current District 16 held by Sen. Jack Latvala, who will run in the north Pinellas District 20.

Frishe and Brandes are both from St. Petersburg. Frishe is term-limited in his House seat 2014, while Brandes is a freshman.

Hillsborough County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Mitchell said his party is still trying to settle on a candidate for the seat, and he plans to have conversations on the subject with potential candidates at this weekend’s party caucus in Tampa.

“There are some names floating around,” he said. “We don’t have a clear-cut candidate at this point.”

One candidate, Mark Robert Moon, has filed as a Democrat, but had raised no money as of the end of the first three months of 2012, and Mitchell said he wasn’t aware of Moon’s candidacy.