La Gaceta Newspaper

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 25, 2020

This is an open seat, having been held by Sandy Murman, who was term-limited out. Former City Councilman Harry Cohen is running as the Democratic nominee. Scott Levinson is the Republican nominee.
Levinson is frustrated with government but doesn’t offer a clear path to make it better.
Cohen is seasoned and smart. He knows COVID will require the County to do better in prioritizing its needs as revenue decreases. He is strong on the environment, controlling growth, improving transportation and increasing the supply of affordable housing. We need someone who can help make this county better. Cohen is our pick.
La Gaceta endorses Harry Cohen for County Commission District 1.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 18, 2020

There are four judges up for retention – Judge Drew Atkinson, Judge Morris Silberman, Judge Daniel Sleet and Judge Andrea Teves Smith.
Silberman and Sleet are well-respected and well-liked. Atkinson was appointed to the court in 2018 and Smith served on the circuit bench from 2013 to 2019 and was appointed to the appellate court in February 2019.
All four judges have served with honor.
La Gaceta endorses a YES vote to retain all four judges – Atkinson, Silberman, Sleet and Smith.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 18, 2020

Voters can choose to retain Florida Supreme Court Justice Carlos G. Muñiz or to get rid of him. He has only served since January 2019 and was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis. Muñiz is a Yale graduate, served as general counsel of the U.S. Department of Education and until the appointment, had never been a judge.
While he is not our cup of tea, Muñiz has been professional and shown some independence in his rulings against DeSantis’ appointment of Renatha Francis.
La Gaceta endorses a YES vote to retain Carlos Muñiz.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 18, 2020

Democrat State Representative Margaret Good is challenging incumbent Republican Vern Buchanan for District 16, which covers south Hillsborough, Manatee and parts of Sarasota County.
Good is a lawyer who is serving her first term in the Florida House. She is a big proponent of the environment and fights to protect our waters. She is also big on renewable energy.
Buchanan owns car dealerships and has held his congressional office since 2007. He is one of the wealthiest members of Congress. He has a bad environmental record, even as he represents a district that has bays, estuaries and rivers that need protection from pollution and unbridled growth.
La Gaceta endorses Margaret Good for Congress District 16.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 18, 2020

This is an open seat since Ross Spano lost in the Republican primary. The race pits Republican Scott Franklin and Democrat Alan Cohn against each other to represent a district that covers east Hillsborough County, parts of Polk County and parts Lake County.
Franklin is a Lakeland businessman and served the City Council. He is active in the community. His campaign is straight out of the Republican playbook – support the Second Amendment, defend Christianity and support the Trump agenda, whatever that is. If Trump isn’t reelected and Franklin is, it’s hard to tell what his agenda will be.
Cohn is the best pick for the district. He is smart, curious and concerned. His number one goal is to provide top-notch service to his constituents, no matter their party, race or language. He is a moderate who is right for the urban, suburban and rural district.
He wants to fix Obamacare, create a public option to increase competition and lessen the health insurance industry’s influence on Congress. He also wants to add transparency regarding costs for patients.
Cohn has well thought out ideas with details on many pressing issues – Franklin only offers to follow the Trump agenda.
La Gaceta endorses Alan Cohn for Congress District 15.

From “As We Heard It,” by Patrick Manteiga, Sept. 18, 2020

This race also heavily favors the incumbent, but this incumbent is a Democrat. Congresswoman Kathy Castor is running to be reelected to the Tampa-based district which she has held since 2007.
She is a strong proponent of increasing access to healthcare and protecting the environment. She’s been effective in bringing federal money to the district for transportation and healthcare. She recently announced $50 million in federal BUILD grants, which will be split between the County and the City.
Republican Christine Quinn is challenging Castor but doesn’t have a chance. Quinn is a businesswoman who founded My Family’s Seasonings, which sells all-natural seasonings.
We do like that Quinn wants to protect the First and Second Amendments. Most Republicans only talk about the Second.
La Gaceta endorses Kathy Castor for Congress District 14.