Why does Bimbo Book need to sit on money when she ran unopposed twice? hopefully, someone will oppose her for the next election.
https://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2018/11/01/democrats-defend-book-after-she-takes-heat-from-her-own-party-678437
Democrats defend Book after she takes heat from her own party
By MATT DIXON 11/02/2018 05:02 AM EDT
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter
TALLAHASSEE — After taking heat for what some Democrats see as her lackluster midterm fundraising help, state Sen. Lauren Book’s allies are swinging back, defending her support for her fellow Senate Democrats and lamenting the late-cycle party infighting.
On Tuesday, POLITICO reported that some Senate Democrats in key races and party consultants were annoyed by what they said amounted to Book (D-Plantation) not following a main tenant of politics: it’s a team sport. They were unhappy that Book was sitting on a political committee with more than $1.5 million in the bank but had only given $50,000 to key races as Democrats push to flip the Florida Senate.
In response, Democratic consultant Steve Vancore, who works with Book, sent statements to POLITICO from Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo and outgoing state Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon defending Book. He also sent another statement from Book, who did comment in POLITICO’s previous story about her colleagues' concerns.
“Senator Lauren Book has been extremely helpful in supporting the Party and the Winning Ticket coordinated campaign,” Rizzo’s statement read. “All Democrats are on the same team working to elect Democrats up and down the ticket and this is no time for any of us — unnamed political consultants included — to be sowing divisiveness within our party.”
Book did not return a direct request from POLITICO for comment. Because she is running to lead the Senate Democratic caucus, there is an expectation that she step up fundraising for other candidates. The fact that she has not to date has left some speculating she no longer has leadership aspirations but hopes to maintain sway in a GOP-controlled Florida Senate.
Braynon’s statement blasted the “anonymous consultants” quoted in the previous POLITICO story and said they should be “worried about winning races.”
In an interview Thursday, Braynon said his biggest concern was the party infighting less than a week from Election Day.
“It’s just this circular firing squad,” Bryanon said. “We don’t need to have that. We just need to work together and get this done.”
To flip the Senate, Democrats would need to win five seats. That is unlikely in 2018, but the party hopes to chip away at the Republican majority. Those bemoaning Book’s midterm performance say it is hurting the party’s ability to capitalize on the favorable maps.
“People are growing frustrated because the map favors us in several seats, and it is a resources game and Lauren Book is sitting on almost $1.5 million,” a Democratic consultant working in Senate races said Tuesday. “She is really doing no money. What’s the reason? No one knows.”
In her statement sent Thursday, Book was critical of the “absurd gripes of anonymous consultants.” She noted that she has been fundraising for key races, which would not show up on a committee expenditure report.
“I am proud of the work I have done and the funds I have raised to help flip the Senate,” Book said in the statement. “I am also proud to support and raise dollars for our nominee for Governor Andrew Gillum.”
On Tuesday, the day of the POLITICO story, Book did give $5,000 to state Sen. Annette Taddeo, a Miami Democrat in a reelection fight against Republican Marili Cancio. In her Vancore-issued statement, Book made clear she was part of that fight.
“If someone has an issue with my work, I suggest they contact me directly and not enlist the services of paid proxies,” Book said.
