Scott Farrell

So, who is Scott Farrell? I had not been paying attention to the race for US Congress District 11 so aside from Kathy Castor I was not aware of who is runnning. As part of my Vote Seminole Heights project I will try to do some research on the candidates. Here is a St. Pete Times article on the race.

The boundaries of this District 11 encompasses parts of Hillsborough, Pinellas,and Manatee Counties. Probably as a result of some sort of gerrymandering.

His bio from his web page:

Scott Farrell, a business attorney with the Tampa-St. Petersburg firm of Trenam Kemker, is the son of a retired school teacher and small businessman. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Virginia, Connecticut and Upstate New York, Scott is a product of the nation's public school system. After graduating from public high school and completing undergraduate studies in history and political science at SUNY Brockport, Scott moved to Gainesville in 1992 to pursue a Herbert S. Dolgoff Fellowship in communication studies. Scott received a Masters degree from the University of Florida, College of Journalism and Communications in 1994, and in 1997 earned his law degree from the University of Florida, College of Law. Following his graduation from law school, Scott made his home in Tampa, working for the law firm Foley & Lardner prior to joining Trenam Kemker.

Scott has been involved in many charitable and civic causes. He was recently recognized by Governor Jeb Bush for his advocacy on behalf of Florida's abused and neglected children in connection with his work as President of Voices for Children of Hillsborough County, Inc. - the private non-profit partner of the Hillsborough County Guardian ad Litem. Scott has served for the last 7 years as a volunteer patient advocate on the University of South Florida's Institutional Review Board. He has also been involved with many other local charitable activities, including Junior Achievement, The Great American Teach-in, The Cancer Society's Cattle Baron's Ball and the Sunshine State Games. Scott was recently selected to participate as a judge in the Tampa Junior Chamber of Commerce's Under 40 Business Plan Competition. Scott was a member of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Tampa Class of 2001.

Scott has been actively involved in politics since holding the position of President of the Law School Democrats at the University of Florida in 1996-1997. In 2002, Scott was the Democratic nominee for State House Seat 57. In that race Scott received the endorsement of the Tampa Tribune and the St. Petersburg Times.

Scott's wife Sam is Group Vice President Health Information Management at Kforce, Inc. and member of the Board of Trustees of The Spring. They live in Tampa.

So from reading this he has got several good things going for him.

1. He works for Trenam Kemker and they sponsor WUSF Radio 89.7
2. He is involved with the partner organization for The Hillsborough County Guardian ad Litem (GAL) program. (I am in the child abuse field and work with the GAL program alot. In fact I provide training on child abuse to the GAL program volunteers.) So this makes him a child welfare advocate.
3. His wife is on the board of The Spring domestic violence program.

What issues concern him? His web page notes:

As your Congressman I intend to fight for the issues that are most important to you, including working to strengthen families and our community by taking the necessary steps to expand prosperity and opportunity, insuring the availability
of affordable healthcare, and addressing the environmental and transportation needs of our region.

In the 2002 race for House Seat 57 he was recommended by St. Pete Times. Here is an excerpt:

The race in District 57, which covers South Tampa and Westchase, pits a political newcomer with a promising future against a perennial candidate with an unenlightening career. Voters may not know Democrat Scott Farrell, but his thoughtfulness and willingness to confront the serious issues stand in remarkable contrast to Republican Faye Culp.

Farrell, a 35-year-old corporate lawyer, has represented local hospitals and knows the pressures facing Florida's health care system. He is well versed in the challenges facing small business and Florida's overall economy. Expanding affordable health care and diversifying job growth would be among his top goals. So would solving the "crisis" in Florida's public schools and rectifying the "disappointing" A

Plan. The son of a teacher, Farrell says Florida must invest in smaller classes, do a better job of recruiting and retaining good teachers and involve educators more in the accountability process.

So it seems healthcare, education, child welfare, jobs, and environmental and transportation needs are his goals or interests.

In the near future I will be looking at the other candidates.

If Farrell has an open house for his Seminole Heights Campaign HQ, I will let you know.