Incumbent Peter McGlashan put up $100,000 campaign war chest, but concern about his Speedway-connected contributions
Headline Surfer® endorses Angela Dempsey over incumbent Peter A.D. McGlashan, shown here in the inset, in the race for Volusia County judge in the Tuesday primary
DAYTONA BEACH -- County Judge Peter McGlashan early on put up a six-figure bounty hoping to dissuade any and all comers who would challenge him for his appointed seat on the bench in the current election cycle.
One candidate had the courage of her conviction to challenge him and that is Angela Dempsey, a DeLand-based private attorney. Dempsey has earned the endorsement of Headline Surfer® for her determination, grit and respect for the judiciary and the responsibility that comes with it.
Along the way, Dempsey raised an impressive $47,375. That's still less than half the $110,250 that McGlashan has in his campaign coffers. But Dempsey wasn't afraid to hit the campaign trail and get generate the funding to make this a legitimate race.
McGlashan plunked down $100,000 of his own money on March 31, as if to say, "If you want to play you've got to pay."
It didn't work.
The very next month, Dempsey started generating campaign revenues and methodically built up her own war chest over the next several months.
It's one thing that McGlashan and Dempsey accepted campaign contributions from colleagues and friends who are lawyers. But somewhat unsettling, though not improper was McGlashan's decision, as a sitting judge to accept funding from State Attorney R.J. Larizza and his wife, Helen Larizza, for $100.
This seems incestruous and one has to ask whether it's even worth the hassle, considering it was a nominal fee. Is it really worth the scrutiny by a party appearing before McGlashan should he win the election and use it to call into question neutrality from the bench? A lawyer would probably not make such leap of faith, but what about a pro-se litigant?
It's one thing that McGlashan and Dempsey accepted campaign contributions from colleagues and friends who are lawyers. But somewhat unsettling, though not improper was McGlashan's decision, as a sitting judge to accept funding from State Attorney R.J. Larizza, shown here at left, and his wife, Helen Larizza, for $100.
This seems incestruous and one has to ask whether it's even worth the hassle, considering it was a nominal fee. Is it really worth the scrutiny by a party appearing before McGlashan should he win the election and use it to call into question neutrality from the bench? A lawyer would probably not make such leap of faith, but what about a pro-se litigant?
And even more of a concern is an incumbent judge accepting campaign contributions from big-time political insiders associated with Daytona International Speedway. In this case, $500 from Charlie Lydecker of Brown & Brown Insurance and $1,000 from Mori Hosseini, listed in campaign reporting by his formal name "Morteza Hosseini Kargar."
Hosseini is the owner of ICI Homes and is an influential Republican Party booster, who of late has also bankrolled Democrats, too.
Hosseini and Lydecker's boss, Hyatt Brown, are both on the board of International Speedway Corp. with Lesa France Kennedy, CEO, of the umbrella company that owns Daytona International Speedway and a dozen other tracks affiliated with NASCAR, the sanctioning body of stock car racing of which the France family has a controlling interest.
Again, there's nothing illegal or unethical about any of these connections under Florida election law, but it is surprising and somewhat disconcerting that McGlashan would saddle himself with the perception of being in the back pocket of the Speedway, which already has a reputation of controlling Daytona municipal and Volusia County government.
Especially this year, having received $24.5 million from the city and $20 million from the county towards its "One Daytona" retail village across from Daytona International Speedway where state lawmakers approved $90 million in taxpayer subsidies and the Department of Transportation has earmarked another $20 million for two additional walkway overpasses.
In the campaign for county judge, incumbent Peter McGlashan has Speedway-connected campaign donations of $1,500, from Mori Hosseini of ICI Homes, shown at far left in the inset, as well as $500 from Charlie Lydecker of Brown & Brown Insurance, at far right. Lydecker's boss, Hyatt Brown, and Hosseini, serve on the board of International Speedway with Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of ISC, shown in the display image. ISC owns 13 tracks, including Daytona International Speedway.
Again, there's nothing illegal or unethical about any of these connections under Florida election law, but it is surprising and somewhat disconcerting that McGlashan would saddle himself with the perception of being in the back pocket of the Speedway, which already has a reputation of controlling elected office holders Daytona municipal and Volusia County governments with extensive campaign contributions. Especially this year, having received $24.5 million from the city and $20 million from the county towards its One Daytona retail village across from Daytona International Speedway where state lawmakers approved $90 million in taxpayer subsidies and the Department of Transportation has earmarked another $20 million for two additional walkway overpasses.
Headline Surfer® expressed its concern directly with McGlashan at a candidate debate he attended at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach, for which he simply shrugged his shoulders and sheepishly responded, "Oh Well."
It should also be noted for the record that Headline Surfer® offered advertising services to McGlashan and Dempsey. McGlashan said he was interested, but nothing materialized. Dempsey entered into an agreement with Headline Surfer for $600 worth of display advertising.
Both candidates were made aware that the endorsement would likely go to one of them, but that it was not contingent on advertising.
And McGlashan received a "positive" write-up from Headline Surfer® while this is the first real recognition of Dempsey, editorially.
Additionally, Headline Surfer® has known McGlashan since he started out with the State Attorney's Office a decade ago and interacted with Dempsey for the first time just a few weeks ago.
Dempsey started her career as an attorney with the Florida Department of Children and Family Services.
She left DCF to take a position with the Florida Guardian ad Litem Program in 2005, where she served until 2011, when she went into private practice.
Dempsey earned her B.S., cum laude, from Florida State University and her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law in 2004.
McGlashan, who earned his J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1993 is clearly the more experienced of the two by virtue of his Dec. 8, 2005, appointment to the bench by then-Gov. Jeb Bush. This is his first contested election.
Prior to his appointment, McGlashan was a prosecutor for then-State Attorney John Tanner.
But it's John Tanner's former law partner in private practice, Michael Lambert, perhaps the most well-known defense attorney in the county, who whole-heartedly supports the upstart Dempsey.
“Judges work for us, the taxpayer," Lambert said. "They are paid handsomely and the additional benefits, exceptional. In addition to being humble, honest, prepared, punctual, efficient, and fair, a judicial candidate should also have worked in the private sector before pursuing a taxpayer-funded position. That candidate understands the effort invested in earning his/her salary. That candidate is Angela Dempsey.”
But it's John Tanner's former law partner in private practice, Michael Lambert, shown here, and perhaps the most well-known defense attorney in the county, who whole-heartedly supports the upstart Dempsey.
“Judges work for us, the taxpayer," Lambert said. "They are paid handsomely and the additional benefits, exceptional. In addition to being humble, honest, prepared, punctual, efficient, and fair, a judicial candidate should also have worked in the private sector before pursuing a taxpayer-funded position. That candidate understands the effort invested in earning his/her salary. That candidate is Angela Dempsey.”
And that is one of the key differences in The Headline Surfer® endorsement of Dempsey.
While McGlashan has competently handled the job, he's a perceived insider who has spent his entire career working for government. And as part of his background, solely represented the interests of the state.
Photo for Headline Surfer® / Dempsey, on the other hand, has had the experience of representing people presumed innocent and providing the legal representation for their day in court, either in criminal, family, civil, traffic or probate situations.
Veteran Daytona Beach criminal defense counsel Tom Mott recognizes those qualities in Dempsey, saying in part, "Having been in public and private practice for ten years, Angela Dempsey will bring a broad range of legal experience to the county court bench."
Like McGlashan, David R. Damore, senior partner with Daytona Beach-based Damore, Delgado, Romanik & Rawlins, once worked under John Tanner, more than a decade before McGlashan was hired.
In fact, Damore prosecuted serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was executed by lethal injection in 2002.
Knowing both McGlashan and Dempsey, Damore said he supports the challenger.
"Angela Dempsey has the temperament and demeanor to be an outstanding jurist," Damore explained. "She is intelligent, hard-working, and professional. She is the better candidate for this position and has my vote."
Perhaps Dempsey's biggest booster is Rick L. Jancha of DeLand, a partner with Nejame Law and a former lead federal drug prosecutor in Orlando, who Headline Surfer® has known and respected for 18 years.
"Angela Dempsey has the intelligence and the experience to make a fine county court judge," Jancha insisted. "She is the best candidate for the job and has my full support."
Perhaps Dempsey's biggest booster is Rick L. Jancha of DeLand, a partner with Nejame Law and a former lead federal drug prosecutor in Orlando, who Headline Surfer® has known and respected for 18 years.
"Angela Dempsey has the intelligence and the experience to make a fine county court judge," Jancha insisted. "She is the best candidate for the job and has my full support."
Although this is a primary, the winner of the race on Tuesday between McGlashan and Dempsey will be elected as the next county judge.
With the accolades of some of the biggest attorneys in Volusia County and beyond supporting the challenger, Headline Surfer® takes into great consideration their accolades and puts the full force of its endorsement behind the candidacy of the challenger.
Angela Dempsey is an experienced and well-rounded attorney, wife, mother and clearly the better of the two county judge candidates worthy of election in Tuesday's primary.
FAST FACTS: Angela Dempsey, endorsed candidate for county judge
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