Zone 1 commissioner candidate Frank Dalton Jr. sees himself as the 'outsider' who can change the 'good ol' boy stigma of politics as usual'

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick. At left, Zone 1 commission challenger Frank Dalton Jr. smiles for the camera in his beachside home with his wife, Tara, who is pregnant with their second child, and nearly 1-year-old son, Frank III. The  Daltons have another child in the household, his eldest son, Cole, 16. Dalton is a self-employed floor installer and Tara Dalton is a registered nurse at Halifax Hospital.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Frank Dalton Jr. first thought about an active run for local elective office after last spring's tropical flood rains brought water into his beachside home.

And after what he saw as "politics as usual" decided he could make a difference, brought up in a blue-collar family where living paycheck to pay check could pave the way for a better life for the next generation.
"As a St. Louis native, I worked in my younger years with inner-city kids in union programs and saw the opportunities that made for them," said the 34-year-old married father of two with a third child on the way.
Dalton has no illusions about the long odds of winning this primary against the first-term incumbent in Zone 1 Commissioner Randy Richenberg, who has the loyal support of the police and fire unions for a second time and the drawing power of fellow challenger Judy Reiker, a former president of the Rotary Club who lives in the upscale Bouchelle Island, who has the endorsement of the Southeast Volusia Board of Realtors.
Still, Dalton is optimistic about his chances of upsetting at least one of the two perceived front-runners.
"I think if the public is informed, I can win this thing," said Dalton, who earns a living for his family as a self-employed floor tile and carpet installer.
"I want to serve publicly," Dalton said, adding, "I know I don't have the experience as the people already elected, but I can learn just like they did."
Dalton believes he has two things going for him: common sense and being a quick study.
For example, when the City Commission was discussing what to do about handling the controversial riverfront property lease with the Angler's Club, the mild-mannered Dalton raised his hand and asked a forward-thinking question instead of getting caught up in the bickering about past mistakes that have called into question the validity of the 99-year lease the city agreed to more than 60 years ago, when he asked about the future value of the lease.
"It's really about finding solutions instead of fighting and being divided the way it's been on this commission," Dalton said. "I think I can change the good ol' boy stigma of politics as usual."