Headline Surfer® graphics /NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Perception is the reality former New Smyrna Beach Mayor Adam Barringer is counting on if he's to have any chance in his quest for Congress against frontrunner and GOP rival Sandy Adams.
Barringer let it be known through an intermediary in trying to woo a prominent Republican party insider from Volusia County to join his campaign that he had amassed $125,000 as a sign that he was serious and with this insider's help he could prevail.
And Barringer, owner of a restaurant and whose father built up Barringer Construction, enabled the son to ride his father's coattails into the exclusive New Smyrna Beach Anglers Club.
Barringer, mayor of New Smyrna Beach for five years who opted not to seek re-election last year, knew if he wanted to grow politically he had to take a leap forward. But he had been talking about possibly running for chair of the Volusia County Council or even a seat in the Statehouse.
The GOP insider let the intermediary know that though flattered with Barringer's recruitment the answer was "no thanks," because the harsh reality is the county GOP leadership is high on Adams who has the Washington pedigree.
And even though she was a one-and-out incumbent in her two years in Washington, that's still two more years than what Barringer can put on the table, the GOP insider said. And while Barringer, who entered politics for the first time in 2009 when he defeated Sally Mackay, a liberal Democrat in the non-partisan municipal election, had a strong first-term with spending kept in check, he also benefitted from a third year tacked on when the city switched from odd- to even-year cycles.
Barringer was automatically returned for a second two-year term in 2012 because he had no opposition. And though he was forced to vote for tax increases each of the last two years because of negotiated union contracts with police and fire services, Barringer was late in paying his own taxes.
Barringer did gain valuable experience as chair of the Volusia Council of governments in his final year as mayor, a quasi-governmental group of countywide mayors, it had no authority other than to lobby the county for new CRAs in several cities.
But as the GOP insider pointed out to Headline Surfer®, "Barringer's five years as a part-time mayor pales in comparison to Sandy Adams' eight years in the Florida Legislature, never mind that after her tenure in Tallahassee, she soundly defeated the incumbent in Congress in 2010, Democrat Suzanne Kosmas.
The Republican insider readily conceded Kosmas' vote for Obamacare made her easy pickings for Adams.
But as the GOP insider pointed out to Headline Surfer®, "Barringer's five years as a part-time mayor pales in comparison to Sandy Adams' eight years in the Florida Legislature, never mind that after her tenure in Tallahassee, she soundly defeated the incumbent in Congress in 2010, Democrat Suzanne Kosmas.
The Republican insider readily conceded Kosmas' vote for Obamacare made her easy pickings for Adams.
And Adams might very well have had four years in Congress and now going for her third two-year term as a congresswoman had it not been for re-districting, which put her up against up against an entrenched GOP incumbent in John Mica.
The insider's sentiment was along the lines of who the heck wants to be on a "sinking ship" once Barringer's resume is put up on display against that of Adams, especially given the fact she was well-liked in Washington for her conservative ideology and voting record.
"Could Barringer defeat Sandy Adams?," the GOP insider asked rhetorically? "Sure, he could, because anything is possible in politics. Ron De Santis came out of nowhere in 2012 to win."
And De Santis was subsequently re-elected in 2014 for a second term. He's giving up an almost-certain third term by running for Marco Rubio's US Senate seat with Rubio running for president.
The reality for Barringer is Adams is a de facto incumbent by virtue of having already served a term in Congress.
"You have to consider that Adams is clearly the frontrunner here," the GOP insider explained. "It's as if she's the incumbent even though she lost to Mica two years ago. He's been in Congress since 1992. And Adams had the misfortune of re-districting. But against someone like Barringer, a part-time mayor, she has a true voting record in Washington -- a voting record in Congress that the Republican hierarchy is very happy with."
The reality for Barringer is Adams is a de facto incumbent by virtue of having already served a term in Congress. "
You have to consider that Adams is clearly the frontrunner here," the GOP insider explained. "It's as if she's the incumbent even though she lost to Mica two years ago. He's been in Congress since 1992. And Adams had the misfortune of re-districting. But against someone like Barringer, a part-time mayor, she has a true voting record in Washington -- a voting record in Congress that the Republican hierarchy is very happy with."
The GOP insider, who is based in Volusia County provided analysis on condition of anonymity because this person is well within the party ranks. Neither Adams nor Barringer returned calls for comment.