Media Coverage

The campaign was mentioned in two recent articles in the Tallahassee Democrat:

Argenziano will be missed by state workers

Ravenscraft said he worked for the state about seven years and "I strongly believe in nurturing the state career service." He said legislators have a "bias" that makes them perceive the work force as big and inefficient.

"We'll never be able to outpace the private sector, nor should we," said Ravenscraft. "But we can certainly make ourselves competitive and elevate our respect for the service of our state employees."

Special election proves to be anything but boring

On the Democratic side, the three-week race pits two unknowns with some campaign experience.

Homemaker Suzan Franks of Hernando was a state legislator in New Hampshire, 1992-2000, before her family moved to Florida. Mark Ravenscraft of Tallahassee, former president of the Democratic Club of North Florida, was an elected city and county officer in Akron, Ohio, before moving south 17 years ago.

They seem undaunted by the heavy GOP advantages in fundraising and past performance in the district.

Republicans hold a 25-14 advantage in the Senate but, after taking one House seat out of the GOP column in a special election during the session, Democrats want to at least post respectable numbers in the district Argenziano has represented for five years.

''The people of Florida and Senate District 3 are having a very difficult time with their property taxes and homeowners insurance,'' Franks said.

Ravenscraft, who runs a marketing and Internet research firm, said Democrats should use those issues against the Republican establishment in the June 5 primary and June 26 general election.

''It's a Democratic district, and Democrats just need a reason to come home,'' he said. ''If we're ever going to take back the Legislature, it's going to have to be one seat at a time.''