In politics, allure grows for old jobs

Term limits create revolving door

When voters in Deerfield Beach go to the polls on March 14, they’ll have the opportunity to return Gwyn Clarke-Reed to the city commission after a 12-year absence.

For eight of those years, Clarke-Reed served as a state representative from the area. She was termlimited out of office in 2016, ran unsuccessfully for the Florida Senate, and is now trying to return to the City Commission that began her political career, this time as mayor. She’s in a competitive race against three other candidates.

“This was going to be an open seat, and this is probably the last time I would be seeking public office,” Clarke-Reed said. “It’s an opportunity to continue my public service.”

Traditionally, local government has served as a springboard to state office. But since term limits were instituted in 1992, local office has in turn become a landing pad for politicians returning from Tallahassee.

“We’ve certainly seen a lot more state reps running for city and county positions than we have in the past,” said Kevin Wagner, an expert on Florida politics and political science professor at Florida Atlantic University. “In the past, legislators would keep their seats until deciding to run for higher office. Now, you don’t want to be out of office too long, so you look at what’s available locally to bide your time.”

When Lauderdale Lakes Mayor Barrington Russell was elected in November to the Florida House, he was replaced by former state Rep. Hazelle Rogers, the very woman Russell is replacing in the state House. Rogers was term-limited out of office.

The Broward County Commission includes two former state senators, Nan Rich and Steve Geller, both elected in 2016, and a former state representative, Tim Ryan.

The Palm Beach County Commission also welcomed two former state legislators in 2016.

Commissioner Mack Bernard served two terms before losing a state Senate race by 17 votes in 2012. This year, he marked his political comeback with a close primary victory over incumbent Commissioner Priscilla Taylor. When Bernard got to Tallahassee in 2009, it was as Taylor’s successor there.

The second new commissioner is Dave Kerner, who ran for local office despite still having two more terms of eligibility in the Florida House.

Part of the reason was Kerner wanted to spend more time at home after getting married. But he also said, “My heart is in local government.”

Kerner said despite his success in Tallahassee — in his last year, he passed more bills than any other Democrat, and many Republicans — it was a frustrating experience.

So he left Tallahassee behind and easily won a County Commission seat, garnering more than 60 percent of the vote in the August primary and the November general election.

But state politicians trying to enter local office aren’t guaranteed success.

Former state Sen. Chris Smith, D-Fort Lauderdale, failed in his November bid to oust Dale Holness from the Broward County Commission, and former state Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, lost a run at the Hollywood mayoral seat.