Ex state Rep. Kosmas to challenge Congressman Feeney

By John Bozzo, Daytona Beach News-Journal

October 11, 2007

Suzanne Kosmas recently let pollsters use her name to test the strength of Congressman Tom Feeney in his home district.

Now, Kosmas wants the contest to be for real.

The New Smyrna Beach Democrat announced her campaign Wednesday to oust the Republican incumbent from the U.S. House seat representing the 24th District.

"I took a look around and decided it was time for a change in Washington," Kosmas said.

Kosmas, 63, is a real estate business owner who is involved in numerous community groups and served in the Florida House from 1996 to 2004, when term limits prevented her from running again.

She's also considered the first legitimate challenger to Feeney, whom Democratic insiders see as vulnerable because of criticism targeting him as one of the "most corrupt" members of Congress.

"Tom Feeney's out of touch with his constituents and he has serious ethical questions," said Kyra Jennings, spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington. "Suzanne Kosmas is an excellent candidate, trusted in her community. She's going to bring responsibility and integrity back to the district."

Feeney -- whose office did not return calls Wednesday -- has no weakness in the eyes of Republicans, who expect the Oviedo resident to retain his seat.

"He has continually delivered for the 24th District and I think his record will get him re-elected next year," said Julie Shutley, spokeswoman for the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington.

To challenge Feeney, Kosmas will have to win a battle against two other Democratic challengers, Clint Curtis, a Titusville computer programmer, and Gaurav Bhola, an Orlando business development specialist.

"It depends on how much money she raises and whether she can convince Brevard and Seminole that she's not this liberal, do-nothing Democrat," Curtis said.

A self-styled Feeney nemesis, Curtis claims he was fired in 2002 from a Florida Department of Transportation job because of ethical allegations he made against Feeney, who was cleared of the charges.

Bhola considers Curtis a "disgruntled employee using the Democratic Party as a vehicle for a vendetta."

"I saw what the current incumbent is doing to the district, which I believe is false service instead of public service," Bhola said.

Kosmas characterized her record as "moderate and common sense." Regardless of the Democratic primary outcome, the goal is unseating Feeney, she said.

"The race is against Tom Feeney," Kosmas said.

As a rising star in the Republican Party, Feeney once ran for lieutenant governor on a ticket with Jeb Bush and went on to be Florida House speaker at the time the Legislature was drawing new lines for congressional districts. He easily won election to Congress in 2002, 2004 and 2006.

But he was forced to battle -- successfully -- ethics charges in the Florida House. The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington included Feeney on a list of the 13 "most corrupt" members of Congress.

Feeney took three trips in apparent violation of House rules, according to the watchdog group, including a 2003 golf junket to Scotland financed by Jack Abramoff, who was convicted in 2006 of bribing congressmen. Feeney reimbursed $5,743 to the U.S. Treasury and formed a legal defense fund in June to pay costs related to an FBI investigation of his ties with Abramoff.

More recently, Feeney has drawn criticism for refusing to override President Bush's veto of legislation that would provide health care to more than 500,000 low-income children in Florida. Republicans counter that Feeney has fought for lower taxes and lower spending.

District 24 includes parts of Volusia, Brevard, Seminole and Orange counties, stretching west to include Winter Park and south past Titusville.