Reply #10: Well, perhaps we would have a Dem candidate if there were any

[1monster]

Dems left in the area.

When I first moved to the First Coast, everyone was a Democrat. The Dems often ran unopposed by the Repubs.

Then during the eighties, there was a huge influx of Republicans to the area which pretty much drowned the Dems out. Many who were life-long Dems swithed to the Republican party either because they liked Reagan, because they bought the garbage which made a pejorative out of the word "liberal," or because the Dem party leaders were some of the ones who switched to the Republican party and the Dem party system fell apart.

The whole scenario was flipped onto its back. Now, Republicans often run unopposed and the Dems are left out in the cold. Those who do run rarely get a look-in in an any election. The Pubs have way more money and have managed to marginalize anyone who runs a Dem.

I expect things will eventually change again, but don't want to predict when.

One way the Republicans gian memeber is by this same tactic. In a race for County Commissioner this year, we were going to have an open primary because the only two running were both Republican. Then less than a week before the deadline, a Libertarian decided to run as a write-in candidate. Result: Those Dems who really, really wanted to vote against the incumbant switched from Dem to Pub...

The same thing happened in 2004 at the last minute, a candidate filed in order to close another primary in the sheriff's race with similar results.