Sitting outdoors at a quaint coffee shop, on the seedy edge of the trendy Victoria Park neighborhood, a group of key Fort Lauderdale opinion makers  met with former State Senator Skip Campbell, to hear him make his case for his bid to return to the Florida Senate next year. 
                                                 
                                                    
     Campbell, a Democrat, served with distinction in the Florida legislature for a decade, but saw his political career derailed in a loss for the State Attorney General post in 2006. This time around, Campbell has joined the race for the seat currently held by Jeff Atwater, a Republican. The 25th Florida Senate District seat is comprised of multiple cities, but Fort Lauderdale accounts for a hefty 40% of the District, all east of Interstate 95 to the Atlantic Ocean.

     The meeting, arranged by Randy Dunlap, a neighborhood activist and International Airport expert, and who ran unsuccessfully for John Rodstrom's County Commission seat, was attended by a rich array of Fort Lauderdales' leaders.
     The list included a former Mayor, former City Commissioners, leaders in the Fort Lauderdale Council of Neighborhoods, the  Publisher of the Fort Lauderdale City News,  current and former City Commission candidates, neighborhoods Presidents, and assorted other neighborhood activists. 

     Campbell used the hour long meeting to spell out his reasons for his efforts to rejoin the Legislature, which mostly centered around the States' expensive insurance premiums, and his opponents' percieved obligations to the Insurance Industry. Most attendees reported being "quite impressed" with not only his deep knowledge of the issues, but also his frank and honest answers to the questions posed by the group. 

     Campbell expressed a desire to meet with other groups in the City. Let him know if your group wants him to attend your meeting by calling him at 954-763-8181.