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Candidate for judge misses deadline, is out of race
By CHASE SQUIRES, Times Staff Writer DADE CITY -- A former Pinellas County judge who signed up to run for a vacant Pasco County circuit judge post failed to qualify Friday and left behind a two-man race. Charles S. Carrere, who served as a county judge for 16 years in Pinellas before losing a race in 1996, notified the state on Monday that he planned to run for the seat held by Circuit Judge Joseph G. Donahey Jr., who is retiring. But when the books closed at the State Division of Elections at noon Friday, Carrere had failed to post the required $5,200 qualifying fee or 7,966 signatures needed to get on the ballot. Elections spokesman Joel Mynard said once the noon deadline passes, the books are closed for good. That leaves New Port Richey civil attorney John Renke III and Pasco attorney Declan Mansfield running for the seat. Both have qualified. Carrere, 64, became a Pinellas County attorney after leaving the bench, but campaign treasurer Raymond Hetterich said Carrere no longer practices. Carrere could not be reached for comment Friday at the telephone number he left with the Division of Elections, and did not return a message left on voice mail. Carrere was appointed to the Pinellas County bench in 1980 by Gov. Bob Graham. Carrere served four terms unopposed until 1996, when James L. Berfield, a former Clearwater city commissioner, beat him. The election for Donahey's seat is circuitwide, candidates and voters from Pasco and Pinellas counties are eligible to participate.
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From today's Pasco Times |
