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As a young boy growing up on a farm in eastern Hillsborough County, Earl Lennard admired and emulated the work ethic taught by his father John. His brother Charles told the crowd at a recent press conference at the Riverview Sandwich Shop, that is one of the reasons the recently retired Superintendent of Hillsborough County Schools has decided to continue his lifetime of service to his friends and neighbors in the community. "Dad always told us, don't put the tractor in the barn until the work is done," he said.
A few minutes after 4 p.m. on September 14, Lennard formally announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the Florida Senate, District 10 to friends, family members and supporters, including former Florida governor Bob Martinez and school board member Carol Kurdell.
Tom Lee of Brandon, who plans to run for Florida State Chief Financial Officer in the 2006 election, is vacating the seat.
While education is among his list of priorities, Lennard says that as the chief executive office of Hillsborough County's largest employer, a two billion dollar business, he gained valuable insight into issues facing the entire state of Florida.
"We must better plan growth so that we have schools, transportation, infrastructure and water supply available before we build new neighborhoods," he stressed, also addressing the need for affordable, high quality health care for all sectors of the population, from children to senior citizens.
In the final few minutes of the press conference, Lennard took off his suit jacket and told his supporters that when he is out in the community, you will see him in khaki pants and a "regular" shirt, working hard like the people of his district. "I do not know a lot about politics, but I do know how to work hard," he concluded.
District 10 is made up eastern Hillsborough, including Brandon, Riverview and Valrico, plus Zephyrhills and Plant City. Other candidates in the race include republicans, Sandra Murman, former state representative for district 56, Valrico resident J. Stephen Cleveland and Ray Young of Plant City. Stephen Gorham, a democrat, also has filed to run.
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