JONES BLAMES SPECIAL INTERESTS FOR HIS SON’S LOSS
St. Petersburg Times - By WAVENEY ANN MOORE [9/7/2006]

"State Sen. Dennis Jones blames special interest groups for his son’s surprise defeat in the race for the Republican nomination to state House District 54.

Rod Jones, 41, was defeated by Jim Frishe, who served in the Legislature from 1984 to 1990.

The elder Jones said two groups sent 11 pieces of mailings against his son, spending about $150,000. “Elections ought to be between candidates, so you know who gave it and what they spent it on,” Dennis Jones said.

Others said Frishe’s experience, knowledge and tenacious grass roots campaign outweighed Rod Jones’ hefty campaign chest.

“Grass roots is where the rubber hits the road,” said Tony DiMatteo, Pinellas County Republican chairman. “I think Jim Frishe just basically outworked him.”

DiMatteo, who supports Frishe, also noted he had been vice president of the county Republican Party. “Jim is very well known and very well liked,” DiMatteo said.

Frishe got almost 50 percent of the votes compared to Jones’ nearly 30 percent. He was surprised by the margin of victory, said Frishe, 57.

“I was fairly confident that I was going to win because I was getting such a good response from the precincts going door to door and we had so many volunteers helping out,” he said.

Jones spent $157,000 on his campaign, more than four times the $37,000 Frishe spent.

Returning a call late Wednesday seeking comment, Rod Jones left a message with the St. Petersburg Times saying the election was “yesterday’s news.”

Dennis Jones disputes any notion that he was his son’s primary fundraiser. “For my last few campaigns, Rod raised money for me,” he said. “They can say what they want to say, but the boy can raise his own money. … The truth of the matter is he has been involved in my campaigns since 1978.”

One of the fliers criticizing Rod Jones pointed out that he did not vote in the 2000 presidential election. It was sent by People for a Better Florida, a group backed by the Florida Medical Association and physicians. Jones said he recalled voting absentee while on a cycling trip around the world.

All Children Matter, a Michigan group that supports school vouchers to send poor children to private schools, also sent a mailing supporting Frishe.

In turn, a flier produced by HealthWatch Florida cited the Miami Herald as saying Frishe was the most ineffective legislator when he served. The group was led by Donald Krippendorf, a St. Petersburg chiropractor. Jones and his father are chiropractors.

Frishe will rest for a day and then start campaigning against Democrat Betsy Valentine, a retired psychologist. The District 54 seat is now held by Everett Rice, who did not run for re-election. The district runs along the beach and island communities from Clearwater to Fort De Soto, including Tierra Verde.

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