Dan Daley is trying a new approach — diplomacy, deference and respect — in his quest to start his new job as a Florida state representative.
He said Wednesday he would reach out to House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, and “respectfully” ask that he be allowed to take office for the annual legislative session, which runs from March 5 to May 3.
That’s a much different tack than the Democratic Party took last week when it criticized Oliva and demanded that he seat Daley immediately.
Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Terrie Rizzo said Oliva was attempting to deny the people of northwest Broward from having representation in Tallahassee. “This is a shameful effort to try and silence their voices,” she declared.
Reggie Cardozo, senior adviser for the House Democrats’ campaign arm, labeled it “despicable.”
After that approach didn’t work, Daley tried a different one in a statement Wednesday.
“I recognize the independence of the Florida House of Representatives. I also fully understand and appreciate that it is the prerogative of the speaker and the members of this august body to make the decision of seating its members.
“Although the Speaker has stated that he will not seat me until after the original June election date, I plan to reach out and respectfully request he reconsider his decision, so that I may continue doing the people’s work in this district,” Daley said.
The issue stems from the way Daley, a Coral Springs Democrat, became the replacement for state Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who resigned to become state emergency management director.
No other candidate came forward to challenge him by the Feb. 14 deadline, so Daley gets the seat without going through a primary or general election. But Oliva said last week that Daley wouldn’t be seated until June 18, which would have been the date of the special general election if there had been one.
“The House has consistently followed this law,” he said.
The District 97 seat includes parts of Coral Springs, Parkland, Plantation, Tamarac and Sunrise as well as the large, open expanse of Broward County north of Alligator Alley and west of the Sawgrass Expressway.
aman@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4550 or Twitter @browardpolitics