COMMNETARY

MARK SCHUMANN

The rise of a political novice like Donald Trump and the fall of strong, experienced candidates like Jeb Bush are not the only reasons why this is an unusual election year. At the state level, former governor, Charlie Crist, who since leaving the governor’s office failed in bids for the Senate and again for the governorship, has worked his way down the political food chain and is now running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Locally, young Lange Sykes, who just lost in his campaign for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, has skipped the County Commission on his way down, and is now a candidate for the Vero Beach City Council.

After running one of the nastiest and and most negative campaigns in memory, Skyes was trounced by Erin Grall.  Grall kept her campaign on the high road, focusing on her record of community service and on what she hopes to accomplish in the Legislature. Sykes, funded by wealthy special interests, and aided by Tallahassee-based political consultants, spent his entire campaign wallowing in the gutter.

Now Sykes proposes to bring his special brand of politics to the Vero Beach City Council.

According to a statement of financial interests filed with the City Clerk’s Office, Sykes owns a shoes and closing business, an LLC, which has as its address Sykes personal address, a residence located at 836 Riomar Drive.

Interestingly, Sykes listed as a source of income, not his shoe and clothing business, but rental property located at 912 Pirate Cove Lane.  According the the Indian River County Property Appraiser’s office, the property is owned, not by Sykes, but by Clarence Vincent Fitzpatrick.  In fact, according to information available from the Property Appraisers Office website, Sykes does not appear to own property in Indian River County.