Maybe the voters of Plant City know something that no one else is privy to. Or maybe a “living within our means” mantra totally carries the day in District 62. Or maybe they’re just clueless. But their representative — and outgoing House Speaker — Johnnie Byrd will now try to pull off an improbable political feat: win a U.S. Senate seat when so many people outside Plant City don’t like him.
But Byrd, it should be noted, is off to an unprecedented start. By the time the recent Legislative session had finally argued its way into exhaustion, Byrd had scored an unparalleled Capital hat trick: the alienation of the media, lobbyists and fellow legislators — no small accomplishment.