Gutierrez to pursue a baseball team, not Grayson

By David Damron ORLANDO SENTINEL
South Florida transplant Armando Gutierrez says he wanted to serve in Congress – but he also saw a chance to find a way to bring major league baseball to Orlando.

So rather than possibly strike out at both, Gutierrez unexpectedly stepped out of the batter's box Tuesday and ended his bid to take on U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando. In a press statement the 28-year-old -- who wasn't registered to vote here six months ago -- said he was devoting himself solely to the improbable task of bringing big leaguers to play in Orlando.

"At this point," the statement said, "I feel I can do more for the Central Florida economy by bringing a baseball team to the community than I can as a member of Congress."

In an e-mail later, Gutierrez said no one leaned on him to get out of a crowded GOP primary field. "I was not in one bit pressured by anyone," Gutierrez wrote, taking time from a fishing trip. "In fact, our fundraising this quarter was set to surpass last quarter."

Grayson, well-known nationally now for yanking conservatives' chain, seized the moment to gloat:

"I said before, 'Nobody wants to run against us,'" Grayson said in a statement. "Well, it turns out that even the nobodies don't want to run against us."

In some respects, Gutierrez's abrupt out was a surprise. The youthful developer had easily lapped his fellow Republican opponents by raising $203,684 in outside contributions by the end of 2009, or twice as much as the rest of the primary field combined. He also dropped in $100,000 of his own.

He also bagged numerous endorsements, from former state party Chairman Al Cardenas, and a host of state and U.S. House members. He even signed on Orlando attorney Fred Leonhardt, a fund-raising stalwart in a district that includes most of Orange, and parts of Lake, Marion and Osceola counties.

Leonhardt said Gutierrez voiced doubts in the last week about where his heart was – whether to pursue Congress or a baseball team.

"A race for public office is tough," Leonhardt said. "I told him, 'If you need to get out, do it now.'"

Leonhardt said Gutierrez was pursuing a major league franchise, specifically an owner interested in selling a team. He would not say which one – though skeptics have said it's extremely unlikely Major League Baseball would allow a team to locate so near the Tampa Bay Rays.

Leonhardt said that Gutierrez planned to return his contributors' money and free up his backers to endorse other candidates.

They have plenty to choose from. Winter Park traffic-signal businessman Bruce O'Donoghue filed to run Monday, joining attorney and failed-2008 GOP primary candidate Todd Long. Those two and Rep. Kurt Kelly, R-Ocala, who won an endorsement from U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala, are the front-runners.

However, two Tea Party activists -- former pilot Dan Fanelli and Lake County homemaker Patricia Sullivan -- are also running. So is doctor Ken Miller, who recently jumped in after first challenging U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D- New Smyrna Beach.

And the list could get longer. Former Ruth's Chris Steakhouse CEO Craig Miller is looking at a run and was said to be in Washington meeting with GOP officials.