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Republican gets close to 60 percent of vote in four-person race

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV proved he spends most of his days off from Congress in Southwest Florida, and this has helped him earn at least two more years fighting for the region in Washington.

Mack, R-Fort Myers, won his third term, defeating Democrat Robert Neeld for the third time, and non party challengers Burt Saunders, a Republican state senator, and Jeff George, a political newcomer.

Mack got 59.1 percent of the vote to Neeld’s 24.8 percent. Saunders got 14.7 percent, and George 1.3 percent.

“Fifty percent in a four-way race is good, so being at 60 percent or somewhere right around there feels really good. We’re excited about it,” said Mack, who will make $169,300 a year.

During his two terms in Congress, Mack has helped secure $81.1 million toward the widening of Interstate 75, a project under construction, and $131 million for a Veterans Affairs clinic in Cape Coral.

“We’ve worked really hard focusing on the issues in Southwest Florida, while staying true to the principles I believe in - less government and less taxes,” Mack said.

But Mack has not escaped criticism during his four years of service, especially from Saunders, who feels Mack’s heart is in Southern California - the home of Mack’s wife of a little more than a year, Republican Congresswoman Mary Bono of Palm Springs.

“Connie Mack ran a great campaign and the results were very favorable for him,” said Saunders, who could not run for his state Senate seat again because of term limits.

“Clearly, most people vote on straight party lines. But I didn’t expect it to be by that much of a margin.”

Saunders, who in the past had served as a state representative and a Collier commissioner, declined to say if he planned to run for public office again.

Neither did Neeld.

“I was sure that I was going to run again (if I didn’t win), but there’s so much hate out there. A lot of people are consumed with hate,” Neeld said. “Chances are, I’ve got it in my blood (to run again) and I can’t get it out.”

Neeld hoped to be part of a turn in this country toward Democrats and help repair the economy and foreign relations.

“With Sen. Saunders in the race, the numbers worked for me” to get a win, Neeld said. “But I didn’t produce.”

With the election over, Mack can turn his focus to needed projects in Southwest Florida, such as the C-43 reservoir along the Caloosahatchee River that is expected to limit pollutants, and securing money for road projects.

“We’ve still got a lot of work to do,” he said.