Democratic State Senate candidate Frank Alcock is taking advantage of the holiday weekend to get some exercise — and promote his campaign — with a three-day, 100-mile-plus bike tour of District 23.
This is what Frank Alcock looks like when he’s not wearing a bike helmet and spandex. (COURTESY OF FRANK ALCOCK CAMPAIGN)
He’s calling it “Tour de Frank,” and the ride will start in Boca Grande, take him through Englewood and Venice, and finish in Sarasota on Monday. The community is invited to join for portions of the ride, or simply drop in at one of the planned stops for conversation with the candidate, who faces a formidable November opponent in state Rep. Greg Steube.
This wheels-on-the-ground approach to campaigning echoes other walking tours candidates have taken over the years. Perhaps the most notable of these grass-roots efforts was that of the late Gov. “Walkin’ Lawton” Chiles, who was relatively unknown when he ran for U.S. Senate in 1970 and walked 1,003 miles from Pensacola to Key West to gain recognition in the state he hoped to represent. (It worked.)
But why use your feet when you’ve got a bike?
Full disclosure: As a cyclist and a New College alum (Alcock is a professor there), I’m pretty much obligated to be a fan of Alcock and this approach to campaigning, personal politics notwithstanding. That said, the campaign says it is inviting anybody, regardless of party affiliation “and particularly those who are fed up with the current atmosphere of division and incivility,” to ride along or stop in and enjoy refreshments and conversation.
Folks interested in riding along should be prepared to provide their own transportation to and from the start and end points. There will be refreshments at the rest stops.
Saturday’s ride starts at 8 a.m. at the Cape Haze trailhead. Alcock and his crew expect to be at the Port Charlotte Town Center Mall at 10 a.m., Highland Ridge Park at 1 p.m., and end the day at the British Open Pub at 4 p.m.
Sunday’s ride begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Venice Fairfield Inn and Suites, with a noon stop in Englewood at the Pioneer Days celebration, and a 4 p.m. stop at Sharky’s on the Pier.
Monday’s ride begins at 9 a.m. at the Venice Train Depot, with a 10 a.m. stop at the Culverhouse Nature Park, a noon stop in Siesta Key Village, a 2 p.m. visit to Sarasota Bayfront Park, and the whole shebang culminates at 5 p.m. on New College campus at College Hall, the old Charles Ringling mansion on the bayfront.
For more information and route details, visit www.electfrankalcock.com/tourdefrank.