CEO Of Penthouse May Run In Florida 22

Boca Raton investor Marc Bell, CEO of the company that owns Penthousemagazine, is considering a run for Congress. Bell is registered with no party affiliation but says he’d run as a Democrat.  

He’s eyeing the Palm Beach-Broward District 22 seat, where Democrats Lois Frankel and Kristin Jacobsand Republican Adam Hasner have opened campaigns. U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, represents the district now but plans to run in a new District 18 to the north.

“The way I look at the world, like most Americans I’m middle-of-the-road,” Bell said today. He says he hasn’t set a timetable for making a decision.

“I don’t want to be just another politician,” Bell said. “The question is, can I make a difference?”

Bell is managing director of Marc Bell Capital Partners and chief executive officer of FriendFinder Networks Inc., which owns Penthouse as well as a variety of social networking sites. He’s involved in a variety of other business ventures and has been an investor and co-producer of several Broadway plays, including the Tony Award-winning Jersey Boys andAugust: Osage County.