Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, now running in a crowded Republican primary to see who will emerge to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, looked to highlight his right-of-center credentials as he reached out to conservative bloggers and media on Wednesday.
My focus remains on the fact that our country is headed in the wrong direction, said Hasner, who insisted he is a proven fighter who has stood for conservative values in the Florida House and on the campaign trail.
While trailing in the Republican primary polls to GOP rivals U.S. Rep. Connie Mack and former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, Hasner insisted that his campaign is in good shape, pointing to solid fundraising in the third quarter, winning a straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference event in Orlando in September, and endorsements at the state and national level.
Generally ignoring other rivals -- namely businessman and retired army officer Mike McCalister and restaurant executive Craig Miller -- Hasner and his team are focusing their fire on Nelson, Mack and LeMieux.
We dont need more Washington insiders in Washington to solve the problems, Hasner said.
Asked by Sunshine State News about a former high-ranking lawmaker positioning himself as an outsider in the race, Hasner said conservatives should back him instead of McCallister and Miller -- neither of whom has held office though they both ran in Republican primaries in 2010. Hasner insisted that he took on the Republican establishment during his years in the House leadership -- something he said would help him in Washington as, he maintained, both Republicans and Democrats are to blame for the problems plaguing the nation.
Members of Hasners team continued to fire away at Mack and LeMieux for their ties to former Gov. Charlie Crist, who left the Republican Party in 2010 to continue his bid for the U.S. Senate with no party affiliation. The Hasner camp maintained that Mack breaks with conservatives on a number of issues, including immigration and public funding of stem cell research. The Hasner team also played up LeMieuxs ties with Crist, who appointed him to the Senate in 2009.
Were running against two Washington insiders who are longtime friends of Charlie Crist, said prominent Florida Republican strategist Rick Wilson, who is advising the Hasner camp. He praised the former legislative leader as the non-establishment outside figure in the race with a principled conservative record.
Pointing to weak poll numbers for the incumbent Democrat, Hasners pollster Gene Ulm said that Nelson was very vulnerable and would be hurt by the sluggish economy and many Floridians thinking the nation is headed in the wrong direction. He also said conservatives would be galvanized in 2012, helping Hasner in the primary and general election.
The Hasner camp also pointed to its candidate working the grass-roots and maintaining a busy campaign schedule, attending events across the Sunshine State. Earlier on Wednesday, the Hasner team released a Web video focusing on his travels across Florida.
"From the start of this campaign and throughout his career, Adam has proven he will challenge establishment politicians from both parties and that is exactly what he will do in Washington," said Doug Mayer, a spokesman for Hasner, in a statement.
"Floridians understand that the problems in Washington can't be fixed by the same Washington insiders who helped create them in the first place.More than ever, voters are looking for a leader willing to make the tough decisions needed to fix our country and Adam Hasner is the only candidate in this race with the record that shows that he will."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
