Adding more drama to what already promises to be a gripping political season in Florida, Lawton Bud Chiles III, education advocate and son of the longtime U.S. senator and governor, is seriously considering announcing a run for governor.
Sources close to Chiles have been hinting to the media since Friday that he was considering launching his campaign in the next two weeks. On Saturday, the Associated Press reported that Chiles met with a consultant in Tallahassee to lay out a campaign strategy. Chiles had considered running for governor in 2006 before questions about his resident status in the state sunk the idea.
Chiles has been active in childrens affairs through the Lawton Chiles Foundation, even walking across the state to bring attention to education issues. The walk was a deliberate reminder of his fathers walk across the state in 1970 -- a campaign gimmick that propelled a then-unknown state legislator into the U.S. Senate.
The younger Lawton Chiles has been increasingly active in political affairs. He was very critical of the Crist administration and the Legislature for pulling funds won from Floridas successful suit against the tobacco industry to balance the 2009 budget. The tobacco case was launched by Chiles father and garnered $11.3 billion for the state. Along with his mother and brother, Chiles endorsed Congressman Kendrick Meeks bid for the U.S. Senate earlier in the month.
If he enters, Chiles will face a serious obstacle to winning the Democratic nomination in state CFO Alex Sink. Sink has been campaigning for more than a year now, raising $6.175 million in contributions and reeling in more than $2.25 million through in-kind donations.
While saying that Chiles was an underdog, political consultant Mario Piscatella of MPA Political LLC, who is neutral in the race, said that Sinks strong fundraising will only provide so much of an advantage.
Money will be much less important with less voters, said Piscatella who estimated that the primary would not draw many voters outside the activists.
There are three serious Republican hopefuls in the gubernatorial campaign: Attorney General Bill McCollum, conservative businessman Rick Scott and Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland.
Chiles, who has a cousin in the U.S. Senate, was not the only scion of a political family to consider entering the race. Nephew to the three Kennedy brothers and son of Sargent Shriver, Anthony Shriver, who is active with organizations helping individuals with special needs, speculated at the end of 2009 about entering the 2010 Florida gubernatorial contest.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com, or at (850) 727-0859.
