Dockery Bows Out of Gubernatorial Race

Placing a distant third in most polls behind Attorney General Bill McCollum and conservative businessman Rick Scott, and without the financial recourses to launch a comeback, state Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, pulled the plug on her campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

It is with mixed feelings that I end my campaign to be your next governor, said Dockery in a statement this morning. People who know me know I'm a tenacious fighter unafraid of long odds, especially when the stakes are so high. But I'm also a realist and understand the costs of effectively competing statewide. At this point in the election cycle, I see no financial path to victory. And so today, with both resignation that the resources are not there and appreciation for the journey we shared, I am ending my campaign to be governor of the great state of Florida.

Dockery did not endorse any of the remaining candidates in the field. While Dockery had been an early favorite among conservative activists, Scotts presence in the race as well as a number of her votes in the legislative session, including her opposition to SB 6 and wavering on the ultrasounds measure, undermined Dockerys appeal to conservatives.

The memories of this wonderful experience and of meeting so many extraordinary folks will stay with me forever, said Dockery. I am a better person for having undertaken this journey with you.