Florida Chamber Endorses McCollum, Sends Cash to AG-Linked 527 Group

On Wednesday, at an event at the Port of Tampa, the Florida Chamber of Commerce endorsed Attorney General Bill McCollum in the Republican gubernatorial primary -- the first time in the organizations history that it has taken sides in a gubernatorial primary. The chamber also doubled down its bet on McCollum -- forwarding $500,000 on Tuesday to the Florida First Initiative, a 527 group with ties to McCollum backers that has run commercials attacking health-care executive Rick Scott, the attorney generals chief rival for the Republican nomination.

Im honored to have the Florida Chamber of Commerces endorsement and support in my campaign to be Floridas next governor, said McCollum. With more than 1 million Floridians out of work, nothing is more important than advancing bold pro-business policies to get our economy back on track. The Florida Chamber of Commerce is a leader in advocating for the economic climate that will ensure the Sunshine State recruits, retains and grows the businesses of tomorrow. As Floridas next governor, I look forward to working with the chambers leadership and members in implementing my plan to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs for Floridians.