George Sheldon Announces Bid for Attorney General

Former secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families, George Sheldon, announced Monday he will seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Sheldon quit his job as the assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families in Washington on Friday. In a 10-hour drive on Saturday, Sheldon said he called potential donors to raise the money he'll need to take on Bondi, who has already raised $1.4 million for her campaign so far.

I've got to be competitive from a dollar standpoint," said Sheldon. "I can't be outspent 3-to-1, or even 2-to-1."

Sheldon served as deputy attorney general for Bob Butterworth from 1999 to 2002 and ran against former Governor Charlie Crist in 2000 for education commissioner and lost. In 2002, he ran for attorney general but came in third in the Democratic primary.

Sheldon said he announced now because he wants to take advantage of this weekend's Florida Democratic Party state conference, where he will be introduced as a speaker by his former boss, Bob Butterworth. The conference will be held at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort in Orlando.