The Florida Chamber of Commerce Political Institute and Cherry Communications released a poll over the weekend showing that health care executive Rick Scott has the lead in the Republican gubernatorial primary over Attorney General Bill McCollum, and that Gov. Charlie Crists independent campaign for the U.S. Senate remains ahead of Republican rival Marco Rubio.
While a number of elections across the state appear to be interesting contests that will go to the wire, more than 30 members of the Legislature can uncork the champagne and claim victory more than four months before citizens actually vote.
Filing closed for state elections at noon on Friday -- setting the stage for some interesting contests in Florida come November.
Attorney General Bill McCollum, currently locked in a tight battle with health-care executive Rick Scott for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, called for local taxes and property taxes to be frozen at their current levels for the next two years. The attorney general also called for caps on the growth of local governments.
With U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, under fire for his comments about the federal government demanding BP establish a $20 billion escrow account to clean up the oil spill on the Gulf, U.S. Rep Jeff Miller is calling out his Republican colleague.
Between the filing appearances of GOP gubernatorial candidates Rick Scott and Bill McCollum at the Division of Elections on Thursday, former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox filed his paperwork to run for commissioner of agriculture and consumer services -- and announced he was being backed by one of his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination.
Accompanying Maddox was former Suwannee County Commissioner Randy Hatch, who had been running for the nomination for the Democratic nomination for more than a year
Health care executive Rick Scott, a political phenomenon who went from virtual unknown to the leading candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the course of a mere two months, filed his paperwork to make his bid official lateThursday morning.
Across the country, former governors are seeking to win back their old jobs. While the focus remains on California, where Jerry Brown, who was first elected governor in 1974, is seeking another chance, four other former governors -- Roy Barnes of Georgia, Terry Branstad of Iowa, Robert Erhlich of Maryland and John Kitzhaber of Oregon -- are waging campaigns for their old positions.
Could that happen in Florida?
Looking to become the first woman to serve as governor in Floridas 165-year history -- and hoping to break a losing streak for the Democrats who have not won a gubernatorial election since 1994 -- state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink filed the needed paperwork to ensure her name will be on the ballot.
Emmy award-winning journalist Deborah Gianoulis, a fixture on Jacksonville television as an evening news anchor for almost 25 years, announced Tuesday that she was running as a Democrat against Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. Thrashers district stretches from Nassau County, through Jacksonville and Duval County, and includes parts of St. Johns and Flagler counties before ending in Volusia County.
