In a primary where the two South Florida candidates can appear very similar to voters, some analysts think the business community could ultimately decide which Democrat will go on to face the Republican challenger in the attorney general race.
Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, bills himself as the "pro-business Democrat," and has the backing of U.S. Rep. Ron Klein of Boca Raton, another Democrat who's seen as business-friendly.
But in the same breath, Aronberg says he also supports labor, despite the fact that business leaders and the unions that represent workers are often at odds.
"I think as a Democrat you can be both pro-worker and pro-business. You can be pro-labor and pro-business," said Aronberg.
"The business community thinks they have an open door with me and they do," he continued, "but my voting record is strong with workers' rights."
Some perceive Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach as being a threat to business because of his voting record in the Senate and his association with trial lawyers.
"For me, if you are a responsible member of the business community, you have nothing to fear from an attorney general. If, on the other hand, you are coming into the marketplace to simply prey on consumers, then you do have something to fear."
Gelber says legitimate and responsible members of the business community would want an AG who keeps a level playing field.
He's also hoping to relate to them as a fellow business-type lawyer who has managed a large number of employees and responsibilities.
"If you're a business in this state, you're going to want somebody who has run an office. And I was the top deputy in an office of over 200 prosecutors, so I have managed hundreds of lawyers," Gelber said.
After the 2010 legislative session, Associated Industries of Florida released a 33-page report on voting records aligned with business.
The two candidates ranked fairly close together, with Aronberg scoring 75 percent compared to Gelber's 71 percent.
But comparing their historical records of voting, the difference was much more noticeable: 79 percent to 61 percent in favor of Sen. Aronberg.
"I'm pleased that I've had a decent rating with the business community, even though I'm sure they think it could be better."
The winner of the Aug. 24 Democratic primary will go on to face whichever Republican candidate can pull ahead and secure the nomination for the party -- Pam Bondi, Holly Benson, or Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp.
Lane Wright can be reached at lane@sunshinestatenews or by phone at 561-247-1063.
