Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux announced on Tuesday that he is going to run for the Republican nomination to take on incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012.
America is in a crisis and we must put a stop to out-of-control spending. Our government is broke and far too many Floridians are out of work, said LeMieux. I am running for the U.S. Senate because I believe the stakes have never been higher. This crisis cannot wait for our children and grandchildren we must have the courage to make the tough choices today to save our future. We cannot afford politicians who continue to spend this country into ruin."
LeMieux took aim at Nelson in his comments on Tuesday, maintaining that the two-term incumbent has backed a larger and more irresponsible federal government.
Bill Nelson, like most career politicians, is part of the problem. Year in and year out, Bill Nelson has voted for bloated budgets, bigger bureaucracy, higher taxes, and has driven government into nearly every aspect of our lives, added LeMieux. I care too much about my four children, the people of Florida, and this great nation to sit on the sidelines. For too long, politicians have made the easy choice and refused to do anything about our overspending. Florida needs another common-sense voice to join Senator Rubio in Washington and put this country back on track.
The former senator also unveiled a website featuring a video statement from LeMieux, focusing on fiscal issues, in which he once again hammered Nelson, maintaining that the Democrat was a liberal while he was a conservative.
LeMieux, an attorney, rose in large part through the help of Charlie Crist. After being elected as attorney general in 2002, Crist picked LeMieux to serve as his chief of staff. During Crists successful gubernatorial campaign in 2006, LeMieux was a key adviser. When Mel Martinez resigned his U.S. Senate seat, Crist turned to LeMieux to fill the vacant position.
During his 16-month stint in the Senate, LeMieux focused on fiscal issues, calling for the federal government to return to its 2007 size and pushing for a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution -- issues he also focused on in the video released on Monday. These actions won LeMieux the attention of fiscal watchdog groups like the Concord Coalition and the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which staged events with the senator across Florida last year.
During his time in the Senate, LeMieux served on the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Special Committee on Aging.
After falling behind Marco Rubio in the polls during the battle for the nomination to fill LeMieux's seat in the Senate, Crist left the Republican Party to continue his bid with no party affiliation. Despite their close relationship, LeMieux backed Rubio over Crist.
During his time in the Senate, LeMieux won the attention and praise of Republican leaders in the Beltway -- including GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Hes made the most of his short time in the Senate, said McConnell on the Senate floor in December. In his short time, George has served the people of Florida with honor, integrity and purpose.
McConnell also predicted that the Senate had not heard the last of LeMieux.
LeMieuxreceived high marks from the American Conservative Union, too-- scoring86 out of 100 during his abbreviated stint in 2009 and92 for his record in 2010.
But while he may have been their senator for 16 months, LeMieux remains unknown to many Floridians. A poll taken in March by Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, revealed that the overwhelming majority of those surveyed -- 69 percent -- were unsure of their thoughts on LeMieux, as opposed to 8 percent who saw him as favorable and 22 percent as unfavorable. The poll also found Nelson beating LeMieux 48 percent to 33 percent. The poll of 500 likely voters in Florida was taken between March 24 and March 27, and had a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent.
LeMieux faces a potentially crowded field for the Republican nomination. Conservative Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, has the early jump in the race and former House Majority Leader Adam Hasner has been gearing up to enter the race. Businessman and retired army officer Mike McCalister, who took more than 10 percent in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2010, has also entered the race. Other possible candidates include businessman Nick Loeb and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
