Outgoing Florida Senate President Jeff Atwater will remain in Tallahassee next year as the states chief financial officer.
With more than 5 million votes counted Atwater had more than 57 percent of the vote, defeating Democrat Loranne Ausley, who garnered 39 percent of the vote. Independent candidates Tom Stearns and Ken Mazzie received 2 and 1 percent, respectively.
Even though many races in the state Legislature centered on Floridas budget and taxes, the often-overlooked CFO position actually handles the states finances, conducts audits and has other oversight duties in addition to having a vote in the Cabinet.
Atwaters victory over Ausley, a former state House representative with political pedigree, was a pickup for the Republicans. Current CFO Alex Sink came up short in her race as the Democratic candidate for governor. The GOP won all of the Cabinet races by healthy margins.
The CFO position, along with the other Cabinet seats, is sometimes seen as a stepping stone to the governors mansion, but Sinks failed campaign may give the lie to that. Atwater, however, has already bucked one trend in winning statewide office as a Senate president. Sink defeated former Senate president Tom Lee to be CFO in 2006.
The Atwater and Ausley campaigns spoke largely of their candidates legislative records on the trail, but the most contentious issue of the race was the so-called Taj Mahal building - the new, ritzy 1st District Court of Appeals courthouse. Ausley tried, apparently in vain, to blame Atwater for the controversial project.
I congratulate Jeff Atwater on his victory tonight, and thank him for his commitment to public service. Our state faces many challenges and I know that he will work hard as part of a new Cabinet to address these challenges head on, Ausley said.
The CFO race was part of a Republican sweep of the Florida Cabinet and a wave election for the GOP across the state. Republicans now have a stranglehold on Floridas government, controlling the governors mansion, all the Cabinet seats, the Senate and a veto-proof majority (in case it is ever needed) in the House.
Reach Gray Rohrer at grohrer@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
