With Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, ending his bid for re-election earlier in the week, House Speaker Pro Tempore John Legg, R-New Port Richey, has been attracting endorsements from the GOP leadership as he seeks to represent parts of Pasco and Hillsborough counties in the Senate. But two primary rivals insist they will continue their own campaigns.
With charges about ethics violations continuing to circle him, Norman bowed out of the race on Tuesday after filing his paperwork last week indicating that he would seek another term.
While Legg had won the support of several prominent Republicans even before Norman headed to the sidelines -- including the backing of fellow House leaders such as Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and Incoming Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel -- the pace of endorsements increased dramatically this week. Hours after Norman bowed out, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced he was behind Legg.
On Thursday, a host of state legislators announced that they back Legg in the race. The next two Florida Senate presidents, along with three other prominent senators, teamed up on Thursday to give their support to Legg.
Senate President-designate Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, and Sen. John Trasher, R-St. Augustine, issued a joint statement Thursday in support of Legg.
It is a privilege for us to join with thousands of his neighbors and friends in Pasco and Hillsborough counties in supporting Representative John Legg for the Florida Senate, the senators announced in the statement. Representative Legg has been lifted up by his community for his strong record of service and leadership and chosen by his fellow legislators as speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives. He will enter the Senate as a respected, powerful voice for the Tampa Bay area.
Over the next few years, the Legislature and governor will be taking bold steps to connect public and private education to the realities and opportunities of the economy. Representative Legg is a proven champion for education reform and shares our vision for an educational system that prepares students for real jobs in the real economy, the senators continued. Our endorsement of John Legg is an affirmation of what his community has already recognized: In John Legg, the people of Pasco and Hillsborough counties have found a successful and committed advocate for conservative values.
Gardiner is expected to be in line for the Senate presidency in 2014, with Latvala and Negron contending for the post in 2016. While Thrasher had been expected to seek the Senate presidency, he said on Friday that he would not do so.
After reeling in the support of many of the leaders of the Senate on Thursday, Legg garnered the backing of the Florida Medical Associations (FMA) PAC on Friday.
The FMA is proud to endorse Representative John Legg for the Florida Senate, said Dr. John Katopodis, the president of the FMA. As a friend of medicine, Representative Legg is committed to making Florida the best state in the nation for physicians to practice medicine and for patients to receive care. We look forward to working with John Legg to achieve these goals.
Legg used the occasion to call for the repeal of the federal health-care law President Barack Obama signed in 2010.
I thank the FMA for their support of my campaign, said Legg. We must repeal Obamacare and protect Floridians from this unconstitutional invasion of privacy. I believe health care decisions should be made by doctors and patients, not government. And, I plan to continue to fight to keep health care costs down by eliminating fraud and lowering the cost of private health insurance.
But while the Republican leadership may be coalescing behind him, Legg does not have an open shot at his partys nomination.
Former Rep. Rob Wallace, an engineer who served eight years in the Florida House, is also in the race and he said on Friday that he had no intention of bowing out of the contest.
The Tallahassee political establishment is attempting to anoint the next senator for District 17, Wallace maintained on Friday. The party leadership seems to have forgotten what the primary is all about.
Wallace insisted that voters in the district would not back Legg. Noting that Legg had been running for another Senate seat until a few weeks ago, Wallace said he thought that Legg recently decided he couldnt win despite representing parts of the other district and so jumped over to District 17.
John Korsak also remains in the race. A security consultant who served in the Secret Service, the Marines and the Army Reserve, Korsak has also been active with local Republican organizations. When Norman bowed out on Tuesday, Korsak insisted that he would stay in the contest and he continues to show no signs of giving up.
Over the past several days it has become clear that Tallahassee, acting against tradition, has inserted its power into a primary election to craft its desired outcome, Korsak said on Tuesday. Tallahassee will not dictate our representation; and I will see to it that we have an election in District 17, not a coronation.
We will continue to bring our positive message of constitutional government to the people, Korsak added. I believe that the No. 1 job of the state Legislature is to guard against intrusive federal policies that undermine the states authority and bankrupt the states treasury. As state legislators, we must preserve and protect freedom and liberty for our people, and allow public policy to be decided at the lowest jurisdictional level possible.
While Wallace and Korsak plan to continue their campaigns, Legg has a formidable advantage over them in the money chase.
As at the end of March, Legg had raised almost $147,000 and kept most of it in the bank, spending less than $27,0000. Korsak jumped in the race in January and by March 31 he had raised more than $11,000 and spent almost $2,500 of that amount. Wallace entered the race on February 28 and he raised more than $8,600 between then and March 31 while also loaning the campaign $2,500. He spent less than $3,100 during that period.
With the second quarter ending on June 30, Legg should have enough in the bank to hold a considerable financial advantage over his rivals before the primary on Aug. 14.
Whoever emerges with the Republican nomination will face Dr. Wes Johnson, a scientist and business owner who served in the Navy. Johnson, who entered the contest in April, is the only Democrat in the race.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859. Jim Turner helped contribute to this story.
