The pieces seem to be falling into place for Senate President Mike Haridopolos to make a run for U.S. Senate in 2012.
In an exclusive interview with Sunshine State News, the young Senate president said he's receiving a lot of encouragement to elevate his senatorial aspirations to the national level. Haridopolos says his wife has already given him the green light
Jeb Bush, once believed to be considering a run for Sen. Bill Nelson's seat, has indicated he will not enter that race. Haridopolos says Bush, whom he greatly admires, was the only potential obstacle to making a Senate run official.
Haridopolos, 40, may be a strong contender against Sen. George LeMieux for the Republican nomination. As Senate president, he has a strong influence in the Republican Party of Florida and enjoys greater name recognition than many state senators. LeMieux, on the other hand, was appointed by the unpopular and controversial Gov. Charlie Crist to fill out the remaining 16 months of former Sen. Mel Martinez's term after his resignation. But instead of just acting as a placeholder for Charlie Crist, as many thought he would, LeMieux has been a strong voice against the Obama administration and has developed a following of his own.
LeMieux has been flirting with the idea of running for Nelson's seat. But he has stopped just short of making an official announcement.
U.S. Rep. Connie Mack and others have also expressed an interest.
An official announcement from Haridopolos may come as soon as next week. He said he wants to focus first on passing in committee a bill he proposed that would allow people to essentially opt out of President Barack Obama's health care law. That bill is expected to be voted on Wednesday. He claims once that's behind him, he'll have a final discussion with his family, make a decision and then an announcement.
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Lane Wright can be reached at lane@sunshinestatenews.com or at (561) 247-1063.
