Pam Bondi was headed for an easy win but things are tightening up in the final days of the campaign.
Bondi had been cruising over Democrat George Sheldon and Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer, beating Sheldon in the polls, including some from earlier this month showing her up by double digits. But its been a bad few weeks for Bondi. In the last gubernatorial debate, Charlie Crist made an issue out of her asking Rick Scott to delay an execution due to a political fundraiser. Scott didnt do Bondi any favors by noting she said she was sorry and shrugging it off.
The mainstream media, always ready to take a whack at a Republican right before an election, are also starting to beat up on Bondi. Papers across Florida have been turning to Bondis out-of-state activities, including jumping in on challenges ranging from semi-automatic weapon bans in New York and Connecticut to environmental activities around the Chesapeake Bay.
The New York Times got in on the action on Wednesday, running a front page story about how lobbyists are targeting state attorneys general -- with more than a little of the spotlight shining on Bondi. Not exactly what she wants to see a week before the election.
Sheldon is also, unlike William Rankin and to a lesser extent Thad Hamilton, getting some love from the Democratic establishment. Charlie Crist has been more than happy to have Sheldon as a sidekick. Bill Clinton was happy to pose with Sheldon when he hit Florida on Sunday.
But Bondi isnt exactly helping herself knock Sheldon out. Her TV ads have been wildly uneven and too dramatic, with Bondi often coming off as overly hyper in them.
Bondi is sitting on more than her share of cash. By Oct. 27, her campaign had raised almost $2.27 million but she spent less than $1.35 million of it. Bondi, of course, has relied on other groups to pitch in, but thats a lot of money on the table with a week to go. Sheldon, on the other hand, raised less than $826,225 and spent $796,500 of it.
Sheldons far from a dynamic candidate and is seriously underfunded, but the wind is at his back. Bondi should have a large enough lead to hold him off, but what should have been a rout is drawing closer than it should be in the final days of the campaign.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
