While he never reached the heights of either Lawton Chiles or Bob Graham, Bill Nelson has proven to be the only Florida Democrat to win statewide elections on a consistent basis -- and a rising congressman is taking notes.
Nelson has carved out a niche as a moderate Democrat, even if he rarely breaks with the Obama administration. This reputation has helped Nelson over the years and he traditionally wins areas of the state that Republicans rely on. Take 2012, when Republicans expected Connie Mack to offer Nelson a tight battle. It simply didnt happen as Nelson won over the usual Republican bastions, including beating Mack in the likes of Duval and Polk counties.
In his many decades in Florida politics, Nelson has made a habit of claiming the middle even if he almost never pushes back against more liberal members of his party. Take recent weeks, for example. While he never actually called for Eric Shinseki to go, Nelson won a bunch of attention and applause for saying heads need to roll at VA. Nelson also had the wit to quickly get behind Marco Rubios and Jeff Millers bill to give the VA secretary more power to fire department workers. It was a win-win for Nelson. He got good press while not breaking with Obama.
At least one Florida Democrat seems cut from the same cloth as Nelson. Patrick Murphy has also won attention in recent days for his role in the VA controversies. Murphy called for Shinsekis resignation around the same time as Rubio and Miller. He also profited from a major photo opportunity over Memorial Day weekend by meeting with the troops in Afghanistan.
Murphy has tried to grab the middle and, more than Nelson, has been willing to throw jabs at Obama. From voting Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress to criticizing the administration for raiding Medicare Advantage to fund Obamacare, Murphy has made some high-profile stands against the White House.
While he hasnt avoided all the pitfalls, such as All Aboard Florida where he has shifted his position, Murphy is in a strong position to win a second term in November. On paper, this should be a competitive race with Republicans outnumbering Democrats here and Murphy beating Allen West by the skin of his teeth in 2012. But Murphy has done well in building a war chest, and major candidates like West and Adam Hasner stayed out of the mix this year, leading to a crowd of distinctly second- and third-tier Republican hopefuls.
Unlike gaffe-prone Joe Garcia, liberal Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the other Democrats in the Florida delegation, Murphy has a path to winning statewide office. Unlike too many Democrats who ran for office in recent years -- Bill McBride, Alex Sink, Jim Davis, Betty Castor -- Murphy doesnt call Tampa Bay home. Hes not a tool to the teachers' union and trial lawyers currently pulling the strings on the Florida Democrats. Murphys following Bill Nelsons path instead of the usual trail that leads to defeat for Florida Democrats.
Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson wrote this analysis exclusively for Sunshine State News.
