Placing a distant third in the polls behind Attorney General Bill McCollum and conservative businessman Rick Scott -- and without the financial recourses to launch a comeback -- Sen. Paula Dockery pulled the plug on her campaign for the gubernatorial nomination.
It is with mixed feelings that I end my campaign to be your next governor, the Lakeland Republican said in a statement on Monday morning.
A veteran of both houses of the Legislature since first elected to the House in 1996, Dockery said that her campaign could not keep up with the McCollum or Scott campaigns in terms of fundraising.
People who know me know I'm a tenacious fighter unafraid of long odds, especially when the stakes are so high, said Dockery. But I'm also a realist and understand the costs of effectively competing statewide. At this point in the election cycle, I see no financial path to victory.
At the end of the first quarter of 2010, Dockery had raised almost $479,000, loaned her campaign $100,000 and garnered more than $127,000 through in-kind donations. This paled in comparison to the almost $4.7 million that McCollum raised, with almost $1.8 million through in-kind donations. While Scotts campaign was launched after the first-quarter deadlines, drawing from his large personal fortune, he has already spent $5 million in media buys.
Dockery did not endorse any of the remaining candidates in the field. While Dockery had been an early favorite among conservative activists, Scotts presence in the race undermined her appeal to conservatives. So did a number of her votes in the legislative session, including her opposition to SB 6 and her 11th-hour wavering on the ultrasound measure.
Recent polls revealed the daunting task Dockery was facing. A recent Mason Dixon poll had her at 7 percent, far behind McCollums 38 percent and Scotts 24 percent. A recent St. Petersburg Times/Miami Herald/Bay News 9 survey had Dockery at 3 percent, again far behind McCollum at 46 percent and Scott at 22 percent.
McCollum praised Dockery an hour after she withdrew from the race. From growth management and water issues to ethics reform, Paula has been an important voice in the Florida Senate and a dedicated and vocal advocate for the constituents of District 15, said the attorney general. I wish Paula well in the next chapter of her public service and look forward to working with her toward a better Florida.
The memories of this wonderful experience and of meeting so many extraordinary folks will stay with me forever, said Dockery. I am a better person for having undertaken this journey with you.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
