Knocking down a rumor that she will run for Congress next year, state Sen. Paula Dockery says she has no future aspirations to serve in a legislative branch.
But in an interview with Sunshine State News, she didn't rule out another campaign for governor.
Term-limited in 2012, the Lakeland Republican was a Florida House member for six years and will conclude a decade in the state Senate next year.
Dockery sought higher office in 2010 with a brief gubernatorial primary run. Recalling her clashes with GOP leadership at the time, she said, "I had seen so many things happening in the party that were disturbing. One lawmaker couldn't change things."
Among her objections: the $1.2 billion SunRail commuter train, legislators' special projects, "privatization that doesn't work" and resistance to tougher ethics regulations.
A year after her short-circuited bid for the governorship, the 50-year-old Dockery says today's Legislature is vastly different from when she entered the state House in 1996.
"At that time, the Republican Party needed us five [freshmen] to take the majority for the first time in 122 years.
"Those were exciting times. Republicans and Democrats worked well together. It was not a heavy, top-down approach. There was much more respect for the institution," said Dockery.
Though two new congressional seats are likely to be targeted for Central Florida, Dockery says she isn't interested. A much larger political swamp than Tallahassee, Washington holds no appeal for this rabid Gator fan.
"I'm looking to take a break until the process becomes more civil," she says, while adding, "I wouldn't rule anything out beyond that."
Dockery didn't expressly say so, but her mention of a future "elected executive position" presumably could involve a challenge to Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. Many of the policy concerns she cited were instigated, promoted or approved by Scott.
A contrarian to the core, Dockery supports former Jon Huntsman's long shot presidential bid. She believes the former Utah governor's brand of low-partisan pragmatism is the GOP's best shot at breaking party lines and building consensus.
Meantime, the independent-minded Dockery decries her own chamber's proposed redistricting of state Senate seats, including her District 15.
"The Senate changes were detrimental to Polk County," she said, noting that the city of Lakeland would be split into "at least three Senate seats."
"That won't meet the parameters of Fair Districts," she predicted.
Contact Kenric Ward at kward@sunshinestatenews.com or (772) 801-5341.
