Former House Speaker and Senate Majority Leader Dan Websters disappointing start for his congressional campaign is getting national attention from Politico. While Webster has the support of a number of Republican leaders, including Jeb Bush and Mike Huckabee, businessman Bruce ODonoghue and Rep. Kurt Kelly have shown no intentions of leaving the race. Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson will take on the winner of the Republican nomination. Webster ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004 but pulled out early in the contest Republican Rep. Sandy Adams finally seems to be gaining momentum in her bid to take on Democratic Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas. Trailing Karen Diebel and Craig Miller in the money race, Adams won the Seminole County GOP straw poll with 41 percent. She also had just added to her team Jason Roe, who served as chief of staff to former Congressman Tom Feeney
Gwen Margolis, a former state senator, is running for her old job and will face former North Miami Mayor Kevin Burns in the Democratic primary. Burns dropped out of the U.S. Senate race. One beneficiary of this battle will be the man who is vacating the Senate seat, Dan Gelber. Gelber is running in a tight battle with Sen. Dave Aronberg for the Democratic attorney general nomination and having a high-profile, high-turnout contest in his district should provide a solid base of support for Gelber in his backyard Broward County Commissioner Sue Gunzburger is not taking Steve Gellers challenge in the Democratic primary lightly. Setting up a website, Gunzburger has already launched attacks on the former state senator, portraying him as a lobbyist, linking him to Ponzi schemes and even saying he is anti-woman
One more Democrat backing Gov. Charlie Crists U.S. Senate campaign? Rep. Joe Abruzzo, D-Wellington, said he cannot back Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meeks bid under any circumstances and that he prefers Crist to Republican Marco Rubio Billionaire Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene has just launched his first television ads of the campaign. The first ad offers a quick biographical sketch while the second focuses on the economy and unemployment Planning to take on Monroe County Commissioner Mario Di Gennaro? Get in line. Republican David Rice, independents Don Vasil and Mike Forster and now Democrat Henry Rosenthal are running against Di Gennaro. Rosenthal, who ran for state representative in 1986 (losing to Ron Saunders) and county commission in 1982, announced last week he is in the race
Rock band Blues Traveler will be performing in Washington on Wednesday at an event celebrating protecting the Everglades. Both of Floridas U.S. senators and some of the House delegation, including Mario Diaz-Balart and Alcee Hastings, will be honored at the event... While Sen. Lee Constantine is stepping down as chairman of the Public Service Commission Nominating Council and applying for one of the PSC spots and getting all the attention, he is not the only legislator to apply. Democratic Rep. Ron Brise from North Miami also placed his name in contention... Attorney Michael Ryan announced he will challenge incumbent Sunrise Mayor Roger Wishner.
