With a little over two weeks until the primary elections, politicians are scrambling across the state to stump as much as possible and trying to find ways to earn as much attention as possible.
U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, locked in a tight battle with Jeff Greene for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate, is having a raffle for supporters who donate $5 or more to his campaign, with the winner getting to meet former President Bill Clinton. Its an interesting attempt to raise more funds while reminding primary voters that Clinton, who is still popular with Florida Democrats, is backing Meek Former Ruth's Chris CEO Craig Miller, running in a close battle for the Republican nomination to take on U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, is coming out swinging at one of his chief rivals, Karen Diebel. The Miller campaign is pointing to seven instances where Diebel voted to increase taxes and fees during her tenure on the Winter Park City Commission The University of Florida will hold the last gubernatorial debate in the general election on Oct. 26. The debate will be held in Gainesville
The Florida Chamber of Commerce is doubling down its bet on Attorney General Bill McCollum over health-care executive Rick Scott in the contest for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. The chamber will run $475,000 in television ads in Jacksonville, Orlando, Palm Beach and Tampa for McCollum, whom they endorsed last week After launching the first television ad on Friday in his bid to be the Democratic nominee for attorney general, Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach hits the campaign trail hard over the weekend. Gelber was at events in Orlando and Hines City on Friday night and on Saturday he hits Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral and Longwood. On Sunday, Gelber campaigns in Coral Springs Labeling the 2010 budget the most challenging in recent memory, Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, predicted on Friday that the 2011 budget will be even tougher
A group called Florida New Majority has sent out mailings targeting Dr. Rudy Moise, who is running for the U.S. House seat that Kendrick Meek is vacating. The group is demanding Moise return money that his company accepted from Miami-Dade County to help a radio station he owns. The group has endorsed Haitian-American activist Marleine Bastien, one of many candidates battling it out for the Democratic nod to take Meeks place Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Tom Arnold announced his retirement Friday. Gov. Charlie Crist tapped Liz Dudek to serve as interim secretary U.S. Rep. Connie Mack is in Columbia, where he continues his campaign against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. In a speech in Columbia, the Floridian criticized Chavez for backing terrorism and for undermining liberty for Venezuelans .
Democratic candidate Heather Beaven is getting aggressive in her bid to knock off U.S. Rep. John Mica, focusing on the longtime Republican congressman's family and its work as lobbyists for oil companies and the natural gas industry A host of candidates attended the Fraternal Order of Police Lunch in Jacksonville on Wednesday, led by U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who faces a challenge from independent candidate Troy Stanley come November. Democratic candidate Deborah Gianoulis, running for the Senate seat currently held by Republican Party of Florida Chairman John Thrasher, was in attendance. So were City Councilwoman Glorious Johnson, who is running for mayor as a Democrat, and City Council President Jack Webb. Councilmen Michael Corrigan and Jack Webb were also on hand Rep. Janet Cruz of Tampa -- who is increasingly becoming one of the more visible members of the House Democratic caucus despite being elected earlier in 2010 -- will be holding a jobs fair in Tampa on Aug. 12.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
