McCollum enters GOP governor’s race
ORLANDO (AP) – Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum announced Monday he is running for governor, telling a group of GOP leaders that he will work with all parties and all people to solve the state’s problems.
McCollum’s announcement comes less than a week after Republican Gov. Charlie Crist said he will run for U.S. Senate next year instead of seeking a second term.
“The hallmark of a McCollum administration will be access and inclusion. This administration will be one that doesn’t look at the partisan label, that brings the brightest minds together from all walks of life throughout our state, regardless of religion, race – any kind of background whatsoever,” McCollum said at an announcement event packed with state GOP leaders.
While Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson has also considered running, it is clear the party leadership wants McCollum as its candidate. Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer told the crowd he hopes the party will unite behind McCollum and that he would ask the party’s executive committee to endorse him at its July meeting. The primary is in August 2010.
Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, Senate President Jeff Atwater, House Speaker Larry Cretul and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan were among party leaders at the announcement.
“If our party is unified – and I believe it will be – if we stand together, focusing on the issues that are important to Floridians, the issues that are talked about at the dinner table, we will be successful,” Greer said as he introduced McCollum.
McCollum was elected attorney general in 2006 and has focused much of his effort on cybercrime, expanding an Internet crime unit started by his predecessor, Crist, and speaking at schools about the dangers of online predators.
He’s also targeted mortgage fraud, gang activity and crimes against the elderly and has led an effort to stop Florida restaurants from selling fake grouper after learning about the many substitute inferior species for the popular state fish.
He had served 20 years in the U.S. House and 23 years in the Naval Reserve, retiring as a commander.
McCollum cited that experience during his announcement, saying it’s needed during the tough financial times the state is facing.
“The experiences I have will allow me to be the strong leader that the next governor of Florida requires,” McCollum said. “That is a position that we have to have filled by someone who will be strong and will face the challenges we all know are out there today.”
Democrats, however, were quick to try to use his experience against him, sending out a press release before the announcement saying McCollum is a career politician and pointing out this is his 14th political campaign, including unsuccessful runs for Senate in 2000 and 2004.
If Bronson stays out of the race, McCollum would likely face Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink in the general election. Sink, the only major Democrat expected to run, got in the race last week. Sink recently criticized McCollum for running a campaign-like ad to promote his cybercrime prevention program.
Sink wrote to McCollum saying she was disappointed that he hired an out-of-state political strategist to produce the ads instead of seeking bids on the project. McCollum defended the ads as effective in warning parents and children about Internet predators.
“There’s nothing I’m prouder of than the effort we’ve made to education our kids and now educate our adult parents and grandparents about cyber safety. We cannot arrest our way out of this incredible problem,” he said. “I’m really proud of those ads, they’ve done their job, they’re good ads.”