Many eye Senate race after Martinez says he won't run for re-election

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OrlandoSentinel.com
Many eye Senate race after Martinez says he won't run for re-election
Aaron Deslatte and Josh Hafenbrack

Tallahassee Bureau

December 3, 2008

TALLAHASSEE

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's announcement that he won't run for re-election in 2010 caught some of Florida's top politicos flat-footed Tuesday, and would-be candidates for the powerful post began instantly testing the waters.

On the Republican side, former Gov. Jeb Bush initially said he wasn't interested -- but then began spreading word he was "seriously considering" a run.

A Republican operative who spoke Tuesday with Bush and asked not to be named said there had been "an outpouring of support" from Republicans urging the two-term governor, who left office last year, to run.

"The decision will probably be driven by the potential impact on his family of another campaign," the source said, "and by whether or not he thinks he can make a difference from the Senate on the issues he cares about, like education and immigration."

Bush was expected to make a decision sometime after the holiday season.


Other Republicans

Attorney General Bill McCollum, who lost to Martinez in 2004 after a blistering GOP primary, said he would "seriously consider and discuss with my family" making the race. McCollum was elected as attorney general in 2006.

Former state House Speakers Marco Rubio, a Cuban-American considered a prot�g� of Bush, and Allan Bense both expressed interest, as did Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty.

Bense, a Panama City road builder who left the Legislature in 2006, was urged to run against U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson that year by GOP political operative Karl Rove. But Bense opted not to challenge Katherine Harris in the primary.

Rubio, a West Miami lawyer, just finished eight years in his Legislature tenure and was widely seen as a future statewide candidate.

However, Crotty -- echoing others -- conceded Bush's entry would be a game-changer.

"Jeb Bush would be an instant favorite," said Crotty, whose term as mayor runs out in 2010. "He would probably clear the field if he ran."

In the Florida congressional delegation, U.S. Reps. John Mica of Winter Park and Connie Mack IV of Fort Myers both indicated interest.

Mica just won a ninth term in Congress, but his chief of staff said he would be considering a bid. Mack is the son of two-term former Florida U.S. Sen. Connie Mack III.

One Republican was not angling for the job: Gov. Charlie Crist, who has his eyes set on re-election and then a potential 2012 White House bid.


From the Democrats

On the Democratic side, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink had planned to announce Tuesday that she was running for re-election. But those plans got scrapped after Martinez bowed out, and she now tops a list of at least seven Democrats giving serious thought to the race.

Sink would be the clear front-runner in a crowded Democratic field, given her 2006 election to statewide office. No other interested Democrat has run statewide.

Among them are newly elected state Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, who as a four-term member of the Florida House was considered one of the most well-respected legislators in Tallahassee; and U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, who just won a second term in his coastal district in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

At least two other congressional Democrats also could be in the mix. U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd of Monticello has already financed a test-the-waters poll, while U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami is also said to be interested.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and Miami businessman/Hillary Clinton fundraiser Chris Korge also expressed interest, though either would be a long shot.

Ruling out a race were U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston and Robert Wexler of Boca Raton.

Mark K. Matthews and David Damron of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Aaron Deslatte can be reached at adeslatte@orlandosentinel.com or 850-222-5564. Josh Hafenbrack can be reached at 850-224-6214 or jhafenbrack@sunsentinel.com.

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