Mitch PerryThe other day Mason-Dixon did a poll on the 2016 Florida U.S. Senate race, and its content was somewhat pedestrian.
Pedestrian in the respect that it only put forth four names: Marco Rubio and Jeff Atwater for the Republicans; Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Patrick Murphy for the Democrats.
With more than a year and a half until the actual contest, couldn’t Mason-Dixon throw a few more names in the mix, since as of now none of these people have actually committed to running for the seat?
Enter Charlie Crist. Well, not yet, anyway.
News broke Wednesday that the former Republican governor turned independent Senate candidate turned Democratic candidate for governor may be interested in running for the seat, though those in CristWorld seemed not to really know whether that was the case or not.
Most of the initial reviews about a potential Crist candidacy are negative, but as a reporter just watching the show, I welcome the former governor to the contest, if that’s what he wants to do. Although I read Karl Rove’s column today where he says a Democratic primary would be “divisive” in Florida. Hogwash, I say. Democrats could use more competition, at all levels.
Mason-Dixon shows that both Rubio or Atwater are strong favorites in what is supposedly going to be a Democratic year in 2016.
At this time in 2009, nobody had any idea that Rick Scott would run for governor in Florida. Democrats can only hope they find an unknown candidate who could catch fire (and always have boatloads of cash) a la Scott in 2010.
But if Marco Rubio does decide to run again, bank on him winning.
In other news …
The Florida House dramatically Wednesday passed a bill that includes an amendment repealing the state’s ban on gay adoption. A court threw out the law more than four years ago, but this legislation would make it the law. Hard-right conservatives are putting their faith in the more moderate Senate.
Although the spin is that there’s hardly any crime happening in downtown Tampa, tell that to some of the merchants who own businesses in the area. After I posted this story Wednesday, I heard from a reader who also has been having trouble with some elements in downtown Tampa.
Recently a group of Spanish-language journalists and activists contacted the respective chairs of the FDP and RPOF about them hiring a bilingual press spokesperson. The party chairs responded back — in English only.
Bob Buckhorn continues to raise money for his political committee.
And Bill Nelson came to Hillary Clinton’s defense Wednesday in emailgate or whatever the hell we’re calling it. Nelson too, used the defense that he prefers to carry only one smartphone with him — as if he couldn’t have two different email addresses synced up.
