RSS Feed of the blog

Contributors:

Reporter William March has covered state and national politics since 1994. Email

Reporter Christian M. Wade has covered the City of Tampa since 2008. Email

Reporter Mike Salinero has covered Hillsborough County government for The Tampa Tribune since 2007. Email

Reporter Lindsay Peterson has been a general assignment reporter at the Tampa Tribune since 2005, focusing on higher education since 2009. Email

Tribune Politics Coverage

Florida Political Blogs:

• State Of Sunshine
• Pushing Rope
• Interstate4Jamming
• News Service of Florida
• FLA Politics
• Sayfie Review/

More Resources:

• TBO.com Home Page
• TBO.com Politics
• TBO.com News Updates
• Live Traffic Updates
• TBO.com Communities

Most Recent Entries

• Nelson: Obama birth control compromise “seems to solve the problem”
• Sharpe suspending campaign
• Sharpe to make announcement, may be out of House race
• Largo Military Museum Gets New Name, Mission
• Planned Parenthood: Polls show Catholics, voters favor contraception coverage
• Weatherford denies any attempt to undermine West
• Michelle Obama to tour Florida for healthy eating
• Pentagon Co-Spokesman Changed Trim After Boss’ Haircuts
• Brig. Gen. Becomes Highest-Ranking Death in Afghanistan
• Special Operations Command To Go Para-Commando Over University of Tampa
• Air Force To Cut Nearly 300 Planes, But None From MacDill
• POTUS Veterans Job Act: Billions To Hire Vets As Law Enforcement, First Reponders, Park Workers
• Will Israel Really Strike Iran? SECDEF Won’t Comment On Ignatius Assertion
• College Scholarship Available To a Lucky Family At MacDIll
• CENTCOM Boss Meets with New Pakistan Ambassador

More

• Breaking News
• Command Post Tampa
• Fact Finders - Databay Blog
• Guestbook: Remembering The Fallen Soldiers
• Fresh Squeezed Politics
• Political Safari

Monthly Archives

• Breaking News
• Command Post Tampa
• Fact Finders - Databay Blog
• Guestbook: Remembering The Fallen Soldiers
• Fresh Squeezed Politics
• Political Safari

It’s A Stampede!

Posted Dec 3, 2008 by William March

Updated Dec 3, 2008 at 12:20 PM

OK, here goes: an attempt at a comprehensive list of those interested in, being discussed or likely to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

Caveat: A really comprehensive list probably would be impossible—and could change minute by minute. Some of this information comes from The Associated Press and other news reports.

One Florida political party spokesman, when asked who might be interested, simply e-mailed reporters a list of everybody in Florida who ran for public office in 2008—scores of candidates—then added, “Maybe I should just send out a list of Florida registered voters, and take my own name off.”

First, the Democrats.

Interested:

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink can pretty much have it if she wants it.
U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd of Monticello is considering the race but isn’t well-known statewide. He’s flirted with a Senate race before, in 2004.
State Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach is well-liked in the party but not well-known statewide.
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein of Boca Raton is a second-termer.
U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami is a fourth termer with a solid South Florida support base.

Not ruling it out: Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio

Others mentioned: Miami fundraiser Chris Korge, Tampa businessman Frank Sanchez.

Not interested: Former U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler of Boca Raton, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz of Weston.

Now the Republicans.

Interested:

Former Gov. Jeb Bush has been discounted by many because of his statements about his ambitions, but he reversed course Tuesday, letting it be known he’s seriously considering a run.
Gov. Charlie Crist seems better positioned where he is now as far as national-level ambitions are concerned, but consider the timing. In the Senate, he could bide his time waiting for the right presidential election.
Attorney General Bill McCollum is seriously considering it but has tried twice before unsuccessfully.
Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio of Miami could interest the conservative side of the party.
State House Majority Leader Adam Hasner of Delray Beach is a dark horse.
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan of Sarasota is in the mix, too.

Keeping options open: former state House Speaker Allan Bense, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV of Fort Myers, U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam of Bartow (has ambitions for higher office but probably leans more toward Tallahassee than Washington), U.S. Rep. Ginnie Brown-Waite of Brooksville.