Senate Republicans have tapped Indialantic lawmaker Mike Haridopolos to succeed Sen. Jeff Atwater as the chamber's leader. Haridopolos, a conservative Republican, is slated to take over as Senate President in November 2010 following the general election.
Republican leaders made his designation official during a well-attended ceremony in the Senate chamber, where lobbyists looked on from the gallery above and elected officials including Gov. Charlie Crist watched from the Senate floor.
Haridopolos has served in the Legislature since 2000, when he was elected to the House of Representatives, and became a member of the Florida Senate in March 2003.
Haridopolos, 39, is working with fellow Central Florida Republican Rep. Dean Cannon on legislation that would open up waters off Florida to oil drilling.
He received his bachelor's degree from Stetson University in 1992 and earned a master's degree from the University of Arkansas. He teaches political science at the University of Florida. He is married to Dr. Stephanie Bressan of Ft. Lauderdale and has three children: Alexis, Hayden, Reagan.
Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, noted that Haridopolos - the son of an undercover FBI agent -- is the first Senate president who is a teacher, the husband of a doctor, and the father of a child not yet old enough for kindergarten. http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/12/senate-rs-make-haridop-presidency-official.html
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
GOP Infighting Spoils Hope for Easy Primary
Florida Republican leaders worked hard to thwart any costly and potentially divisive primaries in this busy election cycle. They failed badly.
State Sen. Paula Dockery was the latest to thumb her nose at the party establishment, formally announcing her campaign for governor recently, just a few months after a battalion of party leaders gathered alongside Attorney General Bill McCollum in Orlando to anoint him as their gubernatorial standard-bearer.
Look at almost every statewide race and you'll see contests for the Republican nomination.
• U.S. Senate: Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio is making life increasingly difficult for Crist, who had expected a cakewalk.
• Attorney general: Normally a sitting lieutenant governor would be the overwhelming favorite, but Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp has drawn a challenge from former state Rep. Holly Benson. Tampa prosecutor Pam Bondi probably may jump in soon.
• Agriculture commissioner: U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, was going to walk into this seat, conventional wisdom had it. But state Sen. Carey Baker had other ideas.
• Governor: Dockery may be unknown to most of the state, but with a personal fortune at her disposal and a message that paints McCollum as a career politician, she has potential to be a serious threat.
The only statewide race shaping up as drama-free for the GOP is chief financial officer, where Senate President Jeff Atwater has no major primary challenger and Democrats don't even have a candidate.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/tough-primary-races-points-to-a-divided-florida-gop/1050855
State Sen. Paula Dockery was the latest to thumb her nose at the party establishment, formally announcing her campaign for governor recently, just a few months after a battalion of party leaders gathered alongside Attorney General Bill McCollum in Orlando to anoint him as their gubernatorial standard-bearer.
Look at almost every statewide race and you'll see contests for the Republican nomination.
• U.S. Senate: Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio is making life increasingly difficult for Crist, who had expected a cakewalk.
• Attorney general: Normally a sitting lieutenant governor would be the overwhelming favorite, but Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp has drawn a challenge from former state Rep. Holly Benson. Tampa prosecutor Pam Bondi probably may jump in soon.
• Agriculture commissioner: U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, was going to walk into this seat, conventional wisdom had it. But state Sen. Carey Baker had other ideas.
• Governor: Dockery may be unknown to most of the state, but with a personal fortune at her disposal and a message that paints McCollum as a career politician, she has potential to be a serious threat.
The only statewide race shaping up as drama-free for the GOP is chief financial officer, where Senate President Jeff Atwater has no major primary challenger and Democrats don't even have a candidate.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/tough-primary-races-points-to-a-divided-florida-gop/1050855
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