Bondi campaign hires McCollum's spokeswoman

With less than two months before the election, Republican Pam Bondi's campaign for attorney general is hiring someone who knows the office: Sandi Copes, the current spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill McCollum.

Copes, who is taking a two-month unpaid leave from the AG's Office, starts Wednesday as the campaign spokeswoman from Bondi's Tampa headquarters. It's her first foray in to the campaign world.

The view from camp Alex Sink

Alex Sink's supporters trickled in after 6 p.m. for the Democratic nominee's victory party in the ballroom of the Sheraton Riverwalk in Tampa. More than 100 people milled around waiting for the big announcement. After CNN declared her the winner of the democratic primary for governor, the room erupted.

She took the stage just before 8:30 p.m. and issued a challenge to whoever she would be facing in November.

"Let's debate the issues in three statewide debates," she said. "Let's call out our differences instead of calling names."

Sink told reporters her message will not change because of her opponent: "We've seen a lot of partisan bickering causing Floridians to see that there is another candidate in the race."

-- Robbyn Mitchell, Times staff writer

AG race set: It's Bondi vs. Gelber

It was an early night for Sen. Dan Gelber, who cruised to a relatively easy win over Sen. Dave Aronberg in the Dem primary for attorney general.

Just a few minutes ago, Gelber found out his opponent when Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp tweeted that he had called Pam Bondi to congratulate her on winning the GOP primary.

Palin, Newt unleash dueling robo-calls

After their dueling endorsements, Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin have now recorded dueling robo-calls for their favored candidates in the AG race.

Check out Palin's robocall for Pam Bondi here. We got a hold of Newt's call, where he says "there is no candidate more qualified than Holly Benson." Check out that call here:

Download Newt - Holly

On a question of party unity, Bondi ducks

Pam Bondi likes to talk about how she's not a typical politician. But on a softball question about party unity, she showed the deftness of a career pol.

The Buzz put a pro forma question to all three Republican attorney general candidates: If you lose Tuesday night, will you enthusiastically support the duly elected nominee of your party?

"Absolutely," saiid Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp. "Certainly," said Kristen Bridges, a spokeswoman for Holly Benson.

But Bondi, who has voiced disgust at the brickbats tossed her way by Kottkamp, won't commit: "I haven't even thought about that. I'm focusing on winning Tuesday night," Bondi said.

-- Steve Bousquet

Poll: Pam Bondi, Dan Gelber narrowly lead attorney general's race full of undecideds

If Undecided were a candidate, he or she would win the election for Florida attorney general in a landslide.

Republican Pam Bondi and Democrat Dan Gelber have slight leads in their respective primaries, according to a new poll released Friday.

But most people still don't know whom they will support in the two races, which have failed to capture the attention of voters in a year crowded with contentious primary contests for governor and U.S. Senate.

"There's more people undecided in both races than there are people committed to a candidate," said Brad Coker of Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, which conducted the survey. "When you have that situation, you really can't go out and say that any of these candidates is a favorite."

The next AG will have to deal with high-profile, influential issues: a lawsuit over federal healthcare reform, Gulf oil damage claims, immigration. Yet the three Republicans and two Democrats vying to succeed GOP gubernatorial hopeful Bill McCollum have struggled to resonate with voters.

Bondi, a former Tampa prosecutor and frequent commentator on Fox News, edges Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp 27 percent to 23 percent, with former state House member and municipal bond lawyer Holly Benson coming in at 22 percent. Twenty-eight percent were undecided.

Among Democrats, Gelber has pulled further ahead of fellow state Sen. Dave Aronberg. Gelber now leads 32 percent to 25 percent, with 43 percent undecided.

The poll surveyed 500 likely Republican voters and 500 likely Democratic voters statewide between Aug. 17 and 19. It has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4.5 percent. Full story here.

Bondi already running against Gelber for AG

Republican Pam Bondi did a meet-and-greet event on  Thursday at the Florida Chamber of Commerce offices in Tallahassee. She didn't mention either of her GOP rivals (Holly Benson and Jeff Kottkamp), by name, but she did talk about facing Democrat Dan Gelber in November.

Sounding confident of capturing the Republican Party nomination next Tuesday, Bondi said: "People came to me and people felt that I was most qualified to beat Gelber, and it's probably going to be Dan Gelber in a general election, and I'll tell you what -- the more I hear about Dan Gelber, the more I learn, the last thing we need is an Eliot Spitzer-type attorney general."

She also noted that she'd continue the lawsuit against Obama-Care, while Gelber wouldn't.

Lobbyist Erik Kirk asked Bondi if she found health care is the top issue among voters. "No. Arizona," Bondi replied, referring to the state's tough crackdown on illegal immigrants. "Everywhere I go, the first question is Arizona."

Bondi has the Chamber's backing. She boarded a 40-foot motor coach for additional campaign stops in Lake City and Jacksonville before heading down the east coast on Friday morning.

-- Steve Bousquet

Holly Benson gets thumbs-up from Gingrich

It's not quite Sarah Palin, but it ain't bad either. Newt Gingrich just announced he is endorsing Holly Benson in the Republican primary for the attorney general's race. Thus far, Benson has been polling third behind Pam Bondi and Jeff Kottkamp (though there are a high number of undecideds). The nod from Gingrich could provide a boost with the election only days away...

“The next Attorney General of Florida will have to take the lead on the lawsuit challenging Obamacare,” Gingrich, the former U.S. House speaker, said in a release. “In my opinion, there is no one more qualified to do this than Holly Benson.  So today, I am proud to endorse Holly's candidacy for Florida Attorney General.

“I've worked with Holly, and I know she is a proven conservative that you can trust.  Because Holly worked with Governor Jeb Bush to transform Florida's Medicaid program and served as Secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration, she is uniquely qualified to understand the dire consequences of Obamacare for our health care system and our Constitution,” he said

“Beyond that crucial issue, Holly understands that we must reduce unnecessary regulation and fight frivolous lawsuits in order to restore our economy.  She is pro-life, rated A+ by the NRA, and like her mentor Governor Jeb Bush, is a committed free-market capitalist.  Holly Benson will make a great Attorney General for Florida, and I encourage you to consider voting for Holly on August 24."

Kottkamp, Dorworth pledge to return Greer money

Disgraced GOP chairman Jim Greer didn't write them letters asking for it but two more top Florida Republicans are returning his contributions Monday.

Following Gov. Charlie Crist’s lead, Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp’s attorney general campaign said Monday it would donate the $1,000 the Jim and Lisa Greer gave to the party -- to help repay the money Greer misused, said campaign manager David Bishop. The campaign promised this a month ago -- at the prodding of rival Pam Bondi -- but still hadn't made the donation, campaign finance records show.

Likewise, Rep. Chris Dorworth, a future House speaker seeking re-election, said he would return the $500 his campaign received. "I don't recall getting a campaign contribution from him this cycle, but I haven't looked. If I did, I would return the check," Dorworth said. He received the check the day before the 2009 session at a Florida Chamber fundraiser and later promised to send it back.

Somebody out there doesn't like Jeff Kottkamp

Don't be surprised if you start seeing ads attacking Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp from a mysterious group called Floridians for Ethics and Truth in Politics.

Mike Hanna, who worked on former Gov. Jeb Bush's campaigns and served as chief of staff for the Department of Corrections, recently set up the so-called electioneering communications organization and is gunning to knock Kottkamp out of the attorney general's race.

Hanna, you'll recall, led a similar fundraising group called the Coalition to Protect the American Dream to help Gov. Charlie Crist's 2006 Republican primary opponent, Tom Gallagher. The group raised and spent more than $1.5 million.

"I can't stand by and watch the continuation of the Crist administration with Jeff Kottkamp,'' Hanna said. "I think he's ethically unfit to serve as the top lawyer in the state. He and Charlie Crist should be resigning instead of asking for promotions."