Sink risks political whiplash in So Fla

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, the Democratic frontrunner for governor in 2010, will be working opposite ends of the political spectrum in South Florida over the next two days.

Tomorrow night (along with Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, a potential Republican contender for attorney general in 2010) she will address Democratic leaning trial lawyers at the Florida Justice Association's annual conference at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort & Club in Aventura.

On Friday, she is the keynote speaker at the Republican leaning Latin Builders Association's monthly meeting at the Hotel Sofitel in Miami.

As a statewide officeholder, Sink -- like her Republican opponent for governor, Attorney General Bill McCollum -- has a built-in public platform for speaking to influential groups around Florida without costing her campaign a cent.

Poll shows tight governor's race

Democrat Alex Sink holds a narrow 38-34 lead over Republican Bill McCollum in the 2010 governor race but voters give him a higher job approval rating, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.

Sink, the state's chief financial officer, received approval from 39 percent, while McCollum, the attorney general, received approval from 51 percent.

"One reason may be that in the survey he is identified as a Republican and she a Democrat,'' Quinnipiac University pollster Peter Brown said. "In Florida, as in much of the nation these days, the GOP label is not necessarily a plus..."

Brown also said Sink got a small boost in the head-to-head matchup from voters who like that she would be Florida's first female governor.

All the numbers are here.

Top of GOP ticket in 2010 could be all-male, all-white

At a time when the Florida electorate is growing increasingly diverse, the Republican party is gearing up to field an all-male, all-white slate in 2010.

In contrast, the Democratic front-runners for the top of the ticket are U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, a 42-year-old African American running for the U.S. Senate, and Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink for governor, who would be the state's first female chief executive. A handful of Hispanic and Jewish Democrats are potentially in the mix for attorney general and chief financial officer.

''It's something I see as an advantage for Florida voters, that the Democratic ticket could end up looking like it represents Florida's population,'' said Ana Cruz, a top Meek advisor.

The Republican front-runners for statewide office include Gov. Charlie Crist for Senate, Attorney General Bill McCollum for governor, Senate President Jeff Atwater for chief financial officer and U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam for agriculture commissioner. Putnam is the only one of the GOP candidates under 50 years old.

"We are the party of recruiting the best candidates based on qualifications not on race. That explains our success over the years,'' said Carlos Curbelo, chairman of the state party's Hispanic Leadership Council."And still, we have elected a Hispanic U.S. senator, three members of Congress, and dozens of state legislators to public office. Compare that to the Democrats' record, and there is no comparison."

Keep reading here. 

Emily's List already touting Sink

Look what's appearing on the home page of the Emily's List website. The group bundles checks from donors around the country for Democratic candidates who support abortion rights.

"In a state as influential at the national level as Florida, this could be an incredible opportunity to elect a pro-choice Democratic woman to a top executive position,'' says the group.

For Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, an endorsement from Emily's List could mean millions of dollars for her campaign. She's a longtime contributor herself. But the group's heavy hand in the race could hurt Sink's efforts to portray herself as bi-partisan, moderate and mainstream.

Bogdanoff to announce state Senate run on Wednesday

With state Sen. Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, officially in the race for chief financial officer, state Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, said she plans to make an announcement Wednesday that she is running for Atwater's Senate district, which runs up the coast from Fort Lauderdale to Juno Beach.

Bogdanoff also was considering potential runs for CFO or attorney general but wanted to wait until Atwater finalized his political plans before making up her mind. In the end, she decided a move to the Senate was "a natural progression."

"I like public policy and I enjoy the process," she said.

Bogdanoff said she will likely make the formal announcement Wednesday by sending out a statement without "a lot of fanfare."

Bogdanoff was first elected to the House in a 2004 special election and currently serves as the House Finance & Tax Council chairwoman. Her House district runs from Dania Beach to Boca Raton and overlaps with part of Atwater's Senate district.

Rep. Carl Domino, of Jupiter, is another potential Republican candidate for the seat.

Bogdanoff's announcment also could trigger another political domino with Broward County Commission Ken Keechl saying last week that he hadn't ruled out a run for Bogdanoff's House seat.

For Atwater, what a difference 8 days makes

Senate President Jeff Atwater on May 11: "I think people should have high expectations and high demands of someone who decides to campaign for elected office at the same time that they are serving in another office....There is much work for me to do as Senate president, and there is nothing else on my calendar right now."

Atwater on May 19: "After receiving strong encouragement and support from my family, my friends, my colleagues in the Legislature and citizens from across our state, I will seek to serve the people of Florida as Chief Financial Officer... I'm excited about Florida's future, and I look forward to traveling the state in the coming months to listen to the ideas and concerns of Floridians."

Tallahassee brain drain

Take the lack of institutional knowledge caused by term limits, exacerbated of late by the early retirement of a veteran legislator like state Sen. Ken Pruitt and the cancer diagnosis facing another veteran, Sen. Jim King.  Add the worst budget crisis the state has faced in decades. And sprinkle with the massive political turnover created by five statewide open seats in 2010.

A recipe for disaster?

"We are going to be spending a huge amount of time on politics when we should be tackling public policy,'' said former state Sen. Rod Smith, who lost a bid for governor in 2006 and may take a shot at attorney general in 2010. "Anyone who says this is not a sad recipe for Florida is denying reality. This is a time when we need leadership.''

Smith said he's nearly made up his mind about his plans for 2010 but isn't ready to talk about them yet. "I enjoyed public life but I haven't missed it a lick,'' he said, sounding like a guy who's going to pass on a statewide campaign.

How badly do Dems want Sink to be gov?

Very badly, by the crowded look of Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink's latest fundraising invitation, which lists roughly 40 co-chairs and hosts -- even though Sink doesn't have a re-election opponent in sight. Chairs and co-chairs are asked to raise $10,000-$5,000 each for the May 14 event at the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale. Check it out here.

Sink is widely expected to run for governor if Gov. Charlie Crist runs for the U.S. Senate. His decision could come as soon as next week, giving Sink's fundraisers a strong selling point.

Sink raises $1.1 million for next election -- which one?

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink reported today that she's raised $1.1 million from 2,300 individuals during the first quarter of the year for, at this point, her re-election campaign.

But with Sink admitting she'll charge into the governor's race if incumbent Gov. Charlie Crist hopscotches to a U.S. Senate campaign as expected, the money is a hefty cushion of cash for a starting bid for governor.                             

“Alex Sink starts her re-election campaign in a strong position and will be an extremely formidable candidate in 2010,” said David Beattie, a consultant for the Sink campaign.  “Alex has made it a priority to fight aggressively against financial waste and abuse, and judging from this first campaign finance report, Floridians feel very positively about the work she has done.”

Advocacy group for the poor seeks Saxon's ouster

ACORN, the housing advocacy organization for low income Floridians, is demanding the resignation of Don Saxon, head of the Office of Financial Regulation and the state's top mortgage regulator. The organization cited the Miami Herald's investigative report, Borrowers Betrayed, which revealed that the state allowed thousands of felons to obtain mortgage brokers licenses and operate as loan originators, committing at least $85 million in mortgage fraud and swindling hundreds of victims of their life's savings.

"Don Saxon needs to be held accountable for allowing these crooks to rob Floridians of their homes and livelihoods," said Carolyn Patmon, Head of ACORN’s Anti-Foreclosure Committee. "We need to send a message to Tallahassee that we will not allow the mortgage industry continue unabated with little fear of retribution."

Press conferences calling for Saxon's ouster will be held in Miami and Orlando on Thursday. For its part, ACORN has had its own problems with fraud within its own ranks, with an individual accused of embezzlement at its national office.