UF political science professor available for comment on Florida primary

August 23, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The gutter-level Republican primary race for governor between Attorney General Bill McCollum and millionaire former hospital executive Rick Scott has shaped up to be the most expensive statewide primary in Florida history, a University of Florida political professor said.

Statewide races in Tuesday’s Florida primary election have been anything but boring, said Daniel A. Smith, director of UF’s political campaigning program.

“And whoever thought our U.S. Senate Democratic primary would be so nasty and salacious as to make it on ‘Inside Edition?’” said Smith. That’s the race between Kendrick Meek, a congressman, and Jeff Greene, a billionaire developer. The tabloid TV show reported Greene had wild parties on his yacht in earlier years.

McCollum and Meek are likely to pull out wins in the GOP gubernatorial primary and Democratic U.S. Senate races against their well-heeled opponents, Smith said. But both will be badly bruised heading into the general election, he added.

The winner of the GOP nomination for governor will face presumptive Democratic nominee Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, and independent candidate Lawton “Bud” Chiles. The winner of the Senate Democratic primary will face presumptive GOP nominee Marco Rubio, a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and Gov. Charlie Crist, running as an independent.

Smith can be reached at 352-273-2346 or dasmith@ufl.edu.