Florida’s election contests got a little more serious Monday with candidates filing papers and plunking down fees to qualify for the governor’s race, Cabinet contests and legislative, county, city and special district campaigns.
Democrats Philip Levine and Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum showed up in person at the state’s Division of Elections to submit paperwork and a check for $7,816 to get in the crowded field of contenders looking to succeed Republican Gov. Rick Scott.
The term-limited governor filed papers during federal qualifying ending last month to take on three-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
By the time this week’s paperwork is finished at noon Friday, the field for the Aug. 28 primaries will be set. Some contenders not facing primary opposition will go straight to the Nov. 6 general election.
“I think what it comes down to is the fact is for us, anybody can buy TV time, anybody can be on social media and anybody can do direct mail, but I think where the rubber hits the road is where you all are. It’s boots on the ground,” Levine, the former Miami Beach mayor, told a handful of campaign workers gathered at the Tallahassee headquarters he also opened Monday.
Another Democratic gubernatorial hopeful former U.S Rep. Gwen Graham of Tallahassee dropped off papers last week at the state elections office and was listed as a qualified candidate when the weeklong event opened at noon Monday.
There are likely to be few surprises in the big contests, where at least two more major Democrats, Orlando businessman Chris King and Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, plan to file as candidates for governor.
Republican Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Palm Coast, are the leading Republican candidates. Putnam has raised nearly $31 million through May for his campaign account and his Florida Grown political committee, topping the field of candidates, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
But on qualifying’s opening day, the Republicans first to formally file were long-shot contenders Don Baldauf, a 59-year-old Bradenton alarm contractor, and Bruce Nathan, a Palm City physical therapist.
“I think you can say I’m pretty serious after I put down my very own check for about $8,000,” said Baldauf, who said he hopes to attract support from the GOP’s Tea Party wing for his candidacy.
Money is always a serious issue in campaigns. Among Democrats, Levine, has raised more than $16 million for his campaign and his All About Florida political committee – with $8.8 million coming from loans and contributions he’s made to his own campaign.
Greene, who has a net worth of $3.8 billion, spent almost $23 million of his own money in 2010, losing the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Greene has said this time around he’s willing to spend plenty more – throwing out figures ranging from $50 million to $200 million.
In Cabinet contests, former state senator Jeremy Ring, a Margate Democrat, was among the first to qualify for the state’s chief financial officer post, where Republican CFO Jimmy Patronis is expected to be on the ballot for the first time.
Patronis was appointed last year by Gov. Rick Scott to replace two-term Republican CFO Jeff Atwater, who stepped down to take an administrative job at Florida Atlantic University.
Cabinet races for attorney general and agriculture commissioner feature no incumbents and are drawing a stampede of candidates, with most expected to qualify by week’s end.