by Glenn Tschimpke
Staff Writer
In the race for Florida’s next governor, it’s Republican candidate Jeb Bush vs. everybody else — at least when it comes to money.
The incumbent Bush has raised nearly $3 million to help secure a second term in Tallahassee, $130,000 of which he collected from Jacksonville. While the Republicans have enjoyed smooth success in Northeast Florida in the hunt for campaign dollars, some interesting events have unraveled in Camp D. The “Big Four” Democratic hopefuls — Janet Reno, Bill McBride, Lois Frankel and Daryl Jones — are combing the state trying to raise money, though each with varying results.
“I think they have a problem in North Florida,” said local pollster Bruce Barcelo. “This is Bush country.”
Nevertheless, there is money to be had for Democrats in Duval County.
From a Northeast Florida perspective, Tampa attorney McBride is the clear winner so far, collecting $43,000 with the other three candidates coming away with what amounts to pocket change. Before his bid for governor, he was managing partner of Holland & Knight, Florida’s largest law firm. Not surprisingly, McBride’s local campaign donor list is peppered with attorneys and prominent business powers.
“I think he’s a very attractive candidate,” said Linda Connor Kane, managing partner of Holland & Knight’s Jacksonville office. “He was president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Tampa Chamber of Commerce as well as a major law firm, so he has a good understanding of the business world. I think he has a chance of standing up to Bush and he has a better record.”
Once considered a dark horse, McBride’s professional connections and perceived moderate views have vaulted him past the better known Reno in contributions statewide. As of Dec. 31, he had collected $986,986 to Reno’s $663,000.
“McBride is running a very disciplined and very fundamental campaign,” said Barcelo. “He’s very disciplined in making fund raising calls personally.”
A Vietnam veteran, McBride has military ties and the support of a number of armed forces groups, traditionally Republican turf. Jacksonville’s Navy presence could be an unseen factor in McBride’s campaign. Overall however, McBride is still a relative unknown to the average voter at this stage.
“I don’t think he’s well-known yet,” added Kane. “The mainline Democrats and the lawyers know who he is, but outside that group, no.”
Reno, the candidate with all the name recognition, notoriety and public experience, has foundered so far in Duval County. Only $2,700 of her $663,000 in campaign contributions have come from Jacksonville addresses. A South Florida native, she served as state attorney for Dade County for 15 years and attorney general under former President Bill Clinton for eight years. While initially she was the odds-on favorite to win the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, health issues and the rise of McBride have complicated issues on the Reno team.
“I think she’s got considerably more name recognition than McBride, but that does not automatically translate into support,” said Barcelo. “She has done pretty much what I expected she would do. She is rather individualistic and iconoclastic in her approach. But for a national figure with eight years as the attorney general, you would think she would have more support than she does.”
The current buzz surrounds Reno’s health. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1995, and last month she collapsed during a speech in New York. While the health angle makes her easy prey, not everyone is buying into it.
“She’s a straight talker,” said local attorney Archibald Thomas III, who donated to her campaign. “If she says she can handle the duties and responsibilities of the governor, then I believe it.”
Thomas also contributed to McBride’s campaign but hasn’t quite decided who will be the Democrats’ nominee, although he leans toward Reno at the moment.
“Janet Reno is leading the pack as far as the polls,” he said. “McBride may have more money, but he has a ways to go. I think he is an excellent choice, though.”
Frankel and Jones are the longshots. Like Reno, Jacksonville hasn’t exactly been a wellspring of funding for them with each raising just over $2,000 from the area.
Frankel is an outspoken state representative from West Palm Beach with experience as a lawyer. Her name recognition may be high in South Florida, but she’s virtually unknown in Duval County. As such, contributions have been slow coming out Jacksonville. Duval County Democratic Party chair Clyde Collins gave a donation, but it was a small token consideration.
“I donate to all candidates,” said Collins. “As an individual, I’m endorsing McBride.”
Statewide, Frankel will have to play catch-up in the race for money. At less than $200,000 in total contributions, she has less than a third of Reno’s balance and is light years away from McBride.
“Lois is going to have a hard time achieving political mass,” said Barcelo. “She has an artificial ceiling that’s spelled R-E-N-O. As long as Reno is in the race, Frankel just can’t bust out.”
Jones has reaped the least from Jacksonville at $2,275. Like the other “Big Four” Democratic candidates, the state senator from Miami also has experience as an attorney. His Air Force experience could make him attractive to the local military community. Still, when it comes to the military vote, he remains behind McBride, Reno and most notably Bush. At $178,456, he has a considerable amount of catching-up to do.
In Barcelo’s view, Jones, an African-American, hasn’t captured the attention of black voters enough for them to consider him a viable candidate. Virtually everyone else seems to be focused on either Reno or McBride.
“I believe this is a positional race to get him ready for something else,” said Barcelo.
November is 10 months away, but if trends continue, it could come down to McBride vs. Reno for the Democratic nod for governor. While money doesn’t translate directly to votes or support, money buys name recognition through advertising. The politically savvy know that a huge part of the psychology of politics is name recognition.
In Jacksonville, it is clear that McBride has collected the most money from the area. Whether Reno or the others increase their area fund raising efforts remains to be seen. All candidates are expected to visit Northeast Florida in the coming months for just that reason. How well they do will be clear when the next campaign reports come out in April.