by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
Joe Negron arrived in Jacksonville a promising candidate for the upcoming race for Attorney General of Florida Thursday. He left a fundraiser held at the River Club with thousands of valuable campaign dollars.
Negron, a State Representative from the Palm Beach area and attorney with nearly 20 years of business law and courtroom experience, said he has high hopes that he might advance towards being Florida’s most prominent legal voice when ballots are cast late next year.
To date he has raised more than $700,000.
“Florida is a big state and that obviously presents a big challenge during the campaign,” Negron said, “but I’m confident I can build a solid base of support and prove that I am the candidate that can bring the right knowledge and experience to the position.”
Other early hopefuls in the upcoming election include State Sen. Burt Saunders, Skip Campbell and State Rep. Everett Rice.
Negron said he will begin promoting his campaign platform in the months ahead, with public safety, consumer protection and a fair interpretation of the law serving as anchors.
“I don’t think the attorney general should be in a position of making an avant-garde interpretation of the rules,” he said. “They should be aggressive in their pursuit of protecting the people because the people are king.
“We elect the government to do the things we need to have done and that, by no means, means that any rights should be forfeited. I believe the Bill of Rights means something.”
And so far, many of Jacksonville’s deep-pocketed power players are listening and writing the checks that matter.
Local supporters include State Reps. Jennifer Carroll, Don Davis, Stan Jordan and Dick Kravitz, Drummond Press’ John Falconetti, Gate Petroleum’s Herb Peyton, contractor J.B. Coxwell and Toney Sleiman of Sleiman Enterprises .
Florida law mandates a maximum donation of $500 per individual or entity.
“It’s going to take seven figures to do it right and we’re on our way,” Negron said. “Until then I’ve put my money in a (Certificate of Deposit) and will let it accrue interest until July.
“That’s when I’d expect things to really start happening.”