FL: Sen. Nelson for Gov.?

[Miles]

Article.

The article lists four reasons why he should run and four why he shouldn't. There's more to the former category than I expected.

[Beet]

A lot better than Charlie Crist!

[Maxwell]

Why Nelson for Governor? Doesn't that just make the Dems lose a Senate seat?

[Donerail]

Why Nelson for Governor? Doesn't that just make the Dems lose a Senate seat?

^This is why I largely oppose the idea. Nelson can win elections that a Debbie Wasserman Schultz cannot. We have Crist for the gubernatorial race, it'll be fine.

[seanNJ9]

Horrible idea for the Democrats. Nelson just got re-elected, Florida Democrats need that 6 years to build a bench, because they frankly don't have one right now.

[free my dawg]

Nominating a senator when you have a weak bench... what could go wrong?

[badgate]

Horrible idea for the Democrats. Nelson just got re-elected, Florida Democrats need that 6 years to build a bench, because they frankly don't have one right now.

This, but you're ignoring the one heavyweight on the FL bench: Charlie Crist. In a special Senate election he'd be the best nominee for either party given his name recognition.

[publicunofficial]

Horrible idea for the Democrats. Nelson just got re-elected, Florida Democrats need that 6 years to build a bench, because they frankly don't have one right now.

This, but you're ignoring the one heavyweight on the FL bench: Charlie Crist. In a special Senate election he'd be the best nominee for either party given his name recognition.

If he even ran. He'd likely be peeved that the Democrats turned their back on him to push Nelson into the race. Plus, if I'm not mistaken Rick Scott could appoint whomever he wanted to Nelson's seat. He'd likely appoint a GOP Senator, and he's got a strong bench to pick from.

[Green Line]

Good. Anybody but the soulless Charlie Crist.  Keep him out of office

[seanNJ9]

Horrible idea for the Democrats. Nelson just got re-elected, Florida Democrats need that 6 years to build a bench, because they frankly don't have one right now.

This, but you're ignoring the one heavyweight on the FL bench: Charlie Crist. In a special Senate election he'd be the best nominee for either party given his name recognition.

no thanks, I can barley tolerate Democrats settling on Crist for Governor. U.S. Senate has become a life-time position, we need a real Democrats for those jobs.

[Governor Zeeland]

Good. Anybody but the soulless Charlie Crist.  Keep him out of office

Amen to that!

[Donerail]

soulless

[CatoMinor]

I wonder how a Crist vs Nelson primary would look.

[free my dawg]

Horrible idea for the Democrats. Nelson just got re-elected, Florida Democrats need that 6 years to build a bench, because they frankly don't have one right now.

This, but you're ignoring the one heavyweight on the FL bench: Charlie Crist. In a special Senate election he'd be the best nominee for either party given his name recognition.

I can barely stomach him for Governor. Guaranteed he's only a D because it's the quickest road to Tallahassee.

[Donerail]

I wonder how a Crist vs Nelson primary would look.

Nelson would probably win - Crist's winning coalition is African-Americans, teachers, Tampa Bay, and conservadems, but Nelson cuts heavily into conservadems and possibly AAs, and probably becomes the liberal candidate too.

[Mr. Morden]

If Nelson beats Scott, then who appoints someone for the vacancy Nelson creates in the Senate, Scott or Nelson?  This article asks the question, but doesn't come to a good answer:

http://www.rollcall.com/news/farm_team_chaos_and_opportunity_ahead_for_florida_democrats-224323-1.html?pg=1

I'd assume that Nelson could just wait until 1 second before he takes the oath of office as governor to resign from his Senate seat.  That way Scott wouldn't have any time to appoint a successor.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I'd assume that Nelson could just wait until 1 second before he takes the oath of office as governor to resign from his Senate seat.  That way Scott wouldn't have any time to appoint a successor.

Yeah, can't he resign effectively the moment he takes his oath as governor? I think Biden did something like that so that Markel would appoint his successor.

[Maxwell]

I'd assume that Nelson could just wait until 1 second before he takes the oath of office as governor to resign from his Senate seat.  That way Scott wouldn't have any time to appoint a successor.

Yeah, can't he resign effectively the moment he takes his oath as governor? I think Biden did something like that so that Markel would appoint his successor.

Wasn't Miner also a democrat though? I mean, her approvals were in the teens, but still.

[seanNJ9]

If he can appoint his successor then I would support him. Who are options to succeed him? Good knows the options are slim, but maybe there is some unknown state legislator.

Kathy Castor, plus..?

[Donerail]

Other than Alex Sink, this article from the Orlando Sentinel lists possible "rising stars" in the FL Democratic party.  FWIW.

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And I do weep for the Florida Dems.

There is actually a semi-decent bench in existence. That isn't it - South FL state Reps are not the basis of a party. People like Crist, Sink, Buckhorn, Dyer, Iorio, Rod Smith, and Nelson are the future of the Florida Dems -  Randolph (I like him), Brown (if he survives 2015) and Soto too. A Montford run would certainly make things interesting too. The 2012 freshman class in the State House also makes me optimistic - lot of good people in there. Clelland, Castor Dentel, Danish, Dudley, Saunders, Stewart, Zimmermann - all seem like folks with a future. Cruz and Rehwinkle Vasilinda are in the House too, for women leaders.

[Gass3268]

Other than Alex Sink, this article from the Orlando Sentinel lists possible "rising stars" in the FL Democratic party.  FWIW.

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And I do weep for the Florida Dems.

There is actually a semi-decent bench in existence. That isn't it - South FL state Reps are not the basis of a party. People like Crist, Sink, Buckhorn, Dyer, Iorio, Rod Smith, and Nelson are the future of the Florida Dems -  Randolph (I like him), Brown (if he survives 2015) and Soto too. A Montford run would certainly make things interesting too. The 2012 freshman class in the State House also makes me optimistic - lot of good people in there. Clelland, Castor Dentel, Danish, Dudley, Saunders, Stewart, Zimmermann - all seem like folks with a future. Cruz and Rehwinkle Vasilinda are in the House too, for women leaders.

So pretty much you can't be south of the 1-4 metro areas? I thought the same thing in Wisconsin, that Dems couldn't be from Milwaukee or Madison. Baldwin kinda disproved that, but she ran a near perfect campaign.

[Donerail]

Other than Alex Sink, this article from the Orlando Sentinel lists possible "rising stars" in the FL Democratic party.  FWIW.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

And I do weep for the Florida Dems.

There is actually a semi-decent bench in existence. That isn't it - South FL state Reps are not the basis of a party. People like Crist, Sink, Buckhorn, Dyer, Iorio, Rod Smith, and Nelson are the future of the Florida Dems -  Randolph (I like him), Brown (if he survives 2015) and Soto too. A Montford run would certainly make things interesting too. The 2012 freshman class in the State House also makes me optimistic - lot of good people in there. Clelland, Castor Dentel, Danish, Dudley, Saunders, Stewart, Zimmermann - all seem like folks with a future. Cruz and Rehwinkle Vasilinda are in the House too, for women leaders.

So pretty much you can't be south of the 1-4 metro areas? I thought the same thing in Wisconsin, that Dems couldn't be from Milwaukee or Madison. Baldwin kinda disproved that, but she ran a near perfect campaign.

More like you can't be from South Florida (but Southwest FL/the central portion of the state won't elect Democrats anyways, so I-4 works). And you will occasionally see Democrats from South Florida making it statewide (Bob Graham the most prominent example), but folks from I-4 (or north) are generally more able to win statewide.

[Dereich]

So it looks like there is news on this front; Nelson has gone from definitely not interested to seriously considering a run. Big Democrats are really pushing hard for a non-Crist candidate, and Nelson's certainly the best of the bunch. In my opinion a Nelson-Scott fight starts out as a very comfortable Likely Dem, a far better pick then Crist. I know how well beloved he is in North Florida; I know quite a few Republicans who would never vote for any Democrat except for him. I know I'd vote for him if I thought it was down to the wire.

http://politics.heraldtribune.com/2013/04/25/nelson-considering-running-for-governor/

[krazen1211]

He's out. Good news for Mr. Rick Scott.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

He's out. Good news for Mr. Rick Scott.

In the same way that Mario Cuomo declining to run was good news for Bush-41, yes.