Paula Dockery Announcing For Governor Next Week

The speculation has been growing for some time that State Sen. Paula Dockery (R-Lakeland) would challenge Attorney General Bill McCollum for the GOP Gubernatorial nomination.  According to her hometown newspaper, the Lakeland Ledger, it now appears as if Dockery will enter the race next week.

Dockery, a State Senator who gained widespread recognition for her single-handed defeat of a high-speed rail proposal in the last legislative session that she said was a bad deal for taxpayers, appears poised to give McCollum a run for his money.  While he has a significant lead in the few polls that have been done that show a head-to-head match up, his campaign has failed to generate excitement and has turned in dismal fundraising numbers.  Former GOP Party Chair Tom Slade, one of the few power brokers within the party who has not publicly backed McCollum, told the Lakeland Ledger that he believes Dockery's bid is a good thing.

"Paula is one of my favorite friends, and this run may be good for the party. Bill McCollum was a brilliant strategist on foreign policy and intelligence in the U.S. House, but he has not translated that into votes here yet," Slade told the Ledger.

In at least one respect, Dockery's campaign bears a similarity to former House Speaker Marco Rubio's bid to defeat Gov. Charlie Crist in the GOP Senate primary.  Like Rubio, Dockery realizes that she is going against the GOP establishment, most of whom have already lined up behind McCollum.  At the same time, she likely realizes that if there was ever a year to buck the establishment, 2010 appears to be that year.

In upstate New York, the Republican party is watching an early preview of what could potentially happen in 2010 if the party's voters feel they are being force-fed candidates by the establishment.  The 23rd Congressional District found itself with an open seat after President Barack Obama appointed Republican John McHugh to be Secretary of the Army.  GOP power brokers chose state legislator Dede Scozzafava, a moderate Republican who has a pro-choice record, to represent the party in the general election.  Conservatives within the party revolted and bolted the party, lining up behind Republican-turned-Conservative Party-Candidate Doug Hoffman.  While the GOP establishment, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, has lined up behind Scozzafava, Hoffman has found himself picking up support from the conservative Club for Growth, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and even Marco Rubio.  A recent poll shows Hoffman leading both Scozzafava and Democrat Bill Owens.

That congressional race, though seemingly far removed from Florida, is indicative of what is happening throughout the state as more conservative factions within the party buck the candidates chosen in the proverbial smoke-filled room.

In McCollum's case, of course, it's hard to argue that he isn't a conservative.  He is.  But, he's boring.  Watching his campaign unfold has been like watching bland white paint dry on a smooth piece of drywall.  Dockery's entry into the race will only highlight that sad reality.

Dockery will face an uphill battle in her quest, but she's not one who exactly quakes in fear of the establishment.  2010 should be an exciting political year to watch.

Tags: Barack Obama, Bill McCollum, Bill Owens, Charlie Crist, Dede Scozzafava, Doug Hoffman, John McHugh, Marco Rubio, Newt Gingrich, Paula Dockery

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 6:31 AM and is filed under State Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.