State: Capitol abuzz about Brogan

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Jeb Bush lavished praise on "my great partner," Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan, as they coasted to a historic re-election. Now, a month later, Brogan has his eye on another job: the presidency of Florida Atlantic University.

Brogan hasn't applied to FAU, but his interest coincided with a search committee's abrupt decision to slow down its search. That has fueled much speculation in the Capitol and beyond that Brogan, an FAU graduate, has a lock on the job, which would force Bush to appoint a new lieutenant governor.

Bush said Thursday he hasn't given the subject any thought and did not sound happy about the prospect of starting his second term without his right-hand man and loyal friend. Bush's ambitious second-term agenda will focus on reading, preserving families and bringing jobs to Florida.

"I've been busy, and I'm excited about the next four years. Whether Lt. Gov. Brogan takes advantage of this exciting opportunity or not, my focus needs to be on that," said Bush, who met with Brogan Thursday to discuss the lieutenant governor's plans. "I hope he stays because he's been a great partner."

If Brogan leaves, Bush will have to appoint a successor, but he said he would take his time and might leave the job vacant for months. Early speculation centers on Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood and U.S. Housing Secretary Mel Martinez, a former Orange County Commission chairman, a Cuban-American and potential future candidate for governor.

Hood also is considered a candidate to be Florida's first appointed secretary of state. Martinez has been in Washington for less than two years and may not be ready to leave.

Whoever gets the job would be considered a potential contender for governor in 2006. The state Constitution prohibits Bush from running again, and with the election behind him, he appears to relish the chance to plunge full time into policy, not politics.

Some Bush associates speculate he might choose someone with whom he has a close personal relationship, not a candidate-in-waiting. One who fits the former category is former House Speaker John Thrasher, now a lobbyist and Florida State University trustee, who said he doubted he would be considered.

Bush also might use the appointment to make a statement by choosing a woman, a Hispanic or an African-American, such as Julia Johnson, a Clermont lawyer, member of the state Board of Education and a registered Democrat.

"My guess is the governor would be more concerned not about future administrations but in carrying out the goals and priorities of this administration for the next four years," said Cory Tilley, Bush's former deputy chief of staff.

Brogan cheerfully goes to second-tier events such as Wal-Mart Supercenter openings and visits to senior citizen centers. He guides Bush's ambitious agenda through a temperamental Legislature and keeps a stressed-out staff laughing at his one-liners. He says he loves his job, even though he's stuck in Bush's enormous shadow.

Trustees at FAU were to have named a new president Thursday. But last month they voted to postpone their decision for several weeks. Brogan said he won't decide on the FAU post until after he and Bush are inaugurated Jan. 7.

"I'm just going to wait until after the first of the year," Brogan said. "If it's still open after the inaugural, I will put myself in the position of considering it seriously."

Brogan, 49, a native of Cincinnati, is a widower who announced his engagement on Election Day to Courtney Strickland, a 26-year-old law school student. That has prompted observers to conclude that Brogan may be contemplating other life changes, including focusing on the long term financial security of his family.

FAU can take care of that. The presidency could pay as much as $500,000 a year, including bonuses and perks that include a car, annuity and free lodging in a $2-million home owned by the school.

Brogan's state salary is $117,990.

Brogan earned his master's degree in public administration at FAU and worked as a teacher, principal, Martin County superintendent and state education commissioner before Bush chose him as his running mate in 1998. He was not Bush's first choice; Sandy Mortham was. But the former Pinellas legislator and secretary of state left the ticket amid ethical questions.

Brogan's interest in the FAU job first surfaced publicly the week of Thanksgiving, at a time when FAU trustees slammed the brakes on their search for a president, canceling campus visits by two out-of-state finalists.

One candidate quickly figured out what was happening.

"I think I understand what's going on," said Thomas Hanley, engineering dean at the University of Louisville. "I think the trustees are trying to get the best candidate they can for the position."

That weekend, Brogan went to Boca Raton for the first football game between FAU and rival Florida International University for the inaugural Don Shula Trophy. The FAU Owls won the game, and the trophy, 31-21. Brogan, a former high school sports referee and an eager FAU fan, talked with Shula and former Miami Dolphins greats Eugene "Mercury" Morris and Bob Kuechenberg.

Brogan also chatted with FAU trustees, all of whom are Bush appointees.

The only inside candidate for the FAU post, College of Business dean Bruce Mallen, said Brogan was seen talking with FAU trustees in a sports box owned by H. Wayne Huizenga, the billionaire Fort Lauderdale businessman.

"He was with that group, and the FAU trustees who were there. Maybe they were already talking about it, I don't know," Mallen said. "As they say, Que sera sera."

Bush said he's not troubled by the fact that political figures, not scholars, are the front-runners in three of four state university presidential searches. Besides Brogan, the others are former House Speaker T.K. Wetherell for the Florida State University job and Mayor John Delaney of Jacksonville at the University of North Florida.

"I've always felt that people who have broad skill sets and a passion for service should be considered," Bush said. He cited two examples: Betty Castor, the former Tampa senator and education commissioner who led the University of South Florida, and Sandy D'Alemberte, a former legislator and lawyer who rose to American Bar Association president, and who is leaving the FSU presidency.

If Brogan leaves and the job is vacant for a while, the Florida Constitution puts the secretary of state next in the line of succession, but that is now open to question because that job switches from an elected to appointed position on Jan. 7. The next elected official in the line of succession to be governor is Attorney General-elect Charlie Crist.

-- Times staff writers Anita Kumar and Lucy Morgan and researcher Kitty Bennett contributed to this report.

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