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ANITA KUMARThe former USF president explores a bid and begins to touch base with fundraisers.
Betty Castor, former state education commissioner and president of the University of South Florida, on Monday edged closer to running for Bob Graham's U.S. Senate seat next year.
But Castor said she won't run if Graham decides to drop out of the presidential race and run for re-election. Both are Democrats.
"There is tremendous opportunity for strong people right now," she said. "Issues at the federal level get magnified in Florida."
Castor, 62, said she was interested in maintaining a balance of ideas and political parties in Washington after witnessing what the Republican shift in power has done in Tallahassee.
She is the first woman to express an interest in Graham's Senate seat, and the only interested Democrat who has run a statewide campaign.
"I always thought Betty Castor had the near-perfect profile for a statewide Democrat in Florida: a moderate politician with a substantial track record and the added advantage of being a woman," said Rob Schroth, a Washington-based pollster whose clients include the St. Petersburg Times.
Castor said she is assembling an exploratory campaign and will make up her mind in six to eight weeks after touring the state to assess her support. She was in Washington Monday to meet with the Democratic Senate Finance Committee and Emily's List, a national fundraising group that bundles contributions to female candidates who support abortion rights.
"For a period of some weeks, I will be seeking support and contributions," she said. "I want to signal that I am serious, but at some point I have to make up my mind."
Other Democrats considering a bid include U.S. Reps. Allen Boyd of Monticello, Peter Deutsch of Fort Lauderdale and Alcee Hastings of Miramar, and Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas. They also would likely drop out if Graham seeks a fourth term.
Two Republicans already have announced their campaigns for the seat. U.S. Rep. Mark Foley of West Palm Beach has raised significantly more money than former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, a Central Florida resident who lost a Senate race in 2000 to Democrat Bill Nelson.
"She doesn't change anything for us," said Republican Party spokesman Towson Fraser, who stressed that Castor hasn't been on a ballot in 14 years.
"I think that Betty Castor is a fantastic addition to a fantastic group of candidates," said state Democratic Party chairman Scott Maddox. "Any one of them are head and shoulders above the Republican candidates."
Schroth, whose Washington firm works with Democratic candidates, said Castor will have to raise money to "reconnect with Florida voters."
Castor was a fixture in Florida politics for decades. She was the first woman elected to the Hillsborough County Commission, served three terms as a state senator, two as Florida education commissioner and was USF president for six years.
In 1999, she left USF to become president of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. She resigned last fall and returned to Florida, where her family lives.
Castor, who has homes in Tampa and Tallahassee, is married to Sam Bell, a former state lawmaker who is a prominent lobbyist in the state capital.