Castor PAC strategy keeps new campaign a possibility

Will she run for governor? If she does, a new committee will keep her name in the forefront.

By ADAM C. SMITH
Published December 8, 2004

Betty Castor seemed to make her political future clear soon after narrowly losing her U.S. Senate race to Mel Martinez: "I don't believe that my name will be on another ballot," the former education commissioner told reporters.

But Castor now is looking more and more like a prospective candidate for governor in 2006. She has quietly spoken to some Democrats about the possibility and appears to be following the game plan Jeb Bush put in place after losing his first statewide race in 1994.

Rather than disappear into the background, Castor, 63, is organizing a political action committee to maintain a profile on policy issues affecting the state. And she is keeping campaign staff members on board, including Larry Biddle, a veteran Democratic fundraiser.

Her new organization, the Campaign for Florida's Future, even sounds like Jeb Bush's Foundation for Florida's Future. It kept Bush in the public eye as he prepared to run successfully for governor in 1998.

Castor's organization should start with a healthy budget. As of Oct. 13, she had more than $1.4-million available in her campaign account to transfer to her new PAC, to be launched in January.

"Right now I'm just going to concentrate on this (organization), building networks and supporting people working on important issues," Castor said Tuesday. She described questions about a gubernatorial run as "terribly premature."

Castor said she's particularly interested in promoting a strong prekindergartan program for Florida, improving children's health care and bolstering Social Security.

Other Democrats looking at the governor's race include state Democratic chairman Scott Maddox of Tallahassee; state Sen. Rod Smith of Gainesville; Bud Chiles, son of the late Gov. Lawton Chiles; and U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa. Most of them are expected to firm up their plans early next year. (Davis is scheduled to meet today with about 50 supporters to talk about running for re-election or for governor.) Some politicos speculate Sen. Bill Nelson could run, though that appears unlikely.

Castor can make a strong case for herself. Though Martinez beat her by 1.1 percentage points, Castor proved a formidable fundraiser and received more votes than any Democrat ever before in Florida, outperforming John Kerry at the top of the ticket.

"I'd love to see her run, and I think it would make a lot of sense," said Alex Sink, a prominent Democratic activist and retired banking executive in Tampa. "This is speculation, I haven't talked to her about it, but I think she's lining up to be prepared to do it if that's what she decides to do after the first of the year."

Adam C. Smith can be reached at 727 893-8241 or adam@sptimes.com

[Last modified December 7, 2004, 23:47:14]