Donors' early take on Jim Davis: If Bob Graham likes him, so do I

By ADAM C. SMITH
Published June 2, 2005

CORAL GABLES - Miami doctor Carlos Vargas had barely heard of the Democratic congressman from Tampa, but he happily showed up at a fundraiser to help Jim Davis' gubernatorial campaign.

"I knew very little about Jim Davis, but I sure know Bob Graham. If he likes him, that means a lot," he said.

It was a common sentiment among the 100 or so people gathered Wednesday at the Biltmore Hotel to help U.S. Rep. Davis, who has landed the political endorsement with the biggest potential punch. He faces a competitive Democratic primary against former state party chairman Scott Maddox of Tallahassee and state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua.

"If you think back to some of the Democratic governors you are proudest of, people like LeRoy Collins, Reubin Askew and Lawton Chiles, Jim is in that mode," Graham told the crowd. "He is smart, he is a person with a great deal of inner strength and confidence. He is the kind of person that will appeal to Floridians from Escambia County to Monroe County."

Florida's former three-term senator and two-term governor ultimately may appear in TV ads for Davis. But at this early stage, Graham gives Davis credibility in his first statewide campaign.

The Tampa Democrat happily wrapped himself in Graham's mantle.

"Remember the pride we felt when Bob Graham was governor of Florida? Remember the pride we felt when our state was at the forefront of economic development, of education, of health care and environmental protection? When was the last time we felt that pride? It seems like a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away," Davis said, promising to restore that pride.

The Davis campaign declined to release how much it expected to raise, though attendance suggested it would pale in comparison to the $1.15-million Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist said he raised last week.

Davis brushed off the comparison to Crist, the attorney general running against Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher for the Republican nomination. Davis, however, alluded to Crist's plans for a fundraiser in New York soon hosted by Donald Trump.

"If I had to choose, I'd rather be the apprentice to Bob Graham than Donald Trump," Davis said.

[Last modified June 2, 2005, 01:07:17]