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Drop out of race? No way, Pinellas ex-sheriff says

But Everett Rice faces an uphill battle in his campaign for the attorney general job.

By ADAM C. SMITH
Published January 15, 2006

Though he may have the strongest resume for the attorney general job, Everett Rice faces an uphill battle.

Everett Rice, the once-powerful Pinellas sheriff-turned rookie lawmaker-turned statewide candidate, wants to get something straight:

Rumors of his imminent demise in the crowded Republican race for attorney general are greatly exaggerated.

"People ask me, "When are you going to drop out?' I don't have any intention to drop out," Rice declared Friday in a taped TV interview airing at 11 a.m. today on Bay News 9.

He chalked up the rumor to wishful thinking by his rivals, but Rice increasingly looks like a long shot. Despite being a powerhouse in a key county for the Republican primary and possessing what might be the strongest resume for the job - the only lawyer in the bunch with experience running a major government agency - Rice is getting squeezed by forces in and out of his control.

There's former U.S. Rep. Bill McCollum, who jumped into the race in October and after two statewide campaigns for the Senate immediately became the formidable front-runner. There's Joe Negron, a little-known state representative from Stuart who has parlayed his influential position as state House budget chief into a million-dollar campaign account.

There's a foot injury that has hobbled Rice in recent months and crimped his ability to campaign and raise money around the state. There's even his friend and fellow Pinellas politico Charlie Crist, who has so many locals focused on helping him raise money to succeed Jeb Bush as governor that Rice has struggled to recruit fundraisers.

"Fundraising will be an uphill battle for Everett because he doesn't have that statewide network some of the others do," said Manatee County's politically well-connected Sheriff Charlie Wells, one of the 47 sheriffs Rice counts as supporters. "But I really hope people look a little deeper in determining who the best attorney general would be. Everett is certainly the best qualified."

Sheriffs could be a potent force for generating grass roots support.

"All the sheriffs, especially me, admire and respect him and would help him," said Wakulla County's 30-year Sheriff David Harvey, a north Florida Democrat known as the dean of Florida sheriffs.

But Rice has never announced any endorsements from sheriffs or even noted it on his campaign Web site. When asked about that, he said he'd get right on it.

In Tallahassee, Rice, 61, is a low-profile first-term legislator who seems light years from his days as Pinellas' popular sheriff of 16 years. A onetime vice cop, he became a lawyer before becoming sheriff and winning credit for reforming a department plagued by scandals.

He comes across as a thoroughly unconventional politician, part befuddled granddad in the midst of career change and part no-nonsense straight shooter. Even biting comments about his opponents can come off as amiable.

"No offense to my opponents," Rice volunteered, "but all they are are lawyers who happened to get elected to the Legislature."

When he observed that "the voters have rejected McCollum twice already" he sounded less hostile than baffled about McCollum's status as the front-runner.

Whether it's born of political naivete or the confidence of a longtime chief executive, Rice doesn't hesitate to disagree with many fellow Republicans. He brushes off Republicans wanting to sharply restrict civil lawsuits, for instance, and would welcome a ban on unlimited contributions to state parties. He suggested the public might not like the state GOP funding a ballot initiative banning gay marriage.

When a reporter later expressed surprise that the wife of lawyer John Trevena, who repeatedly sued Rice's Sheriff's Office, had given $500 to Rice's campaign, he scoffed.

"Hell, I'm a lawyer. Some of the things my cops did, we should have been sued."

One Democrat, state Sen. Walter "Skip" Campbell of Broward County, is running to succeed Charlie Crist as attorney general. Four Republicans - Rice, McCollum, Negron and state Sen. Burt Saunders of Naples - are vying for the Republican nomination.

Rice confessed that he hates asking people for political donations. It shows.

In the past three months of 2005 he raised less than $20,000 - far below anyone else. All told, he has raised about $195,000 since May, compared to $306,000 for Campbell since September; $190,000 for McCollum since October; $157,000 for Saunders since May; and more than $1-million for Negron since January 2005.

Negron's role controlling the state purse strings, Rice said, is making a difference.

"A lot of people have told me, wait until after the session. I have had legislators, lobbyists, friends apologize to me (for giving to Negron instead)," Rice said. "If I can catch up to him within a half a million, I think I've got a chance."

Negron said he's not pressuring anyone to contribute. Nor has McCollum's entry into the race dampened his ability to raise money.

Still, few question McCollum's strength in the primary.

"Everett definitely has the best resume for the job, and I think he has an uphill battle at this point. When McCollum got in the race that clouded the picture for everyone and I think to retread someone who's lost twice before is unfortunate," said former Pinellas state Sen. Jack Latvala. "There's an awful lot of concern about McCollum's electability in the general, because I'm telling you (Democrat) Skip Campbell will be no pushover."

McCollum said he's heard no such concerns and that most people think he's best positioned to win in November because he's already run statewide.

"All I can say is that I have been more warmly received in this campaign than in any I've ever run," McCollum said.

Meanwhile, Rice said he's increasing his visibility across the state and is going to continue talking to everyone he can about his proposed constitutional amendment to prevent government from taking private property to turn it over to developers.

About one in 10 Republican primary voters will be from Pinellas, where Rice has been one of the most popular figures in decades. Latvala and other supporters say it's far too early to write him off.

"It's all about the credentials," Rice said. "If I can get my message out, that will make the difference."

Adam C. Smith can be reached at 727893-8241 or adam@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 15, 2006, 01:46:05]