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Gallagher tells pastors about his spiritual shift

He credits his wife for changing the views he held during his 1994 run for governor.

TAMPA - Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Gallagher told a group of pastors Thursday his wife Laura changed his life by helping him build his relationship with Jesus Christ and showing him how important it is to understand the Bible.

Gallagher, 61, married for the second time eight years ago and became a father for the first time 11 months later. He told the group during a casual lunch that he was a practicing Catholic before he met Laura, a Baptist. He said he always believed in prayer, but he was missing something.

"There are probably two areas that were not really fulfilled, and I have to credit Laura with really making a difference in my life," Gallagher said. "One is the power and the importance of the Bible and spending time reading it. . . . The other really key part to my life is having a relationship with Jesus and understanding that prayer's important, the Bible's important, but that relationship is really what counts."

He told the group he opposes abortion, wants the state Constitution changed to ban gay marriage and that one of his three highest priorities as governor, along with the state's economy and public schools, would be strengthening families.

"One of the things I talk about is the importance of having strong families in our state. It's the base of society. Strong families build the leaders of tomorrow. Strong families keep down the cost of government," Gallagher said.

During a 1994 gubernatorial run, Gallagher described himself as prochoice. In this campaign, he is against abortion, and he told the pastors he considers life to be from conception to natural death.

"A society that does not look at life as a sacred thing and doesn't do everything they can to protect it . . . is a society that's going to crumble, so we need to do everything we can to foster life and not have abortions. That simple," he said.

Gallagher, however, backs the death penalty that Florida law provides for in cases of first-degree murder.

Laura Gallagher said the change in her husband's spiritual outlook is real and shouldn't be seen as politically motivated.

Currently the state's chief financial officer, Gallagher is facing Attorney General Charlie Crist of St. Petersburg in the Republican primary. Republican Gov. Jeb Bush can't seek re-election because of term limits. Democrats seeking the office are state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua and U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa.

[Last modified January 20, 2006, 01:46:11]