Tom Gallagher forms an exploratory committee, which will let him raise money for an anticipated run for the seat.
By TIM NICKENS
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 4, 1999
Tom Gallagher, sworn in as Florida's education commissioner just four months ago, has his eye on another job.
As expected, the Republican said Monday that he has established an exploratory committee for an anticipated run for Connie Mack's U.S. Senate seat. That enables him to start raising money for a contest that is expected to be one of the most watched in the country next year.
"This is something that certainly doesn't come along very often," Gallagher said of the open Senate seat to be created by Mack's retirement, "so I should take a a potential candidate for the Senate seat but has not publicly commented. Early opinion polls show Gallagher and Nelson virtually even.
Gallagher, 55, is a former state legislator who has run for statewide office five times. He lost in the Republican primary for governor in 1986 and 1994 and won races for insurance commissioner in 1988 and 1990 and for education commissioner last year.
As education commissioner, Gallagher will help carry out the sweeping changes to public education advocated by Gov. Jeb Bush and approved last week by the Legislature. He said he will continue to focus on those efforts as he pursues a Senate race.
"My commitment lies in doing a good job as the commissioner of education, because I think the best politics is to do a good job," said Gallagher from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he is attending a weeklong program for school superintendents.
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