Bronson Steers Clear of Florida Governor Race

By Rachel Kapochunas | May 21, 2009 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Charles Bronson

Florida state Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson, a Republican, announced Thursday he will not be a candidate for governor in 2010.

His decision strengthens Republican state Attorney General Bill McCollum's status as the party's odds-on favorite.

The race became an open-seat contest last week when Republican Gov. Charlie Crist announced he would run for U.S. Senate in 2010 instead of seeking re-election.

McCollum entered the race for governor on Monday, bolstered by high-profile support. Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and state party chairman Jim Greer attended McCollum's candidacy announcement.

McCollum served in the House from 1981 to 2001 and then made two unsuccessful bids for Senate. He lost as the party's nominee against Democrat Bill Nelson in 2000, and in 2004, he lost in the primary to Republican Mel Martinez, who went on to win the seat that November.

Martinez endorsed McCollum's campaign for governor Thursday.

Democrats are rallying behind Democratic state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink as their favored candidate in the governor's race.

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