Alex Sink to name Rod Smith as her running mate Thursday
by Michael C. Bender | August 16th, 2010By MICHAEL C. BENDER and DARA KAM
Alex Sink will bring her Democratic campaign for governor to West Palm Beach on Thursday to announce Rod Smith as her running mate, The Palm Beach Post has learned.
Sink’s campaign wouldn’t confirm anything other than to say they’ll be in the city for a “special announcement” at 10 a.m. We reached Smith, a former state senator from Gainesville and a 2006 gubernatorial candidate, who tried to change the subject to the Florida Marlins.
“I’m not talking about my travel plans or when I’ll be there,” Smith said when we asked if he’d be in West Palm Beach on Thursday.
But several sources confirmed that Smith will be the announcement.
The location and timing of the announcement are of particular interest.
On the timing, Sink does not have to announce her running mate until after the primary, which she is expected to easily win. Making her announcement Thursday would be an attempt to win some positive headlines in the midst of a bare-knuckle Republican primary that polls shows has left voters with negative feelings about the GOP’s top two candidates, Bill McCollum and Rick Scott.
Sink has already embarked on this strategy by airing her first television ad on Sunday. It’s a 30-second spot mocking the GOP race as shout-fest. The ad shows that Sink wants to increase her own approval ratings at early despite the risk of her $1-million ad buy being lost in a flood of other 11th-hour TV spots from all the state and local candidates trying to win primary races.
As for the location, Smith lives in Alachua County. But he grew up on a farm in Loxahatchee. An Oklahoma native, he attended public schools in Boynton Beach and earned a two-year degree at Palm Beach Junior College before eventually graduating law school at UF.
And one more geographical note — Palm Beach County was also where Sink’s husband, Bill McBride, found his lieutenant governor candidate. McBride picked then-state Sen. Tom Rossin as his running mate, but the duo came up short in their bid to prevent Jeb Bush from being re-elected in 2002.
Back to timing. If it seems early for Sink to announce, know that she and her team quietly started the search for a running mate in June, with Smith, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler and state Sen. Dan Gelber at the top of the list. Panama City Mayor Scott Clemons was also a possibility.
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August 16th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Rod Smith is the most honorable, hard working legal professional I have ever met. He has represented firefighters around the state in contract negotiations for years and has earned tremendous respect from both sides of the table. This is great news for the Democratic Party.
August 16th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Florida’s FUTURE Governor!!!
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/files/aintnostoppingrodsmith.mp3
August 17th, 2010 at 9:40 am
5 things I think I think about Alex Sink’s pick of Rod Smith as her LG: great choice, bad timing
http://bit.ly/d6w0VC
August 17th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Funny how Dave Aronberg never made the shortlist…what’s he going to do for a job come August 25th (especially now with new polling showing him down 11 points statewide and down a massive 25 points among Southeast Florida voters)? Poor guy…should’ve run for Congress.
August 17th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
If PBC put forth a better candidate than Aronberg, there could have been an opportunity to win against Gelber.
Aronberg=weak
As far as Alexandra Sink-McBride she WILL be FLorida’s Nancy Pelosi.
If elected, she would enjoin FL with regional democrat agendas, restrictions, regulations(EPA extremists)
Alex and her husband, Bill McBride could actually be called Florida’s Bill and HIllary of the governor’s office.
Bill tried for the governorship and lost out. Ditto for Sink