Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno endorsed state Sen. Dan Gelber for Florida attorney general today.

“Dan has the gumption and spirit to make the Attorney General’s office a vital force in the lives of Floridians,” Reno said in a press release issued today, saying Gelber would make a “splendid” AG.

Gelber, a former federal prosecutor from Miami Beach, is running in a primary against fellow Democratic state senator Dave Aronberg of Greenacres to replace Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is leaving office after one term to run for governor.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp is the leading GOP candidate in the race so far.

Reno, a Miami native, served under President Bill Clinton as the first female U.S. Attorney General.

Broward County Property Appraiser Lori Parrish today will endorse state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, in the Democratic primary for attorney general, an Aronberg campaign adviser says.

Aronberg and state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, are the only announced Democrats in the AG race, which means both have similar South Florida bases for their statewide campaigns. That could be a problem for them if former state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua enters the Democratic primary.

Gelber recently ventured into Aronberg’s turf to pick up an endorsement from Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon. Aronberg returned the favor by snagging an endorsement from Miami Beach City Commissioner Noah Wolfson, who’s hosting a fund-raiser for Aronberg this month.

State Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, just issued a statement saying he’s very interested n running for attorney general. Reading between the lines, it seems he’s a tad disappointed by fellow Democratic Sen. Dave Aronberg’s announcement today that he’s running for AG.

Gelber recently dropped his U.S. Senate bid in the name of party unity and said he hoped that he, Aronberg and Rod Smith could avoid a messy Democratic primary for attorney general.

“My hope was that there would be time for all of us to be thoughtful and to unify, but given Senator Aronberg’s decision, I will my announce my plans soon,” Gelber said.

Read Gelber’s full remarks after the jump…..

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State Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, and former Democratic state Sen. Rod Smith are such good friends that some Democrats saw Aronberg’s announcement today that he’s running for attorney general as a sign that Smith has decided not to run for AG.

Not so.

“I’m still very much considering getting into the attorney general’s race,” Smith said this afternoon.

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Casting himself as a consumer advocate

and a protege of popular former Democratic attorney general Bob Butterworth, state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, announced today he’ll run for attorney general in 2010.

Attorney General Bill McCollum, a Republican, is running for governor in 2010. Several Democrats and Republicans have been eyeing his job.

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Power lawyer George LeMieux, former chief of staff to Gov. Charlie Crist and former deputy attorney general when Crist was AG, notes in his latest online political newsletter that he’s a potential candidate for AG now that incumbent Bill McCollum is poised to run for governor.

He also notes that Dems Dave Aronberg, Dan Gelber and Rod Smith are potential AG candidates (Read more about the looming Democratic battle here).

LeMieux lists Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and state Rep. Tom Grady as potential Republican candidates, then notes: “Yours truly has also been mentioned as a contender, having served three years as Deputy Attorney General – the number two legal officer in the state.”

LeMieux’s prediction: “The AG’s race will be wide open.”

State Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, and former Democratic state Sen. Rod Smith are pals who both have shown interest in a possible run for attorney general next year. Read more about it here.