Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, a registered Democrat whose office is nonpartisan, is endorsing Republican Sharon Merchant’s bid for a state Senate seat that’s expected to be a partisan battleground in November.

Bradshaw said his endorsement of Merchant is for both the GOP primary and for the general election if Merchant advances.

Former state Rep. Merchant faces a tough GOP primary against former Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto for the seat of state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres. Aronberg is leaving the seat to run (also with Bradshaw’s endorsement) for attorney general.

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Bob Butterworth, a Florida Democratic icon who served as attorney general, is backing Senate President Jeff Atwater’s statewide campaign for chief financial officer.

Atwater’s campaign sent out a press release about Butterworth and other Democratic supporters today, the same day Democrat Loranne Ausley, a former state representative, announced her candidacy.

Butterworth said there may have been some confusion about his endorsement of Atwater. When he wrote a $500 check to the campaign three months ago, Butterworth said, there wasn’t a Democrat in the race and he didn’t specify that it was for the primary.

“I probably should have been clearer with the aide. I don’t blame the campaign,” Butterworth said.

Back in 2002, Atwater, a relative unknown at the time, trounced Butterworth, then on the Cabinet as attorney general, in the election for Senate District 25.

Atwater, a North Palm Beach Republican, also nailed down endorsements from three other Democrats today – James Harold Thompson, Lee Moffitt and Hyatt Brown, all former House Speakers. Moffitt and Thompson are now lobbyists.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, also a Democrat, is also supporting Atwater.

Butterworth’s latest endeavor places him as the fix-it man for Florida Power & Light Co. The Juno Beach-based utility hired Butterworth to try to repair its image in the wake of reports that company executives, their wives and guests flew on the customer dime on corporate jets. The revelations about the flights and other corporate spending came out as FPL seeks a $1.2 billion rate hike that will be decided on tomorrow.

Atwater’s campaign issued a press release about the Democratic supporters the same day former state Rep. Loranne Ausley, a Tallahassee Democrat, announced she is jumping in the race.

Glades County Sheriff Stuart Whiddon is endorsing state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, in the Democratic primary for Florida attorney general. Whiddon joins Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw and St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara in backing Aronberg, who faces state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, in the primary for Florida’s top lawyer’s job.

Said Whiddon, in a statement released today by Aronberg’s campaign: “Dave fits the mold of an ideal Attorney General….previous experience already working in the office as assistant AG, a track record of getting consumer protection laws passed, even experience at the federal level fighting terrorism by going after money laundering operations…no one else can offer Floridians that kind of background and dedication to the job.“

State Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, has picked up the endorsement of St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara in Aronberg’s quest for the Democratic attorney general nomination. Aronberg, who’s running against state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, in the primary, unveiled an endorsement from Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw a few weeks ago.

Says Mascara: “Dave Aronberg and I share the same commitment when it comes to law enforcement…zero tolerance for anyone who preys on any Floridian, young or old. We need someone in that office who wants to be Attorney General to protect the public from serious crimes including consumer fraud. “

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw will formally endorse state Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, for chief financial officer at an event Thursday, Atwater’s campaign says.

Bradshaw is one of the most influential Democratic elected officials in Palm Beach County, though his office is nonpartisan and he has never been much for red/blue distinctions. Atwater and state Rep. Pat Patterson, R-DeLand, are the only candidates in the CFO race so far.

Bradshaw’s statement: “Through his years of service, Jeff Atwater has been an effective leader and a strong voice for Florida’s Sheriffs. He has made certain the men and women of law enforcement have the tools they need to keep our communities safe. I am proud to be a supporter of his campaign and, more importantly, honored to call him my friend.”

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw endorsed state Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, for attorney general today, our Andrew Marra reports from the Port of Palm Beach.

Aronberg is trumpeting it as the first endorsement by a law enforcement official in the Democratic AG primary. But rival state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, suggests he earned that distinction when he received the backing of former U.S. Attorney General and 2002 Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Janet Reno.