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Florida Republicans Face Embarrassment as Katherine Harris Confronts Challengers

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Florida Republicans are scrambling to understand the intentions of three new Senate candidates, including Orlando-area attorney William McBride, Pinellas County developer Peter Monroe, and LeRoy Collins Jr., the son of a former Florida governor, who have entered the race against incumbent Katherine Harris. Despite Harris' low approval ratings and struggles to raise campaign funds, many party insiders believe she will have no trouble beating her challengers. Monroe claims to have received a call from an unnamed "legend" in Washington, urging him to enter the race, and has ties to Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Key Takeaways:

  • Three Republican candidates have entered the Senate primary against incumbent Katherine Harris: William McBride, a family friend of White House political adviser Karl Rove; Peter Monroe, a friend of Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld; and LeRoy Collins Jr., the son of a former Florida governor.
  • Harris has struggled to raise campaign funds and trails Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by 32 percentage points in polls.
  • Many party insiders believe Harris will have no trouble beating her challengers due to her name recognition and existing base of support.
  • Harris' campaign has stumbled due to her association with a corrupt defense contractor and her struggles to distance herself from the scandal.
  • Republican consultant David E. Johnson of Atlanta views the new candidates as an embarrassment for the Republican Party of Florida.

Statistics:

  • Harris trails Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by 32 percentage points in polls.
  • Harris has struggled to raise campaign funds.
  • Harris has been trying to distance herself from a corrupt defense contractor since February.
  • The corrupt defense contractor admitted in federal court to trying to influence Harris with $32,000 in illegal campaign donations.

Sources:

  • A pair of Republicans with connections to some of the heaviest hitters in Washington – Orlando-area attorney William McBride and Pinellas County developer Peter Monroe (The Herald-Tribune)
  • Harris trails Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson by 32 percentage points, and she has struggled to raise campaign money (The Herald-Tribune)
  • The corrupt defense contractor admitted in federal court to trying to influence Harris with $32,000 in illegal campaign donations (The Herald-Tribune)

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