AP - Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jim Davis named former state Sen. Daryl Jones as his running mate Thursday, a choice that could lead to the first black lieutenant governor in Florida history.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jim Davis named former state Sen. Daryl Jones as his running mate Thursday, a choice that could lead to the first black lieutenant governor in Florida history.
Davis made the official announcement at the Broward County Library, joined by state House Democratic leader Chris Smith, of Fort Lauderdale, and incoming House Democratic leader Dan Gelber, of Miami Beach. Both were considered as possible Davis running mates.
"We need a leader with a proven record of standing up for what he believes in and in bringing people together and Daryl Jones is that leader," Davis said. "People are hungry for change."
"There are a lot of people hurting out there right now, a lot of people who have been denied opportunities because of what we've done with our education system," said Jones, of Miami. "We've got over 3 million people in the state who don't have health care."
Jones was the first black candidate to make a serious run for governor when he came in third to Bill McBride and Janet Reno in the 2002 primary, receiving 11.6 percent of the vote. He previously served 12 years in the Legislature, including the last 10 in the Senate.
"Daryl Jones has a record of leadership and commitment to public service that the people of Florida can trust," Davis said in a statement. "We share a vision for a Florida in which the voices of working men and women are heard in Tallahassee and the issues most important to Florida's families are at the top of the agenda."
Jones, 51, a lawyer and former fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, served in the Legislature with Davis for six years before Davis was elected to Congress in 1996. As a lawmaker, Jones was considered an intelligent, independent thinker who was respected among colleagues from both parties.
Jones, however, endorsed state Sen. Rod Smith in the Sept. 5 primary.
Jones was in the national spotlight in 1998, when President Clinton nominated him for secretary of the Air Force. He was rejected in a bitter Senate confirmation process.
Born in Jackson, Miss., Jones moved to Florida in 1981. He and his wife have three children. His parents were school teachers, which he has said gives him an appreciation for the work educators do.
As a candidate for governor, Jones said the state had to get rid of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and replace it with a standardized test that better shows what Florida students are learning compared to others around the country and world. He also proposed a $2,000 a year raise for all Florida teachers.
To pay for his proposals, he suggested a crackdown on businesses that fail to report sales taxes. He also said the state could cut cost on Medicaid prescriptions by steering participants toward generic drugs instead of brand names.
After losing the race, he formed a political committee called "Focus on Florida with Daryl Jones." He said it was set up to develop focus groups in counties throughout the state to hone the party's message for future elections.
But after raising only $1,915, he folded the committee.
Jones was scheduled to travel with Davis to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando and Tampa on Thursday. They planned to wrap up their two-day tour Friday with stops in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Miami, where they will be joined by John Edwards, the former North Carolina senator who was Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's running mate in 2004.
Some observers felt Davis could help repair his image with black voters with his choice for lieutenant governor. The Tampa congressman faced political attacks throughout his primary run over a 1990 vote in the state Legislature to deny compensation for two black men convicted of killing two white gas station attendants and later pardoned.
Davis began those repairs Tuesday when he acknowledged he made a mistake by denying the pair compensation for the time they had served in prison.
Republican nominee Charlie Crist announced Wednesday that state Rep. Jeff Kottkamp, of Cape Coral, will be his running mate.
The new governor will earn $132,932 and the new lieutenant governor will earn $127,399.
Under the state constitution, the lieutenant governor's only responsibility is to become governor if the governor dies, becomes incapacitated or is impeached. Otherwise, the lieutenant governor serves in whatever role the governor directs.
09-14-2006, 01:02 PM
