Alex Sink and running mate Rod Smith win gubernatorial primary

Florida gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink and running mate Rod Smith won the Democratic Party’s nomination in Tuesday’s primary election.  Smith and Sink will face the Republican Party’s candidate Rick Scott in the November general election.

Rod Smith came one step closer to becoming Florida’s next Lieutenant Governor Tuesday as running mate Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Gubernatorial Candidate Alex Sink snagged the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor.  Unofficial results gave Sink 664,063 votes or 76.9 percent of the vote to opponent Brian Moore’s 199,918 votes representing 23.1 percent.  Smith and Sink will appear on the November ballot facing GOP contender Rick Scott who received 46.4 percent of the vote while Florida’s current Attorney General Bill McCollum received 43.4 percent of votes cast in the GOP gubernatorial primary.

In Alachua County, Sink received 83.1 percent of the vote representing 14,360 votes cast in the Democratic primary election against Brian Moore’s 16.9 percent or 2,921 votes.  In the Republican gubernatorial primary election, McCollum received 52.16 percent of the vote representing 6,319 votes cast against Scott’s 37.72 percent or 4,570 votes.

Smith was announced as Sink’s choice for Lieutenant Governor last week at the Palm Beach County PBA. About her selection of Smith as her running mate, Sink earlier said, “First and foremost, I wanted someone who cares as deeply about Florida as I do, and I am proud to have found that in my running mate, Rod Smith…. Rod is a respected leader and will work effectively to help move Florida forward. As a former prosecutor, Rod will be my partner to clear up the mess in Tallahassee and hold government accountable to the citizens of our state.”

Regarding his role as Sink’s running mate, Smith said, “Florida has too much riding on this next election to continue the path we’ve been on.”

About Tuesday’s victory, Smith said, “I couldn’t be more excited.  Alex Sink has been in politics only a little while.  She spent over 20 years in the private sector with a successful career in finance and she has exactly what we need.

“Part of my role, of course, will be to campaign all over north Florida and be sure people know we have a ticket that is strong on the economy, law enforcement…and a ticket that is directly in line with mainstream Floridians,” he said.

Smith said what he brings to the campaign is a face for north Florida.  That he said, “should excite north Florida that they have someone on the ticket. 

The issues Smith said he hopes to shed light on are some which are critical to this region’s economy including the University of Florida, Department of Corrections, Shands Hospital and the economic development of Jacksonville.  Perhaps most important to folks living along Florida’s gulf coast, Smith said he also intends to keep attention focused on cleanup of the oil spill from BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig.

Smith was raised on a family farm in South Florida, graduated from public schools in Palm Beach County and worked his way through college, earning his law degree from the University of Florida, and served nearly 20 years as a labor lawyer.  Smith was elected State Attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit in 1992.  He garnered national recognition for his successful prosecution of Gainesville serial killer Danny Rolling on charges of first-degree murder for the slayings of five college students.

In 2000 Smith ran for and won a seat in the Florida State Senate.  In 2006 he ran in Florida’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, eventually losing the nomination to U.S. Representative Jim Davis. 

Smith practices law at the Gainesville firm of Avera and Smith and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of Florida College of Law. He and his wife, DeeDee, an attorney and advocate for child abuse victims, live on their farm in Alachua.  They have three children and two grandchildren.

“Alachua has always treated DeeDee, my family and me wonderfully, and we’re looking forward to campaigning with everyone again,” Smith said.