Although some in the Democratic Party establishment have been hesitant before the results of tonight's gubernatorial primary election to embrace Charlie Crist, the party's 2010 nominee, Alex Sink, is exhibiting no such restraints.
"We know Charlie Crist. He's been the governor before. We saw the kinds of issues that he was engaged in. Charlie is viewed as being 'the People's Governor'. And I personally am going to do everything I possibly can to return the interests of the people of Florida back to the governors office in Tallahassee, because this governor has destroyed our state over the last four years."
Sink was referring of course to the man who narrowly defeated her in the race to lead Florida back in 2010, incumbent Rick Scott.
Today the former Chief Financial Officer of the state (who served concurrently with Crist when he was governor in the Cabinet from 2007-2011) was in Tampa's Seminole Heights neighborhood, stumping for House District 61 candidate Sean Shaw. Sink is a strong supporter of Shaw, a 36-year-old attorney originally from Tallahassee who worked on Sink's 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
Although some Democrats criticized her gubernatorial run four years ago, Sink was still considered a leading candidate in to challenge Scott again in 2014 until she announced last September that she would not run. One of her biggest concerns was the size of Scott's financial war chest. Four years ago he spent $75 million of his own money to defeat Sink by just over one percent. Sink said he's capable of spending that much again this time around, though unlike four years ago, none of it so far has been on his own dime.
"I didn't always agree with him...but at the end of the day, we need our state back," Sink said when asked about her level of intensity she has to support Crist. "And at least it won't be a surprise this time that Rick Scott's prepared to spend $100 million and outspend the Democrat probably two or maybe three-to-one. It's already gotten nasty, and I don't see it changing."
In the past week Rick Scott has made some dramatic changes when it comes to his education policy, proposing a record amount for per-pupil spending in K-12.
"Can you believe him?, " Sink asked rhetorically. "I don't believe a thing he says or he does. ... Look at how he's changed and how all of a sudden he's a champion of public education. That's bullshit. And I want the voters of Florida to call bullshit on Rick Scott. All of a sudden he's for the environment? Well he just decimated the Florida Department of Environmental Protection!....You can't believe a word that comes out of his mouth!"
If it sounds personal between Sink and Scott, it is. She says that during the 2010 campaign a supporter of Scott's asked him why he was telling lies about Sink's handling of the state's pension fund.
"His response was, 'It doesn't matter, it's just politics, we can say anything.' Well, I'm calling bullshit on that."
Asked for a response, Republican Party of Florida spokesperson Susan Hepworth emailed this sentence. "We wish former CFO Sink all the best."
