As Florida secretary of state six years ago, Harris oversaw the recount that gave George W. Bush the White House. She became a rising star in the Republican Party, parlaying name recognition into two terms in Congress.
But state GOP leaders tried to talk Harris out of running for the Senate, citing fears she would lose to Nelson while spurring a large November turnout by Democrats, which would hurt the entire Republican ticket.
Harris’ campaign for the nomination was widely derided as spectacularly inept. Fundraising lagged, prompting her to pledge $10 million of her own money. Her makeup, clothes and personality were mocked on national TV. She was linked to a corrupt defense contractor. Staff members kept quitting in frustration.
Still, she won comfortably, thanks to weak opposition and a strong base of Republicans who loved her because of her role in the recount furor.
Some 2 1/2 hours after the polls closed, the 49-year-old congresswoman arrived at her Tampa campaign headquarters to chants of “We want Katherine.”
“Tonight I say to Bill Nelson: Come home, Bill. Enough is enough,” Harris said. She said the campaign “can’t rest for even a moment.”
Good luck, Ms. Harris. If you aren’t in jail by Election Day, you may even have a shot at 40% of the vote.
In Florida’s U.S. Senate race, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) continues to dominate Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL), according to a new Strategic Vision (R) poll. Nelson currently beats Harris 56% to 26%.
It looks increasingly likely that Florida House Speaker Allan Bense will challenge Katherine Harris for the GOP nomination to face Sen. Bill Nelson (D) this fall. He has until Friday to file.
Bense has a good reputation among Republicans and Democrats alike, but he faces an uphill battle should he decide to run. He isn’t well known outside of Tallahassee and Nelson has raised more money than any Senate Dem besides Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY). In addition, it looks like Harris has no plans to throw in the towel any time soon.
Nevertheless, a credible Republican starts with 45% in Florida and Bense wouldn’t be a drag on the ticket like Harris would.
Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) is not excited about Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) or her candidacy to unseat Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL). Today, Rep. Harris filed her qualifying papers and she is now officially a candidate for the U.S. Senate. On Harris, Jebby says:
There’s not a complicated reason…It’s just that’s she’s not gained any traction, and it seems that, unfortunately through no fault of her own perhaps, the press coverage is all about the problems in her campaign…I just don’t think she can win.
Rep. Harris is not only going to lose the seat, she will embarrass the Florida GOP and hurt her chances of ever being bribed by another defense contractor with a $2,800 lavish dinner. However, today DoubleSpeak will officially endorse her continued candidacy. This will be an easy one, which means more money to spend taking out Radical Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania.
Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) is slowly imploding. After declaring her intention to win the Florida senate race by injecting a 10 million dollar inheritance from her recently deceased father, polls now show that she is fading fast.
And why would she want to spend millions of dollars to run for U.S Senate? That’s simple, God wants her to get elected. Now that’s an endorsement!
Harris, who told a national television audience Wednesday that she would be spending $10 million to win Florida’s U.S. Senate race, said she never would have entered politics if she did not believe that God wanted her to make public service part of her life.
Wait for it…wait for it…OK, go…
FLIP-FLOP. Now Harris says she actually won’t be spending her inheritance but will rely instead on money she already has in the bank.
In an effort to jump-start her sputtering Senate campaign, Rep. Katherine Harris went on national television invoking the memory of her late father and saying the money he left her will form the financial foundation of her challenge to Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
Now the Harris campaign says that’s not the case.
Campaign spokeswoman Morgan Dobbs said Thursday that Harris will sell her existing assets rather than rely on money from her father, a bank executive who died in January.
“It is my understanding from her statements that she does not plan to use inherited money on the campaign — rather, money from liquidating her personal assets, which she says total $10 million,” Dobbs wrote in an e-mail to the Orlando Sentinel.
“I think I am being pretty clear.”
Yes Katherine, you’re being extremely clear. I hope God doesn’t get cold feet on the aforementioned endorsement.
