U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Orlando) is denying rumors that he’s planning a run for governor of Florida in 2014. But the rumor mill persists.
Nelson was elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate last fall. Former Republican governor turned Democrat, Charlie Crist, had been deemed the most likely candidate to challenge Republican Gov. Rick Scott in 2014.
But, political analyst Susan MacManus with the University of South Florida said the rumors swirling around Nelson could indicate concern about Crist’s viability.
“It’s certainly intriguing and it makes a lot of people question whether there have been some internal polls done by Democrats that suggest that Charlie Crist may not be as good an opponent to Gov. Scott as many had anticipated,” she said.
Nelson has plenty of name recognition, MacManus added, and can easily raise the money to get into the race anytime he chooses. And, she said no matter who the candidate is, it will be one of most competitive and most watched races in the nation.
