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Campbell joins AG race field

The Broward senator is the fourth legislator and first Democrat seeking the job of the state's top lawyer.

By JONI JAMES
Published September 2, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - Walter "Skip" Campbell, one of Florida's most successful trial lawyers and a state senator from Tamarac, announced Thursday that he will seek the 2006 Democratic nomination for state attorney general.

Campbell, the first Democrat to enter the race, said he will win by highlighting his skill as a top-rated lawyer to win the the job of "the people's lawyer."

And the 56-year-old said he will counter the perception that he's "just a rich trial lawyer" with his "humble beginnings" as one of six children born to a bartender and his wife in New York.

Campbell, who moved to Florida in 1961 and graduated from the University of Florida Law School, also worked stints as a fast food manager and lived in low-income housing.

"I don't forget where I come from," he said as he announced his candidacy in Tallahassee. "I want businesses to treat each other fairly and for businesses to treat us fairly," he said.

Campbell's announcement brings to four the number of legislators seeking the job being vacated by Attorney General Charlie Crist, who is stepping down after one term to run for the Republican nomination for governor.

State Reps. Joe Negron of Stuart and Everett Rice of Treasure Island, and state Sen. Burt Saunders of Naples have filed as Republican candidates.

Campbell has highest rating given by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, a well-known industry directory.

A state senator from Broward County since 1996, Campbell has earned a reputation for working with Republican leaders on key issues. And as a Catholic, he has walked a fine line on abortion. Thursday he said he supports Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion, but he also supports parental notification laws and a ban on "partial-birth" abortions.

Campbell also has been one of the leading lawmakers pushing for changes to the state's exemption-heavy sales tax code and and for taxation of goods sold over the Internet. Last session he successfully pushed legislation requiring more oversight of vendors under contract with the Department of Children of Families.

Campbell's candidacy comes after weeks of speculation that at least two other prominent South Florida Democrats, former Attorney General Bob Butterworth and Miami-Dade Commissioner Jimmy Morales, were considering a bid. Campbell and Morales met in July with other top Democrats to discuss the race. Butterworth has told several Democrats he won't run.

"There were a number of people looking at this position, we had a meeting together, and the determination among those people is that I would file and I accepted that challenge," Campbell said. "I would hope the Democrats would wake up and figure out we can't shoot ourselves in the foot. We can't have multiple primaries because its going to cost a lot of money."

Joni James can be reached at 850 224-7263 or jjames@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 2, 2005, 02:15:35]