2014 Florida Attorney General election
The 2014 Florida Attorney General election took place on November 4, 2014, to elect the Attorney General of Florida. Incumbent Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi ran for re-election to a second term in office[1] against Democrat George Sheldon and Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer.
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 County Results Bondi: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Sheldon: 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Florida |
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 Government |
Democratic primary
Declared
- George Sheldon, former Assistant U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services for Children and Families[2]
- Perry E. Thurston, Jr., Minority Leader of the Florida House of Representatives[3]
Declined
- Skip Campbell, former state senator and nominee for attorney general in 2006[4]
- Maria Sachs, state senator[5]
Endorsements
George Sheldon
- Individuals
- Pat Frank, Hillsborough County clerk of court[6]
- Victor M. Torres, Jr., state representative[7]
- Organizations
- AFL–CIO[8]
- Florida Alliance for Retired Americans[8]
- Florida Nurses Association[9]
- Florida Young Democrats[10]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades[7]
- National Organization for Women[8]
- National Women's Political Caucus[11]
- Newspapers
Perry E. Thurston, Jr.
- Individuals
- Rick Kriseman, Mayor of St. Petersburg[17]
- Kendrick Meek, former U.S. Representative and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010[18]
- Darren Soto, state senator[6]
- Newspapers
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | George Sheldon | 458,428 | 60.66 | |
| Democratic | Perry E. Thurston, Jr. | 297,320 | 39.34 | |
| Total votes | 755,748 | 100 | ||
Libertarian nomination
Declared
- Bill Wohlsifer, Attorney at Law[22]
General election
Campaign
Sheldon's constitutional eligibility to serve as attorney general was challenged in court. For the years 2011 to 2013, Sheldon established permanent non-Florida residency in order to receive an exemption from taking continuing legal education courses required to maintain his law license with the Florida Bar. Article IV, Section 5(b) of the Florida Constitution requires the candidates for attorney general maintain permanent residency in Florida for the seven years preceding election to office. The lawsuit named Sheldon and the Florida Secretary of State as defendants, and asked the court to remove Sheldon from the Democratic primary for attorney general.[23] Leon County Chief Judge Charles A. Francis ruled that Sheldon was eligible for the ballot, stating that though he might have worked out of state, he maintained his residence in Tallahassee and continued to live there whenever he returned.[24] The main lawyer involved in the case chose not to appeal the decision.[25]
After Sheldon won his party's primary on August 26, Bondi challenged him to a general debate before the election.[26] Sheldon stated that he would do so, but raised the possibility of multiple debates.[27] Wohlsifer also challenged Bondi and Sheldon to a debate before the election.[28] On September 9, Bondi's campaign sent out an email accepting an invitation to debate Sheldon in October, which he also accepted. While the Bondi campaign's email only mentioned Sheldon, Sheldon himself stated that he would welcome Wohlsifer's participation.[29] Later on, it was confirmed that the debate would take place on October 6 and all three candidates would participate. It was pre-recorded and then broadcast only in Tampa and Orlando TV markets.[30][31][32]
Candidates
- Pam Bondi (Republican)
- George Sheldon (Democratic)
- Bill Wohlsifer (Libertarian)
Endorsements
Pam Bondi
- Organizations
- Associated Industries of Florida[33]
- Florida Chamber of Commerce[33]
- Florida Home Builders Association[33]
- Florida Medical Association[34]
- Florida Police Chiefs Association[33]
- Florida Professional Firefighters[33]
- Florida Association of State Troopers[35]
- Fraternal Order of Police[36]
- National Federation of Independent Business[33]
- Florida Police Benevolent Association[37]
- Newspapers
George Sheldon
- Individuals
- Bob Butterworth, former Florida Attorney General[40]
- Pat Frank, Hillsborough County clerk of court[6]
- Walt McNeil, Police Chief of Quincy and former Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections[40]
- Victor M. Torres, Jr., state representative[7]
- Organizations
- AFL–CIO[8]
- Florida Alliance for Retired Americans[8]
- Florida Nurses Association[9]
- Florida Young Democrats[10]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades[7]
- National Organization for Women[8]
- National Women's Political Caucus[11]
- Newspapers
Bill Wohlsifer
- Individuals
- Gary Johnson, former Republican Governor of New Mexico and Libertarian nominee for President in 2012[48]
- Michael C. Minardi, NORML Legal Committee member[49]
- Roger Stone, author and political commentator[49]
- Burnie Thompson, radio talk show host[49]
- Organizations
- Epilepsy Foundation[49]
- IJC Law Group[49]
- Newspapers
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Pam Bondi (R) |
George Sheldon (D) |
Bill Wohlsifer (L) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling | November 1–2, 2014 | 1,198 | ± 2.8% | 46% | 37% | 5% | 11% |
| Saint Leo University | October 16–19, 2014 | 500 | ± 4.9% | 47% | 39% | 6% | 8% |
| Public Policy Polling | September 4–7, 2014 | 818 | ± 3.8% | 43% | 35% | 6% | 17% |
| Gravis Marketing | June 20–23, 2014 | 1,232 | ± 3% | 43% | 35% | 5% | 16% |
| Public Policy Polling | June 6–9, 2014 | 672 | ± 3.8% | 38% | 35% | — | 27% |
| Gravis Marketing | April 23–25, 2014 | 907 | ± 3% | 45% | 36% | 7% | 12% |
| Gravis Marketing | January 30–31, 2014 | 808 | ± 4% | 44% | 36% | 4% | 16% |
| Public Policy Polling | January 16–21, 2014 | 591 | ± 4% | 37% | 34% | — | 29% |
| Gravis Marketing | November 8–11, 2013 | 932 | ± 3% | 29% | 11% | — | 59% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Pam Bondi | 3,222,524 | 55.09% | +0.32% | |
| Democratic | George Sheldon | 2,457,317 | 42.01% | +0.57% | |
| Libertarian | Bill Wohlsifer | 169,394 | 2.90% | N/A | |
| Majority | 765,207 | 13.08% | -0.25% | ||
| Turnout | 5,849,205 | ||||
| Republican hold | |||||
See also
References
- Tia Mitchell (July 1, 2013). "AG Pam Bondi files for re-election". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on August 17, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- Brendan Farrington (October 21, 2013). "Sheldon seeks to challenge Attorney General Bondi". Miami Herald. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
- Matt Dixon (October 26, 2013). "Perry Thurston gets in AG race". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
- Anthony Man (June 14, 2013). "Campbell, Thurston weigh races for attorney general, Florida Senate". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
- Michael Van Sickler (October 23, 2013). "Content with state senate, Sachs won't run for Florida AG". Miami Herald. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- "Political Bits and Pieces". Sunshine State News. August 23, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- "State Representative Victor Torres and IUPAT Endorse George Sheldon for Attorney General". George Sheldon for Attorney General. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
- "Florida Alliance For Retired Americans (FLARA) Endorses George Sheldon For Florida Attorney General". Capital Soup. Archived from the original on July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
- "Florida Nurses Association announces first round of candidate endorsements". SaintPetersBlog. August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- Madelyn M. Skene (May 14, 2014). "Florida Young Democrats Endorse George Sheldon for Florida Attorney General". Capital Soup. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- "Endorsements". La Gaceta. July 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- "La Gaceta confidently endorses George Sheldon in the Democratic Primary for Attorney General". La Gaceta. August 5, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- "The Herald recommends: For attorney general, Democratic primary". The Palm Beach Post. August 9, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- "Editorial: Sheldon for attorney general in Democratic primary". The Palm Beach Post. August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- "Times recommends: Sheldon for attorney general". Tampa Bay Times. August 1, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
- "Endorsement: Sheldon in attorney general primary". Tampa Tribune. July 28, 2014. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
- Adam C. Smith (July 24, 2014). "St Pete Mayor endorses Perry Thurston for attorney General". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- Kevin Derby (February 28, 2014). "Kendrick Meek Backs Perry Thurston to Challenge Pam Bondi". Sunshine State News. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
- "Thurston for Dems' AG: Editoriall". Orlando Sentinel. August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- "Perry Thurston choice for attorney general". Sun-Sentinel. August 18, 2014. Retrieved August 18, 2014.
- "Governor". Florida Election Watch. Florida Division of Elections. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
- Jed Ziggler (December 13, 2013). "Libertarian Bill Wohlsifer to Run for Florida Attorney General". Independent Political Report. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
- Rosica, James (August 8, 2014). "AG candidate Sheldon's residency challenged in court". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- Van Sickler, Michael (August 15, 2014). "Judge rules George Sheldon eligible for attorney general primary". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
- Rosica, James (August 25, 2014). "Lawyer: AG candidate Sheldon's residency challenge won't be appealed". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- Irwin, Janelle (August 26, 2014). "Pam Bondi calls for debate against opponent George Sheldon". St. Peter's Blog. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- Schorsch, Peter (August 29, 2014). "George Sheldon accepts Pam Bondi debate challenge, then raises her". St. Peter's Blog. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- Pyeatt, Jill (August 31, 2014). "Updates on Florida LP's Candidates Adrian Wyllie and Bill Wohlsifer". Independent Political Report. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- Van Sickler, Michael (September 9, 2014). "Bondi and Sheldon set to debate in October, but is that it?". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
- Dickey, Paul (September 10, 2014). "Bill Wohlsifer will be in Florida Attorney General debates alongside Pam Bondi and George Sheldon". Palm Beach Free Press. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
- Cordner, Sascha (September 12, 2014). "As Florida Attorney General Race Shapes Up, Is Libertarian Candidate Getting Left Out?". WFSU. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
- Fabrizio, Tony (October 6, 2014). "Florida AG candidates spar over same-sex marriage, more in BN9 debate". Bay News 9. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- Schorsch, Peter (August 26, 2014). "Pam Bondi calls for debate against opponent George Sheldon". SaintPetersBlog. Retrieved August 26, 2014.
- Schorsch, Peter (June 30, 2014). "FMA PAC endorses Rick Scott, Florida Cabinet for re-election". SaintPetersBlog. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
- Kevin Derby (August 28, 2014). "Pam Bondi Wins Endorsement of State Troopers Association". Sunshine State News. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
- Allison Nielsen (June 23, 2014). "Florida State Lodge Fraternal Order of Police Endorses Pam Bondi for Re-Election". Sunshine State News. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
- William March (June 23, 2014). "PBA backs Crist, Atwater, Bondi, Putnam". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- "Rick Scott leads a roundup of Times-Union endorsements". The Florida Times-Union. October 30, 2014. Archived from the original on November 2, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
- "Tribune endorsements: Bondi for attorney general; Putnam for agriculture commissioner; Atwater for CFO". Tampa Tribune. October 11, 2014. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- Tia Mitchell (September 2, 2014). "George Sheldon launches campaign PAC". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
- "Bradenton Herald recommends Adam Putnam, George Sheldon, Jeff Atwater for Florida Cabinet". The Bradenton Herald. October 12, 2014. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- "Sheldon, Putnam, Atwater for Florida Cabinet". The Miami Herald. October 20, 2014. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- "Sheldon for Atty. General". Orlando Sentinel. October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- "Editorial: Sheldon best pick for attorney general". The Palm Beach Post. October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
- "Pam Bondi's failures leave one choice: George Sheldon". Sun-Sentinel. October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
- "Our Opinion: Attorney general". Tallahassee Democrat. October 22, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
- "Times recommends: Sheldon for attorney general". Tampa Bay Times. October 8, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
- Kevin Derby (October 6, 2014). "Gary Johnson Backs Bill Wohlsifer for Florida Attorney General". Sunshine State News. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
- Karl Dickey (July 17, 2014). "NORML fails to endorse best candidate for their cause in Florida AG race". The Libertarian Examiner. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- "For AG, We Recommend Bill Wohlsifer". The Bradenton Times. October 12, 2014. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- "November 4, 2014 General Election". Florida Department of State. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
External links
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