Former GOP state Senator Paula Dockery said she would back Democrat Charlie Crist over Gov. Rick Scott in the 2014 gubernatorial race — if Crist chooses to run.
The Lakeland Republican told the Tiger Bay of Tampa that she “can’t see a scenario by which I would stand by a Scott administration,” according to Julie Kliegman of the Tampa Bay Times. During her speech, she often criticized the incumbent, especially for his positions on education, private prisons, transportation and the environment.
Crist has the best chances against Scott, Dockery said, due to name recognition. She also told the crowd of about 30 that former state CFO Alex Sink would be her top choice of Democrats to run next year.
Later that afternoon, Sink announced she would not run for governor. On hearing the news, Dockery told reporters she felt it would be too difficult for Sink to raise the funds necessary for another campaign against Scott, even though Sink “had the fire in her belly to run.”
Dockery also said she is “less proud” to be a Republican than when she first campaigned for office in 1996, adding that she is done running for elected office.
