Alex Sink Announces Governor Candidacy

CFO Alex Sink makes it official. She is running to be Florida's next Governor.

“I'm writing to you today about my plans and my thoughts about the future of our state. We know that Floridians from Pensacola over to Jacksonville and all the way down to Key West are facing enormous challenges,” she wrote. “Today, I'm pleased to share with you that I've announced my candidacy for Governor of Florida in the November 2010 election,” she said in the e-mail.

The Republican Party of Florida attempted to link Sink to the subprime mortgage lending industry. Sink is the former head of Bank of America Florida.

“The real Alex Sink played a leading role in tanking Florida’s economy,” concluded Chairman Greer. “Alex Sink has been enough of a hazard as Chief Financial Officer, and I don’t believe that the people of this great state will risk Alex Sink and her ‘troubled assets’ in the Governor’s Mansion.”

WUSF reports Sink has not worked in the banking industry in over-a-decade. Greer fails to mention Florida has been under Republican legislature and governors for over a decade. Sink warned Republicans the Cat fund has too much state liability. Sink urged Crist and Republicans to call a special session in December of last year. Sink was troubled over the amount of money Florida was borrowing to support the budget.

Sink, the only Democrat on the Florida Cabinet, said the state already has borrowed $300 million from its own trust funds to pay day-to-day expenses due to a growing shortfall in general revenue, mostly sales tax. She expects to borrow at least $500 million more from the trust funds.

"You can't look at these numbers and not be alarmed," Sink said.

Sink is a fiscal conservative compared to what passes as a Florida Republican these days.

Update: Alex Sink has released a video announcing her candidacy.



Update: Sink campaign press release.

Tallahassee, FL – Florida CFO Alex Sink today issued the following statement regarding the 2010 Florida governors race:

“Floridians from Pensacola over to Jacksonville and all the way down to Key West are facing enormous challenges. Each and every day, the global financial crisis tests our families, our economy and our resolve.

In unique and challenging times like these, our state needs a new and different kind of leadership.

Thousands of Floridians have told me they need leaders committed to protecting the middle class, strengthening our economy and giving our families a fighting chance. As a businesswoman and working mom, I couldn’t agree more.

Before the people of Florida elected me their CFO, I spent nearly three decades in business – creating jobs and economic opportunity in communities all across our state.

During my short time in state government, a couple of things have become crystal clear: Tallahassee’s tired old ways of doing business just aren’t enough to answer the urgent new challenges we face. And a state government influenced by narrow special interests cannot put the best interests of everyday Floridians first.

Today, I’m announcing I will be a candidate for Governor of Florida in the November 2010 election, and put my business experience and know-how to work restoring our economy.

And, as Florida’s CFO, I’ll continue using my business experience to cut wasteful spending, crack down on financial fraud and reform state contracts.

For too long, we’ve had to tolerate a state government that puts playing politics ahead of helping families. Together, we can change all that, and give our state a fresh start.”