McCollum Scores Florida Chamber Endorsement

Republican primary gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum scores a big business endorsement.

Citing his “better track record” and “pro-business policies,” the Florida Chamber of Commerce endorsed Bill McCollum Wednesday in the Republican primary for governor.

Typically, political endorsements only help when voters don’t know the candidates, according to University of South Florida political science professor Susan MacManus.

However, this year may prove the exception. MacManus said more groups are making endorsements this political year. And the top issue is jobs. So MacManus believes the chamber endorsement will benefit McCollum.

“The chamber of course represents to people the business side of things and I believe that polls are showing people a little bit more positively inclined towards business endorsements this time,” MacManus said.

She said there are reasons why the chamber would pick a seasoned politician over former Columbia/HCA CEO and businessman Rick Scott, McCollum’s opponent.

“Obviously, the chamber here is going more for experience than they are for a new face,” MacManus said adding that organizations trend toward candidates who have helped them in the past.

A written statement by the Scott campaign said: “Floridians are fed up with the failed policies of career politicians and when Rick Scott is elected, Florida will have a governor with a proven track record of creating private sector jobs, balancing budgets and holding government accountable to taxpayers."

The chamber emphasized that its endorsement was not a rejection of Scott, a political newcomer who leads in the polls.