Chiles: I’m No Spoiler

Bud Chiles, independent candidate for governor.

The U.S. Senate race isn’t the only statewide contest with a high-profile independent candidate. The governor’s race has a former Democrat and son of a former governor running. Bud Chiles brought his campaign for governor to Tampa Thursday.

Not happy with Alex Sink as the Democratic candidate this time around, Chiles decided to try again for governor but as an independent. In 2005, Chiles attempted a run for governor but he had not lived in the state long enough to qualify as a candidate.

“I was never raised to have loyalty to the Democratic Party. I was raised to have loyalty to the people of Florida,” Chiles said during a press conference. “I’m sorry the Democratic Party lost its moorings and the Republican Party lost its moorings.”

Chiles said both parties are too influenced by corporate money. To demonstrate his point, he staged his press conference outside an accounting firm that represents dozens of political committees. He said he’s not spoiler but instead is an alternative to voters from the left and right.

“I’m not in this to create a situation where Rick Scott becomes governor,” Chiles said adding that he will stay in the race as long as he’s a viable candidate.

A Mason-Dixon poll taken in early August before the primary showed Chiles receiving 17 percent of the vote when matched up against Sink and Republican Rick Scott.

His father, Democrat Lawton Chiles, was a two term Florida governor and spent 18 years in the U.S. Senate.