Despite opposition from her own party, state Sen. Paula Dockery, a UF alumna, filed paperwork Tuesday to run against Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican nomination for Florida governor.
The Republican Party of Florida and most of the party's leadership have already endorsed McCollum, also a Gator. Former Governor Jeb Bush announced his support in a press release Tuesday, and Sen. Mike Haridopolos, a UF lecturer, said he believes McCollum is the best candidate for the Republican Party.
Dockery, who represents Lakeland, isn't deterred by having to face the leadership of her party. She said she believes her underdog status is a strength because Republican voters don't want the party leadership deciding for whom they vote.
But Dockery's primary opponent isn't worried.
"This announcement wasn't unexpected and is not of particular concern," McCollum said. "We're focused on our campaign and on the striking contrast between myself and Alex Sink on the issues of great importance for our state."
Alex Sink, the state's CFO, is the Democratic nominee for governor.
Dockery has represented Lakeland in the state's legislature since 1996. The senator started to make statewide headlines two years ago when she began her crusade against a $641 million deal with CSX, one of the nations largest railroad companies, to create a commuter rail system for central Florida.
"I worked very hard. The amount of political pressure on the issue was like none I've ever seen," Dockery said, adding that she was up against 200 lobbyists who supported the legislation.
After winning her battle, people from across the state began urging her to run for governor. Dockery was planning on retiring from politics after she was term-limited in 2012, but when she was still receiving letters in June, she began to change her mind.
"There is only so much I can do as one of 40 senators," Dockery said. "But there's a heck of a lot I can do as governor."
Dan Smith, a UF political science professor, said Dockery is going to stir things up and put pressure on McCollum. He said she is a viable candidate who is not afraid to challenge the conventions in her own party.
"She is one of the real mavericks in the Republican Party in Tallahassee," Smith said.
The Alachua County Republican Party doesn't endorse candidates in primaries, but Chairman Stafford Jones said, "I like Bill McCollum a lot, and I've supported him in the past."
Jones said he believes his job is to support whomever Republican voters choose, but that he understands why many Republicans don't want a primary.
"The governor's seat is a must-win," Jones said. "There's a lot at stake because Alex Sink won't have a primary."
Ben Cavataro, president of Florida College Democrats and vice president of UF College Democrats, said he is confident Sink can beat either McCollum or Dockery in the general election.
Dockery said she has a better chance against Sink in the general election than McCollum. She said she believes she will receive a lot of crossover votes because of her support for the environment.
"I'm a Republican that actually cares about our natural recourses," Dockery said.
But the senator still considers herself extremely conservative. She said she's pro-life, fiscally conservative and against the government getting involved in the private lives of citizens.
Dockery also considers herself an avid Gators fan. She went to the University of Florida for her undergraduate degree and masters, and said she attends every home game. On Saturday her Facebook status read, "In Jax for Florida/Georgia game! Come on Gators keep that winning streak going!"
Dockery said "I would love the youthful enthusiasm of UF students to put a Gator in the governor's mansion."
Attorney General Bill McCollum is also a UF graduate and was president of Florida Blue Key.
