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The media continues to attack Harris, as they predict she will lose to ultraliberal Nelson. Donate money to Harris now!

Harris News Update:
Primary Winner Harris Faces Uphill Duel

By MITCH STACY
The Associated Press
Wednesday, September 6, 2006

TAMPA, Fla. -- Rep. Katherine Harris overcame the opposition of her own party to win a decisive primary victory, and now it's unclear whether the GOP will lift a finger to support her long-shot bid to oust Sen. Bill Nelson in November.

Harris, dogged by campaign missteps and the specter of a bribery scandal, faces an uncontroversial opponent with a 30-point lead in the polls.

"Make no mistake about it," Harris told supporters Tuesday night. "It's not going to be easy."

University of North Florida political science professor Matt Corrigan thinks a Nov. 7 general election win would be almost impossible for Harris.

"Bill Nelson would have to make a huge, stupid mistake for this race to become competitive, and Bill Nelson doesn't make stupid political mistakes," Corrigan said. "This is more than a long shot."

Harris got 50 percent in Tuesday's four-candidate GOP primary. Will McBride, a 34-year-old political novice who ran statewide TV commercials for a week before the election, came in second with 30 percent.

"She shouldn't take much solace in those numbers," Corrigan said. "For McBride to get 30 percent, that sends a message that Republicans are not behind her candidacy."

Florida Republican Party spokesman Jeff Sadosky said Wednesday the party will back Harris but that it was too early for details.

Sadosky said he didn't know whether state party chairwoman Carole Jean Jordan or Gov. Jeb Bush would campaign for her at some point or if Harris would get any money from the state party.

"The governor and chairwoman Jordan said they would support the eventual nominees," Sadosky said. "She is the nominee."

Bush's office referred questions about Harris to Sadosky.

The Republican National Committee also will support Harris, spokeswoman Camille Anderson said.

"The national party looks forward to helping elect Republicans up and down the ballot in Florida," she said. "Republicans will execute an aggressive get-out-the-vote operation in the state that will benefit all our candidates."

Harris gained the adoration of the Republican rank-and-file _ and the scorn of Democrats _ in 2000 when, as Florida secretary of state, she oversaw the recount that put George W. Bush, the governor's brother, in the White House. In 2002, she won her congressional seat and then two years later set her sights on the Senate.

But Republican leaders pushed her aside in 2004 so Mel Martinez could win the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Bob Graham.

This year, figuring that Nelson was beatable, the party tried to force her out of the race against Nelson, asking several other people to get into the race.

Harris has been tripped up by her dealings with corrupt defense contractor Mitchell Wade, who pleaded guilty to bribing a California congressman and admitted funneling $32,000 in illegal donations to Harris. She says she gave the money to charity.

More than two dozen of her staff members defected, with some of whom characterizing her as a micromanaging bully prone to temper tantrums and unpredictable behavior.

Harris also has raised eyebrows with some of her public statements. She recently said that separation of church and state is "a lie" and that God and the Founding Fathers did not intend the country to be "a nation of secular laws." She later backpedaled.

Nelson campaign manager Chad Clanton said he didn't know what to expect from Harris during the campaign, but he doubts she can overcome her credibility problems.

"It's the fire she can't put out," Clanton said.