Wild Free-For-All For Senate Seat If Ring Leaves
BY BUDDY NEVINS
State Sen. Jeremy Ring wants to be the next state Chief Financial Officer now that Jeff Atwater is angling for the Florida Atlantic University presidency.
If Atwater get the job and Ring runs — far from certain — expect a rush for the suddenly open state Senate seat that will shake up the local political scene.
Jeremy Ring
State Rep. Jim Waldman, who is already running for Ring’s seat in the 2016 election, will immediately move his timetable up. Waldman is term limited this year.
Many also expect County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs to switch from running for state representative to the state Senate seat against Waldman. Jacobs is term limited this year, too.
Waldman and Jacobs would have to raise money from Broward and Tallahassee business interests and lobbyist very quickly. Jacobs could use her vote at the county commission to raise money, while Waldman continues to have a vote in the Legislature through the end of the session in the spring.
They probably will not have the field to themselves. Several others who have been sniffing around the Senate seat.
Former state Sen. Skip Campbell said he was interested. His law partner, Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan, is also mentioned. Several other city officials are contemplating running. And at least one political outsider, a big-money lawyer, has made inquiries.
Ring has coveted the Chief Financial Officer job for years. He was already contemplating a race in 2018 when Atwater was due to leave Tallahassee because of term limits.
Ring said he would love to run now…but only if Atwater left.
There is a major possible obstacle: His four children from 7 to 13 years old.
“That is the one big thing that could hold me back. It is a decision I have to make because I want to make sure I’m doing what’s right for the children,” Ring tells Browardbeat.com.
The race would be highly unusual. The campaign would be roughly 10 months long. Ring would be pitted against who would be appointed as a temporary CFO, plus any other Democratic candidates.
A state senator since 2006 with personal wealth from his years as an executive at Yahoo!, Ring presumably could get a financial head start. Ring concedes he will need the money because he is almost totally unknown around the state.
“There isn’t a state representative or senator who are discussed around the dinner table,” Ring said. “We all have zero name ID outside our own district.”
Any opponents of his will presumably have the same ID problem.
Another barrier to a CFO campaign is Ring’s realization that a Democratic male hasn’t won a statewide race for a Florida Cabinet post in more than a decade.
Ring, a Parkland resident who has made a specialty in Tallahassee of exploring how to meld technology and education, had applied for the FAU presidency. He didn’t make the shortlist.
Atwater is no sure shot for the job. One of the other applicants is George LeMieux, the former U. S. Senator and a Broward lawyer.
Ring said that if Atwater doesn’t get the FAU post, he can wait.
“I learned that these political opportunities are like a bus,” says Ring, 43. “When one goes by there will be another along soon.”
January 7th, 2014 at 7:42 pm
Ladies love the ring.. can’t wait to hear the Republican tear him apart about leaving his wife for Jen Jen.
January 8th, 2014 at 2:53 am
Senator Ring has been an outstanding state senator. The Senator is right when he states the obvious that it will take a lot of money to obtain statewide recognition for the CFO Race this year. He’s a good Democrat and Florida desperately needs to have at least one elected Democrat to a State Cabinet Post. One thing he has learned that “good things” are worth waiting for. Hopefully, this attribute will assist him in making the right decision For Florida and for himself.
January 8th, 2014 at 7:57 am
Sen. Ring is an amazing senator. I wish he could represent Coral Springs forever.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:00 am
#1 Match.com
Your anonymous slur against a fine public servant is beneath dignity. Purely personal matters have no place in political debate and are only designed to enrich the media andtitilate gossips. Shame on you.
January 8th, 2014 at 8:10 am
Is Senator Ring still dating Jennifer Gottlieb? If so, you can bet that Gottlieb’s shenanigans while serving on the School Board will be an issue in Ring’s CFO campaign.
FROM BUDDY:
Not likely.
Who Sen. Ring chooses to spend his time with really will have little affect on the race. Half of marriages end in divorce. Voters understand that.
Gottlieb’s alleged “shenanigans” resulted in nothing but Internet fodder. She was not charged with any wrongdoing.
She is guilty of nothing, but getting a divorce.
January 8th, 2014 at 11:32 am
Shes not even guilty of that. Gottlieb never actually got a divorce, and still lives with her husband.
January 8th, 2014 at 9:37 pm
@ Buddy
You wrote : ” Gottlieb’s alleged “shenanigans” resulted in nothing but Internet fodder. She was not charged with any wrongdoing.”
The “shenanigans” or multiple sexual liaisons with two bank executives while serving on the school board was documented in the Grand Jury report.
You are correct that more than half of all marriages today end in divorce, even political ones. I do find it amusing that you think voters won’t fault State Senator Ring for divorcing his wife for another woman. Most people that I talk to would not vote
for a man, even a former Yahoo Executive, who leaves his family and marriage for another woman and vice versa.
I am not so judgmental. I just believe that if a politician would cheat on his or her spouse (making a vow before God, family and friends then breaking that vow) should not be entrusted with making decisions on the voter’s behalf. Infidelity is not a positive “character” trait for a political candidate IMHO.
January 8th, 2014 at 9:42 pm
It is unlikely that Republicans would tear apart Ring for his dalliances and infidelities, given that a few of them have him on speed dial. Buddy, you’re right, divorce happens and people recognize that.
It seems a stretch though to assumptively give Ring the keys to the CFO office when he didn’t even make the short list for the FAU presidency.
Atwater is a class act regardless of which side of the political spectrum you view him. It would make more sense to select someone with a little more political stature or statesmanship, and a little less political muck for the CFO position.
January 8th, 2014 at 10:10 pm
Jeremy is a DINO. Plays with the R’s in Tallahassee then comes home and says what a great D he is. The R’s laugh at him and use him to file legislation they don’t want to run-like a pension bill that hurts unions. He never worked the finance/tech part of Yahoo. He was the HR guy, filled out forms and got lucky as an early hire. Claims to know all about venture capital and hasn’t had any success to speak of. He’s the creepy loser guy no one wanted to talk to in HS and gets attention now cause of the size of his…wallet.
January 9th, 2014 at 9:28 am
What is more interesting is how much money Ring has these days? Back when he first got elected everyone heard about all the Yahoo! money. He has been through a recession and a divorce from a long time spouse who had his kids. If all is accurate, it would be interesting to see how much Yahoo cash he still has left.
January 10th, 2014 at 10:03 pm
Atwater did NOT make shortist today for FAU but Lemieux did (go figure as neither had academic leaders creds)
so hope Ring runs
he’ll have votes!
FROM BUDDY:
The shortlist announced Jan. 10:
(1)George LeMieux, former U. S. Senator,
(2)Christopher Earley, the dean of Purdue University’s management school, and
(3)John Kelly, Clemson University’s vice president for economic development.