FLORIDA — As he struggles to gain ground in Florida's five-way Democratic gubernatorial primary, billionaire developer Jeff Greene is offering the party a deal he hopes it won't refuse: hand him the nomination, and he'll contribute millions of dollars to Democrats running in tossup legislative races.
- Greene donated $31,000 to Democratic candidates this week
- Promises to spend another $5 million if he becomes party nominee
- Some Democrats view offers as patronizing ploy
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This week, Greene donated $31,000 to the campaigns of Democrats angling to capture five Republican-held state Senate seats. The contributions amount to a show of good faith that he'll spend another $5 million sitting in his newly-formed Florida Defense Fund PAC if he becomes the party's gubernatorial nominee.
"Will I put my money behind our message? Yes, I will," Greene told reporters the day he filed to run for governor. "I will get myself elected governor, and down race, we'll do everything I can after I'm the nominee to take with me senators, House members, to finally get this state on the right track."
Greene's financial entreaties could serve as political catnip to Democrats demoralized by 20 years of Republican domination in Tallahassee. While the Florida Democratic Party is leading an effort to wrest 10 House seats and five Senate seats from the GOP, its prospects of winning even half of those races are dubious, given the generally overwhelming fundraising advantages held by Republicans.
But some Democrats view Greene's proposal as a patronizing ploy to make up for his own shortcomings as a candidate. Polls have consistently put him in the middle of the Democratic primary field.
At a campaign stop in Tallahassee Wednesday, one of Greene's opponents, former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine - himself the beneficiary of a personal fortune - criticized Greene for showing up late to the party.
"It's interesting about politics," Levine said. "People talk about all the things they're going to do in the future. They never talk about the things they've actually done."
"Unfortunately, someone like him has never actually put money into Democratic races, where myself, personally, I have invested millions of dollars into Democrats over last twenty-something years," Levine added.
When asked if he'd commit to spending $5 million on down-ballot races, as well, Levine said he'd maintain his track record of contributing to Democratic candidates regardless of whether he wins the gubernatorial primary.
Greene, however, has billed his would-be general election spending as unprecedented, predicting a heavily-financed coordinated campaign will yield Democratic victories up and down the ballot.
"The Democrat message is the winning message in the state of Florida," Greene said. "There are more Democrats. I think more independents absolutely lean Democratic. The problem is we have not had the funds to compete with this Republican onslaught."