Tallahassee, FL - Lawton "Bud" Chiles has a legendary last name here in Florida, but, it seems it wasn't enough for the son of a former governor to take his message all the way to victory.
Bud Chiles says, "People are very, very upset. They're seeing that there's a broad gap between what they're hearing out of Tallahassee and what they're seeing in terms of the cuts that are actually playing out."
It's a fight that will have to wait. Chiles is ending his campaign
The big question now...Who will benefit from his departure? The candidate Chiles plans to endorse, Democrat Alex Sink...or Republican Rick Scott.
Chiles may be an independent now, but his family's Democratic legacy runs deep. For that reason, you'd think the people backing him would be inclined to vote for Alex Sink., but, that's not guaranteed.
Democrats *had* been calling Chiles a 'spoiler' who could cost Sink the election.
But when one takes a look at our exclusive statewide poll conducted in August. Of the voters who support Chiles, 27 % are Independents, 11% are Republicans, and only 8 % are Democrats.
Democratic consultant Sean Pittman ran Lawton Chiles' Tampa Bay re-election campaign. He says even then, the Chiles' name attracted plenty of republicans. Pittman says. "I think it's shocking us all, but I think it adds some credibility to Bud Chiles' entry into the race. He's always said that, 'I'm not just taking from one side. I mean, there are people who are interested in my candidacy'"
People who, without Bud, may be inclined to buddy up with Rick Scott. In the end, Democrats have reason to worry about a race without Chiles may do their candidate more harm than good.