Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene said in a newspaper interview he has considered running as a Democratic candidate for governor in 2018.
The Tampa Bay Times also reported that Greene has discussed his potential candidacy for governor with political consultants.
But Greene, a former U.S. Senate candidate, told the Times he is not actively planning to run for governor.
However, “it’s certainly something that I haven’t ruled out if it made sense,” Greene told the Times. “I’ve been approached by a lot of people.”
Greene personally spent $23 million in an unsuccessful effort to win the 2010 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, losing to Kendrick Meek.
Other probable Democratic candidates for governor in 2018 include Miami Beach Mayor Phillip Levine, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and former U.S. Rep Gwen Graham of Tallahassee.
Also considering campaigns for governor are Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, a businessman in Orlando named Chris King, and John Morgan, an attorney in the Orlando area. [Tampa Bay Times] – Mike Seemuth