FL-Sen: Sink (D) won't run, Gelber (D) will

The first choice for Florida Democrats in the race to succeed retiring Republican Senator Mel Martinez, state CFO Alex Sink, apparently won't enter the race:

Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is expected to announce today that she's not running for the U.S. Senate, opening the field to a crop of lesser-known contenders.

Sink, the only statewide officeholder on the Democratic shortlist, was seen as the party's strongest contender for the seat to be vacated by Mel Martinez in 2010. She was being recruited by the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and Emily's List, a national fundraising group that backs female candidates.

With the Republicans' top potential candidate, former Governor Jeb Bush, already out, and Governor Charlie Crist somewhat unlikely to run, it's likely neither the Republican nor Democratic fields will be clear in the primary.

Sink's decision is a shame, but it's not the end of the world for Florida Democrats (who already have a strong candidate and formidable fundraiser, Rep. Kendrick Meek, in the race). Nor was this entirely unexpected for Sink, who seems likely to run for Governor of Florida in 2014.

While Sink is out, State Senator Dan Gelber is in. From Gelber's blog:

"I spoke this morning with Alex about her decision to seek reelection rather than to run for the seat being vacated by Senator Martinez. I have been delaying my own decision to give her time to reach her judgment, both out of my deep respect for her as a public servant and my personal friendship with both her and her husband.

"Given this morning's news, I fully expect to officially enter the race in the coming weeks. The task of preparing for such a race is complex, thus I will be making a more formal announcement soon.

"Our country faces some of its greatest challenges in the coming years and I believe the voters sent a significant message last November, saying they seek leaders in Washington who are hungry to be part of solutions that will get our country back on track. From my career as a federal prosecutor, to my work on national security issues in the United States Senate, to my time in elected office here in Florida, I have believed there is no greater calling than public service, and I believe today there is no more important moment to add my voice to those hungry for change.

With Sink and Bush out, the field should break down something like this: on the Democratic side, Meek and Gelber will run. Rep. Allen Boyd may or may not get in, and while it's known that fellow Reps. Robert Wexler and Ron Klein were considering the race, they're less likely to run with Meek - a fellow South Florida Democrat - already in.

For the Republicans, former House Speaker Marco Rubio is expected to announce, along with Attorney General Bill McCollum (a two-time Senate loser), and possibly Rep. Connie Mack IV (whose father previously held Sen. Bill Nelson's seat).

With the likelihood of competitive primaries in both parties, the race is pretty much wide-open at this juncture, and ought to remain that way for a while.