FL - Nominee Taps African American Running Mate

Trying to capture an open governor's office and needing every vote from his party's most faithful base, Democratic nominee Jim Davis of Florida, picked former state Senator Darryl Jones as his Lt. Governor candidate.

The Davis/Jones ticket should be a formidable opponent to the GOP team of Charlie Crist and Jeff Kottkamp. Polls show this to be a relatively close race, in early September SurveyUSA had Crist up 8 points, and Davis will need the African American vote to pick him up. However, Davis has work to do within the black community.

During the primary a Davis opponent reminded voters that Davis, while in the legislature in the 1990, refused to vote for compensation for two African American men who were wrongly convicted of a crime. Davis, who was running for Majority Leader at the time and needed conservative votes, has since admitted he was wrong.

Jones, who spent 10 years in the Florida Senate, made a spirited run for Governor four years ago but finished third.