State: Tampa lawyer may join Bush competition

Tampa lawyer Bill McBride is expected to announce Monday that he is taking a leave of absence as managing partner of the Holland & Knight law firm to explore a run for governor.

McBride confirmed Wednesday that he plans to make an announcement regarding his interest in seeking the Democratic nomination for governor after the law firm's board of directors meeting in Chicago. He would not reveal details.

"I'm going to talk about some things," he said, "but I have to talk to my partners first."

Within the last two weeks, McBride left a telephone voice mail for the firm's lawyers and informed them that he was reviewing his options. More recently, he has discussed a three-month leave of absence in a conference call with a handful of Holland & Knight's top managers.

"He's very serious," Florida Democratic Party Chairman Bob Poe said Wednesday. "He's working hard around the state to develop a network and an organization. His work is pretty impressive."

McBride, 55, would be the third Democrat in recent weeks to take steps to underscore their seriousness about mounting a challenge to Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno confirmed that she is considering entering the race. Former North Florida congressman Pete Peterson resigned his ambassadorship to Vietnam, effective July 15, to return to the state and plan a campaign.

As the potential Democratic candidates maneuver, the Florida Democratic Party is preparing a national fundraising campaign to raise millions for the Democratic nominee. Democratic Party spokesman Tony Welch said the target is $15-million, with at least half of that amount coming from out of state.

The first out-of-state fundraiser is scheduled for June 11 in New York.

Under McBride's leadership, Holland & Knight has expanded dramatically. The state's largest law firm is the nation's fifth-largest, with more than 1,200 lawyers and offices in 11 Florida cities, 13 other U.S. cities and four locations abroad.

But McBride's monthslong flirtation with running for governor has created some uneasiness within the firm, particularly among some Republican lawyers who back Bush. First elected managing partner in 1992, McBride will complete his second five-year term next year. He is expected to name a temporary replacement to cover his leave of absence this summer.

"I don't know exactly what he is going to do," said former Republican legislator Curt Kiser, a Holland & Knight lawyer in Tallahassee who backs Bush and has talked with McBride about the race. "I just know he's running. I feel that strongly."

McBride has enlisted Daniel Uhlfelder, a 28-year-old lawyer, to help him prepare for a possible campaign. Uhlfelder is the son of Steve Uhlfelder, a Holland & Knight lawyer in Tallahassee who was a member of the state Board of Regents. Steve Uhlfelder is a longtime friend of McBride's, but he is also friends with Bush and was among the Democrats who supported Jeb Bush in 1998 and George W. Bush last year.

"For selfish reasons, I would hate to see him leave his current job," Steve Uhlfelder said of McBride. "He is an excellent leader, and he's been the glue that has kept this firm together through tremendous expansion and growth."

Among the other Democrats who are considering running for governor are U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa, state House Minority Leader Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach, Broward Sheriff Ken Jenne, state Sen. Daryl Jones of Miami and Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox.

A Miami Herald poll released Sunday found Bush narrowly ahead of Reno, 49 percent to 43 percent. Bush led Peterson and McBride by more than 15 percentage points. Democrats also were heartened that the poll found that 40 percent of the voters disapprove of Bush's job performance.

"It shows why there is a lot of interest in this race," McBride said of the poll. "In the end, it may be the Democrats' race to lose."

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Lucy Morgan

From the Times state desk