Election Guide: Democratic Party Primary, Florida Attorney General

This guide is for the Democratic Party Primary, FL Attorney General.

The two candidates and their platforms:

1) Dave Aronberg.

• Graduate from Harvard Law School with honors in 1996.
  
• Currently a Florida Senator (since 2002).
  
• Assistant Attorney General in the Economic Crimes Division from 1999-2002.
  
• Wants to "de-politicize the Office of Attorney General and return its focus to public safety and consumer protection."
• He as "received national recognition" for his work to "close loopholes in Florida's sex offender laws."
• Supported a law that eliminates the statute of limitations for child victims of sexual violence.
  
• Will "tackle the problem of bullying in our schools."
  
• Opposes Senate Bill 6 saying it "was designed to punish teachers rather than improve public education."
  
• Sponsored the Choicepoint Bill which "required companies that maintain our sensitive personal data to alert us when our data is lost or stolen."
  
• Opposes the Ultrasound Bill which "would have required women to obtain and pay for an ultrasound in their first trimester - regardless of what their doctors recommended."
  
• As a State Senator, his office "returned more than $4 million to people who have been ripped off."
  
• Advocates focusing on mortgage and Medicaid fraud.
  
• Promises to use "every legal resource to make BP...pay for the damage they cause to Florida."
  
• Sponsored the "only ethics bill" that was passed this year. It "toughens the penalties for corruption at the local level."
  

Sources: http://www.davearonberg.com/home
FL Senate Website.


2) Dan Gelber.

• Elected to the Florida Senate in 2008.
  
• Member of the Florida House from 2000-2008.
  
• Assistant U.S. Attorney from 1986-1994.
  
• Graduated from the University of Florida Law School.
  
• Volunteer Big Brother since 1985.
  
• "Prime author of the Silver Saver prescription drug plan that delivered an enlarged prescription drug discount to Florida seniors."
  
• Has "fought to protect Florida's class size amendment...and overuse of the FCAT."
  
• Create an Investment Fraud Unit to Protect "Seniors and Savers."
  
• "Protect the right to loan modification."
  
• Will "go after the social networking sites that cater to young people and compel them to remove registered sex offenders" as well as push for a law "making it a crime for a convicted sexual predator to use a social networking site."
  
• Will "employ every statute at [his] disposal to make sure that Florida is a party to all possible claims arising from the BP spill."
  
• Fight Medicaid fraud and shut down pill mills.
  
• Plays the Wii.

Sources: http://www.dangelber.com/
FL Senate Website.