Benson
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - Two Republican candidates for Florida attorney general have each scored high-profile endorsements just a day before the state's primary election.
Holly Benson, a former state representative from Pensacola who's served as secretary of both the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation and the Agency for Health Care Administration under Gov. Charlie Crist, got a nod on Monday from conservative icon Newt Gingrich.
Benson is in a three-way GOP primary for attorney general against Pam Bondi and Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp.
Gingrich hailed Benson as "a proven conservative you can trust" -- a swipe at Bondi, who the Palm Beach Post writes has never run for office before.
Meanwhile, Bondi, the political newcomer, has another big-time Republican in her corner: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Palin calls Bondi "a real prosecutor and a true conservative" who is "sharp, selfless and ready to stand for you" in a robo-call that was released Monday.
Bondi, the Post noted, was a Democrat for 16 years before switching to the GOP a decade ago.
From Legal Newsline: Reach Jessica Karmasek by e-mail at jessica@legalnewsline.com.