Archive for Luncheon

May

June 12th Luncheon: State Senator Dan Gelber, Candidate for Attorney General of Florida

Posted by: Administrator | Comments Comments Off

Senator Dan Gelber - Attorney General Candidate

Two exceptionally well-qualified individuals are running for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of Florida. The Democratic Club of Sarasota is pleased to welcome one of the candiates, State Senator Dan Gelber, as our June luncheon speaker.

Shortly after graduating from University of Florida College of Law in 1985, Dan Gelber was appointed as a federal prosecutor in Miami, becoming one of the youngest lawyers in the United States to receive such an appointment. Dan spent nearly a decade prosecuting hundreds of corrupt public officials, drug dealers, scam artists and violent street gangs. As Chief of the Civil Rights Section and a member of the Anti-Corruption Unit, he promoted accountability and integrity in government.

In 1992, Dan was appointed by then U.S. Senator Sam Nunn to be the Democratic Chief Counsel and Staff Director for the United State Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the most prestigious standing investigative committee in the Senate. Dan led Senate delegations around the world and throughout the former Soviet Union to investigate security issues and to help prevent dangerous weapons and weapons technology from being smuggled to terrorist groups and rogue nations in the Middle East.

Dan was elected to the Florida Legislature in 2000. Despite being outspent by his opponents (both of whom held public offices), he won a three-way election outright with 62% of the vote. In 2005, his Democratic colleagues unanimously voted him to be Democratic leader. He was elected to the Florida Senate in 2008.

On May 6, after the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf, Dan Gelber joined with Alex Sink, Keith Fitzgerald and State Rep Rick Kriseman (of St. Petersburg) in calling on Governor Crist to reconvene the legislature for a special session to consider a constitutional amendment that would ban drilling off of Florida’s beaches.

Dan will discuss his campaign and goals for the Office of the Attorney General on Saturday, June 12th at Laurel Oak Country Club. We look forward to seeing you there.