JIM DAVIS' RACE FOR GOVERNOR OFF TO A SLOW START

Tampa Tribune political writer William March looks at Congressman Jim Davis (D - Tampa) and his early efforts in the race to become the next Governor of Florida.

While he is easily the best known of the three major Democratic candidates and has a ready-made base in the Tampa Bay area, his fundraising efforts are only slightly above those of State Senator Rod Smith (D - Alachua). And early polls, which are little more than a show of the candidates' name recognition, have Davis with a ten percent lead, nearly half of the Democrats surveyed are still undecided.

The article also notes that Smith has been working hard at building support in Davis' backyard, visiting the Tampa Bay area at least once a week for the past three weeks