# FL Senate race - Will/Could Katherine Harris quit **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 2, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040 "2006-08-02T17:36:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/1 "2006-08-02T17:36:49Z")
What’s the possibility of her pulling a Torricelli and Jeb Bush or another big name stepping in? Was a precedent set when Toricelli did it and Lautenberg stepped in? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/2 "2006-08-02T17:45:31Z")
I’d like to see her announce that she’s quitting “to take time to write a book”, just to see the looks on certain people’s faces… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/3 "2006-08-02T19:36:17Z")
It all depends on Florida law; the New Jersey substitution hinged on that state’s law. Gov. Bush is leaning on the conservative, generally-popular Speaker of the Florida House of Reps. to get in the race, but he says (as recently as last week) that he’s not interested. Don’t know how late, if ever, Harris can get out and have someone else named in her stead as the GOP candidate. It may already be too late. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/4 "2006-08-02T20:44:36Z")
[Relevant Pit thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=382113) ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/5 "2006-08-03T05:12:51Z")
politics of today is for the extremely wealthy and arrogant. She is not used to having people say no. It is hard for her. But she did buy some perky boobies there though. From what I read she can not keep a staff. She chews them out and is a bitch to work for. She had a lot of very professional campaign people leave in a short time. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/6 "2006-08-03T17:32:53Z")
Here’s a recent article by a journalist who went on the bus with the [Katherine Harris campaign.](http://progressive.org/mag_elliott0706) Seems kinda . . . surreal. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2006, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/7 "2006-08-03T18:37:53Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] It all depends on Florida law; the New Jersey substitution hinged on that state’s law. [/QUOTE] Is that correct? My recollection is that it wasn’t based on law so much as it was a sympathetic NJ judicial branch wanting to give the Dems a viable candidate to vote for. I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/8 "2006-08-04T17:19:53Z")
[QUOTE=What the … !!!] Is that correct? My recollection is that it wasn’t based on law so much as it was a sympathetic NJ judicial branch wanting to give the Dems a viable candidate to vote for. I could be wrong. [/QUOTE] That’s what the Pubs said at the time. But the law, by definition, **is** what the courts say it is. (“Some is balls, and some is strikes, but until I calls ‘em, they ain’t nuttin’!” – Anonymous Umpire.) If it makes any difference, it was a [7-0 decision,](http://www.politicsnj.com/korancki100302_Senate.htm) and SCOTUS declined to hear the appeal. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/9 "2006-08-04T17:48:58Z")
**Will/Could Katherine Harris quit?** If Harris quits before the primary, [one of her challengers will take the nomination](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/florida/sfl-fharris03aug03,0,3512812.story?coll=sfla-news-florida). > [@](#): > > Harris has insisted she is not dropping out of the race and most people take her at her word. She is still considered a favorite in the primary against three little-known opponents: LeRoy Collins Jr., son of a former Florida governor; Peter Monroe, a developer who helped manage the government’s savings and loan bailout; and lawyer William McBride, not to be confused with the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate. They’d have to pull out too before the state GOP could attempt a Texas style [end run around the will of the people.](http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/08/texas-republicans-to-appeal-delay.php) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/10 "2006-08-05T16:57:42Z")
And now [Harris’ Pub opponents in the primary](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/15206137.htm) are asking her to drop out of the race for the good of the party. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fl-senate-race-will-could-katherine-harris-quit/367040/11 "2006-08-05T17:50:39Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] And now [Harris’ Pub opponents in the primary](http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/15206137.htm) are asking her to drop out of the race for the good of the party. [/QUOTE] > [@](#): > > ‘She has infected us all,’ one GOP Senate rival said Poor things! They are complaining that those are industrial level cooties!! So unfair! 🙂