Gelber to run for attorney general

State Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach made it official Monday, announcing he will run for attorney general and bringing the party one step closer to a three-way Democratic primary.

State Sen. Dave Aronberg of Green-

acres announced for the office last week, and former state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua is expected to announce soon.

Gelber, a former federal prosecutor and congressional investigator, said what sets him apart is his background - "credibility as a lawyer, true law enforcement experience, who has managed and led other people, including lawyers and investigators.

"It's all about experience," he said.

Gelber had mounted a U.S. Senate campaign but withdrew, partly at the urging of fellow Democrats who hoped to see U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami win the Democratic nomination without a tough primary fight.

A University of Florida law school graduate, Gelber, 48, grew up in Tallahassee. He and his wife, Joan, have three children.

He has served in the Legislature since 2000. Before that, he spent nearly a decade as a federal prosecutor, working mostly on public corruption, narcotics and civil rights cases, and serving as a top deputy in the U.S. Attorney's Miami office.

He then became chief counsel and staff director for the U.S. Senate's investigations committee, focusing mainly on terrorism and domestic security.

Smith, a lawyer and former state prosecutor, ran in the 2006 Democratic primary for governor, giving him a name recognition advantage. But Gelber has a substantial fundraising base in South Florida.

Aronberg, a former assistant state attorney general, has less time in politics than the other two, but is viewed as a rising star in the party.

Conventional wisdom is that the two South Florida candidates and one North Floridian will battle out the primary in central Florida and the Tampa Bay area.

"Until people know you, all they know is where you're from, they define you buy your geography," Gelber said. "When they get to know us, they'll know we're different."

Gelber said the Florida attorney general should do more consumer protection and anti-corruption work, and be "a more vigilant watchdog for the people." There are "huge amounts of fraud going on in this state, and law enforcement is overwhelmed," he said.